By the CSG Justice Center Staff
Second Chance Reauthorization
Act Co-sponsors
Rep. Goodlatte, Bob [R-VA]
Rep. Davis, Danny K. [D-IL]
Rep. Conyers, John, Jr. [D-MI]
Rep. Jackson Lee, Sheila [D-TX]
Rep. Davis, Rodney [R-IL]
Rep. Collins, Doug [R-GA]
Rep. Walker, Mark [R-NC]
Rep. Marino, Tom [R-PA]
Rep. Scott, Robert C. “Bobby” [D-VA]
Rep. Johnson, Bill [R-OH]
Rep. Love, Mia B. [R-UT]
Rep. Taylor, Scott [R-VA]
Rep. Comstock, Barbara [R-VA]
Rep. Jeffries, Hakeem S. [D-NY]
U.S. Reps. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) and Danny K. Davis (D-IL), today introduced the Second Chance Reauthorization Act of 2017, bipartisan legislation that will allow federal investments in strategies to reduce recidivism and increase public safety to continue for four more years.
The Second Chance Act—first-of-its-kind legislation that was passed with bipartisan support and signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2008—provides state and local governments and community-based organizations across the country with vital resources to help them improve outcomes for adults and youth released from prison and jail.
The Second Chance Reauthorization Act of 2017 would expand the number of grants available to jurisdictions and organizations and would promote increased accountability of grantees to ensure the best outcomes for the people they serve. In addition, the reauthorization would better equip grantees to measure and track recidivism, develop and improve data-collection systems and outcome evaluations, and eliminate programs that have not been used.
“The Second Chance Reauthorization Act is an important component of my ongoing efforts to reform and improve our federal criminal justice system, save taxpayer money, and strengthen American families,” Sensenbrenner (pictured left) said. “While prisons are important deterrents in our fight against crime, they remain one part of the solution to a complex problem. Rehabilitation efforts, such as the ones in the Second Chance Act, will help prisoners who have paid their debt to society get back on the right path and become successful, contributing members of their communities.”
Since 2009, Second Chance Act grants have been awarded to agencies and organizations in 49 states and the District of Columbia, serving more than 137,000 people returning home from prisons, jails, and juvenile facilities. These programs provide a range of services, including mental health counseling, employment services, educational and training programs, housing assistance, family-based substance abuse treatment and other evidence-based reentry programs.
Source: JusticeCenter