Danny K. Davis (IL-07)

The Second Chance Act of 2005

The purpose of the Second Chance Act is to reduce recidivism, increase public safety, and help states and communities to better address the growing population of prisoners returning to communities. The bill will focus on four areas: jobs, housing, substance abuse/mental health treatment, and families.

Prisoner Reentry: The Case for Action

Crime Reduction – Nearly two-thirds of released prisoners are expected to be rearrested for a felony or serious misdemeanor within three years of release.  Such high recidivism rates translate into thousands of new crimes each year, at least half of which can be averted through improved prisoner reentry efforts. In 2002, 2 million people were incarcerated in Federal or State prisons.  Nearly 650,000 people are released from prison to communities nationwide each year. 

Substance Abuse/Mental Health Problems – Seventy to eighty percent of offenders re-entering the community have histories of substance abuse.  An increasing number of offenders have mental health problems.  If the treatment is not sought or available upon release, relapse is likely.  Fifty-seven percent of federal and 70 percent of state inmates used drugs regularly before prison, with some estimates of involvement with drugs/alcohol around the time of the offense as high as 84 percent (BJS Trends in State Parole, 1990 – 2000). 

Saving Taxpayer Dollars – Significant portions of state budgets are now invested in the criminal justice system.  According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, expenditures on corrections alone increased from $9 billion in 1982 to $44 billion in 1997.  These figures do not include the cost of arrest and prosecution, nor do they take into account the cost to victims.

Strengthening Families and Communities – One of the most significant costs of prisoner reentry is the impact on children and communities.  Between 1991 and 1999, the number of children with a parent in a Federal or State correctional facility increased by more than 100 percent, from approximately 900,000 to approximately 2,000,000.

Reducing Recidivism through Common Sense Solutions

·        Demonstration Grants.  The Second Chance Act reauthorizes the Re-Entry Demonstration project with an enhanced focus on jobs, housing, substance abuse treatment/mental health, and children and families.  The bill increases the amount of money to fund demonstration programs and create performance outcomes standards and deliverables. 

·        National Offender Re-Entry Resource Center.  Establishes a resource center for states, local government, service providers, faith-based organization, corrections and community organizations to collect and disseminate best practices and provide training and support around reentry.

·        Federal Taskforce.  Creates a federal interagency taskforce to identify programs and resources on re-entry, identify ways to better collaborate, develop interagency initiatives and a national re-entry research agenda.  The taskforce would review and report to Congress on the federal barriers that exist to successful re-entry with recommendations.

·        Offender Re-Entry Research.  Authorizes the National Institute of Justice and the Bureau of Justice Statistics to conduct research around re-entry.

·        Mentoring Grants to Nonprofit Organizations: Establishes a grant program to provide funding for nonprofit organizations to provide mentoring and transitional services to adult and juvenile offenders.

·        Carlie’s Law:  In response to Carlie Brucia’s abduction and murder in 2004, the provision requires the automatic revocation of probation or supervised release when a federal felon commits a felony crime of violence against a minor child under the age of 16. 

Organizations that Support the Second Chance Act:

1.            Access Community Health Network of Chicago

2.            Alliance for Children and Families

3.            American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

4.            American Bar Association

5.            American Center for Law and Justice

6.            American Correctional Association

7.            American Counseling Association

8.            American Jail Association

9.            American Probation and Parole Association

10.        American Psychological Association

11.        All of Us or None, Oklahoma City, OK Chapter

12.        Alston Wilkes Society, South Carolina

13.        The Arc of the United States

14.        Arizona Statewide TASC: Treatment Assessment & Screening Center

15.        Association for Better Living and Education

16.        Association of Citizens for Social Reform

17.        Association of State Correctional Administrators

18.        A T Roseborough & Associated, Inc.

19.        BASICS, Inc. - Bronx, New York

20.        Big Brothers Big Sisters of America

21.        California Association of Alcohol and Drug Program Executives

22.        Catholic Charities USA

23.        Center for Community Alternatives

24.        Center for Community Corrections

25.        Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) - New York

26.        Center for Law and Social Policy

27.        Center for Youth as Resources

28.        Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice

29.        Child Welfare League of America

30.        Children's Defense Fund

31.        Christian Coalition

32.        Church Women United

33.        Citizens United for Rehabilitation of Errants - Virginia, Inc.

34.        Coalition for Juvenile Justice

35.        The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities Criminal Justice Policy Task Force

36.        Corporation for Supportive Housing

37.        Correctional Education Association

38.        Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators

39.        Covenant House

40.        Criminon International

41.        D.C. Prisoners’ Legal Services Project

42.        Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

43.        F.A.C.E. – Baltimore, MD

44.        Family Justice

45.        Family Research Council

46.        Federal Prison Policy Project

47.        Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health

48.        Fifth Avenue Committee

49.        Fight Crime: Invest in Kids

50.        Foster Family-based Treatment Association

51.        Goodwill Industries International, Inc.

52.        Haymarket Center of Chicago

53.        Heartland Alliance for Human Needs and Human Right

54.        Horizon Faith-based Communities in Prisons

55.        Idaho Department of Correction

56.        Illinois TASC

57.        International Association of Reentry

58.        International Community Corrections Association

59.        Johnson Institute

60.        Justice Fellowship

61.        Justice Watch, Inc.

62.        Kids First Coalition

63.        Leadership Conference on Civil Rights

64.        Learning Disabilities Association of America

65.        Legal Action Center

66.        Lifetrack Resources – Minnesota

67.        Local Initiative Support Corporation (LISC)

68.        Lutheran Services of America

69.        National AIDS Housing Coalition

70.        National Alliance for the Mentally Ill

71.        National Alliance to End Homelessness

72.        National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice

73.        National Association for Children of Alcoholics

74.        National Association for Children's Behavioral Health

75.        National Association of Counties

76.        National Association of Protection and Advocacy Systems

77.        National Association of School Psychology

78.        National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors

79.        National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors

80.        National Black Church Taskforce Initiative on Crime and Criminal Justice

81.        National Consortium of TASC Programs Inc.

82.        National Correctional Industries Association

83.        National Council of La Raza

84.        National Independent Living Association

85.        National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty

86.        National Low Income Housing Coalition

87.        National Network for Youth

88.        National Religious Affairs Association

89.        National Transitional Jobs Network

90.        National Urban League

91.        New Hope Project – Wisconsin

92.        New York City Departments of Correction and Probation

93.        New York Therapeutic Communities, Inc.

94.        NY TCA

95.        North Carolina TASC Training Institute

96.        NorthWest Community Corrections Center – Bowling Green, OH

97.        Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction

98.        Ohio TASC Partnership

99.        Physicians for Human Rights

100.    Pioneer Human Services –