Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Restorative Justice Alert

The Second Chance Act of 2007

H.R. 1593 / S. 1060


Our United States could benefit from the passage of the Second Chance Act. This legislation is a modest, commonsense response to the increasing number of people who are released from prison and jail and returning to communities.

There are currently 1.7 million people serving time in our federal and state prisons, and millions of people are cycling through local jails every year. Ninety-five percent of all prisoners incarcerated today will eventually be released and will return to our communities. The Second Chance Act will help ensure that the transition from prison or jail to the community is safe and successful.

Note:This information was courtesy of the Council of State Governments. View their fact sheet on the Second Chance Act.

Sponsors

The Second Chance Act has garnered a great deal of bipartisan support:

In the Senate, there are 33 co-sponsors, including Senators Joseph Biden (D-DE), Arlen Specter (R-PA), Sam Brownback (R-KS), and Patrick Leahy (D-VT).

In the House, there are 92 co-sponsors, including Representatives Danny Davis (D-IL), Chris Cannon (R-UT), John Conyers (D-MI), Lamar Smith (R-TX), Bobby Scott (D-VA), Randy Forbes (R-VA), Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-OH), and James Sensenbrenner (R-WI).

Contact your Texas U.S. Representative today and urge him or her to support the Second Chance Act! For a list of all Texas U.S. Representatives, click here.
  • Demonstration Grants. Provides grants to states and local governments that may be used to promote the safe and successful re-integration into the community of individuals who have been incarcerated. Allowable uses of funds include employment services, substance abuse treatment, housing, family programming, mentoring, victims services, and methods to improve release and revocation decisions using risk assessment tools.

  • Mentoring Grants. Provides grants to nonprofit organizations that may be used for mentoring adult offenders or transitional services for re-integration into the community.

  • Offender Reentry Substance Abuse Treatment. Creates grants to improve the availability of drug treatment to offenders in prisons, jails, and juvenile facilities.

  • Family drug treatment programs. Authorizes grants to States, local governments, and Indian tribes to develop and implement family-based treatment programs for incarcerated parents who have minor children.

  • Federal Reentry Initiative. Provides guidance to the BOP for enhanced reentry planning procedures. Specific information on health, employment, personal finance, release requirements, and community resources shall be provided to each inmate released.

  • Reentry Research. Authorizes the National Institute of Justice and the Bureau of Justice Statistics to conduct research around re-entry.

  • National Adult and Juvenile Offender Reentry Resource Center. Establishes a national resource center to collect and disseminate best practices and provide training and support around re-entry.

Total Annual Authorization: $165 Million

To review the full text of the bill:

America could benefit from your contacting your local U.S. Congressman and your U. S. Senators on behalf of this bi-partison legislation.