Second Chance Act
Informational Resources on the Second Chance Act of 2007
The Second Chance Act of 2007 is federal legislation designed to ensure the safe and successful return of prisoners to the community. The bill has been introduced in both the U.S. House (H.R. 1593, introduced March 20, 2007) and Senate (S. 1060, introduced March 29, 2007), and enjoys broad bipartisan support, including sponsorship by committee leaders in both chambers.
For more information, see the documents below (in Microsoft Word format):
- One-page fact sheet on the Second Chance Act of 2007
- Summary of Second Chance Act legislation, including key provisions and sponsors
- Frequently Asked Questions about H.R. 1593
- Comparison of Second Chance Act bills introduced in the House and Senate
- Comparison of Second Chance Act bills introduced in the House in the 110th and 109th Congresses
- List of news articles and editorials about the Second Chance Act and reentry programs
Updates
6/25/2008: Second Chance Act Slated to Receive $45 million in House bill, $20 million in Senate Bill
On June 25, the House Appropriations Committee completed the mark-up of the 2009 appropriations bill, which reserves $45 million for programs under the Second Chance Act. Last week the Senate Appropriations subcommittee reserved $20 million for Second Chance programs. Full Committee consideration in the Senate is scheduled for this week.
4/8/08 - President Bush to Sign Unprecedented Prisoner Reentry Legislation
The Council of State Governments Justice Center lauds President Bush for his signing of the Second Chance Act of 2007, scheduled for tomorrow. This first-of-its-kind legislation will authorize various grants to government agencies and nonprofit groups to provide employment assistance, substance abuse treatment, housing, family programming, mentoring, victims support, and other services that can help reduce re-offending and violations of probation and parole.
View the Justice Center's photos from the Second Chance Act signing ceremony and reception.
Read the Justice Center's press release.
3/11/08 - U.S. Senate Passes Second Chance Act
The U.S. Senate passed today the Second Chance Act of 2007. This landmark bill, introduced by Senators Joseph Biden (D-DE), Sam Brownback (R-KS), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and Arlen Specter (R-PA), provides critical resources designed to reduce recidivism and increase public safety. The legislation passed the Senate by unanimous consent and now proceeds to the President’s desk for signature.
Read the Justice Center's press release.
1/3/08 - News Article: Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions holds up prisoner rehab bill (Birmingham News)
"Sen. Jeff Sessions, in the final days of the congressional year, temporarily blocked legislation to help former prisoners re-enter society because of concerns that it would dramatically increase federal spending on untested programs."
12/20/2007 - Second Chance Act Action in the Senate Postponed until 2008
Attempts to pass the Second Chance Act (H.R. 1593/S. 1060) in the Senate before the end of the year stalled yesterday despite the best efforts by bill sponsors. Senate leadership hoped to bring the bill to the floor under unanimous consent rules, a process that allows legislation to pass without procedural hurdles or floor debate. Despite broad bipartisan support, Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) stopped that process by putting a hold on the bill.
Senators Arlen Specter (R-PA), Joe Biden (D-DE), and Sam Brownback (R-KS) are working closely with Sessions to address his concerns and place the bill back on the calendar for a vote early next year.
The legislation, which was passed by the House on November 13 by an overwhelming 347-62 vote, authorizes a grant program for state and local governments to develop reentry initiatives, as well as a reentry program for community and faith-based organizations to deliver mentoring and transitional services.
12/18/2007 - Second Chance Act Moves Closer to Passage
Monday evening the U.S. House of Representatives adopted a concurrent resolution that makes minor technical changes to the Second Chance Act of 2007 (H.R.1593), which passed the House on Nov. 13th with a 347-62 vote. The resolution was made to address Senate concerns and includes new language to change the match for state and local government reentry grants and clarify the eligibility requirements for the elderly offender pilot program. This vote brings the legislation one step closer to being signed into law in 2008. Senate sponsors hope to vote on the bill later this week.
The Second Chance Act of 2007 was introduced earlier this year by Congressmen Danny Davis (D-IL) and Chris Cannon (R-UT) and Senators Joseph Biden (D-DE) and Arlen Specter (R-PA). The legislation, which enjoys broad bipartisan support from both chambers of Congress, authorizes a number of reentry grant programs including a grant program for state and local governments to develop reentry initiatives and a reentry program for community and faith-based organizations to deliver mentoring and transitional services.
11/13/07 - U.S. House Passes the Second Chance Act on Prisoner Reentry
Leaders of the Council of State Governments Justice Center commended Members of the U.S. House of Representatives for passage today of the Second Chance Act of 2007, H.R. 1593—a bill that will increase the likelihood that people’s transition from prisons and jails to the community is safe and successful.
11/7/07 - Editorial: A Second Chance for Ex-Offenders (NY Times)
"If past patterns hold true, more than half of the 650,000 prisoners released this year will be back behind bars by 2010. With the prison population exploding and the price of incarceration now topping $60 billion a year, states are rightly focusing on ways to reduce recidivism. Congress can give these efforts a boost by passing the Second Chance Act, which would provide crucial help to people who have paid their debts to society."
8/3/07 - Senate Judiciary Committee Passes Second Chance Act
On August 2, 2007, members of the Senate Judiciary Committee completed the mark-up of S. 1060, the Second Chance Act of 2007. The bill will now be sent to the Senate floor for consideration, which sponsors say will take place shortly after the August recess.
The committee accepted an amendment, introduced by Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ), which excludes sex offenders from the early release program for elderly prisoners. Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) also introduced an amendment which would change the federal matching formula from 75/25 to 50/50. This amendment was voted down in the committee.
The bipartisan bill has 30 cosponsors in the Senate, including Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Arlen Specter (R-PA), who have been strong supporters of the bill.
"It is vitally important that we do everything we can to ensure that, when people get out of prison, they enter our communities as productive members of society, so we can start to reverse the dangerous cycles of recidivism and violence. I hope that the Second Chance Act will help us begin to break that cycle, and I am glad that the Senate Judiciary Committee reported it favorably with a strong bipartisan vote today," said Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT).
"The Second Chance Act will provide an opportunity for realistic rehabilitation for the more than 650,000 inmates who return to their communities each year," said Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA). "The bill's focus on education, job training, and substance abuse treatment is essential to decreasing the nationwide recidivism rate of 66 percent."
In the House, key sponsors are working to bring the bill to the floor for a vote when Congress reconvenes in September.
The Second Chance Act would authorize a $65 million reentry grant program administered through the Department of Justice for state and county reentry initiatives and a $15 million reentry program for community and faith-based organizations to deliver mentoring and transitional services. The bill also includes drug treatment and mentoring grant programs.
6/27/07 - Senate Judiciary Committee Mark-up Scheduled for Second Chance Act
The Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled the mark-up for S. 1060, the Second Chance Act, for Thursday, June 28, 2007. The bill is the first piece of comprehensive legislation designed to reduce recidivism, increase public safety, and help ensure the safe and successful return of prisoners to the community.
The House of Representatives is expected to vote on the Second Chance Act of 2007, H.R. 1593, when the members of Congress return after the Fourth of July recess.
The Second Chance Act authorizes up to $65 million dollars in grants to state and local governments to develop initiatives to address the various obstacles faced by individuals returning to their communities from prison or jail and a $15 million reentry program for community and faith-based organizations to deliver mentoring and transitional services for people returning from prison or jail. 5/17/07 - Vote on Second Chance Act Postponed
The vote scheduled in the House this week on H.R. 1593, the Second Chance Act, has been postponed. Democratic leadership had placed the bill on the suspension calendar, but now have delayed the vote until Republicans can assure enough votes for swift passage.
The bill's sponsors, Congressmen Danny Davis (D-IL) and Chris Cannon (R-UT), are working closely with leadership to place it back on the calendar for a vote as soon as possible.
The Second Chance Act, which has broad bipartisan support in both the House and the Senate, is the first piece of comprehensive legislation designed to reduce recidivism, increase public safety, and help ensure the safe and successful return of prisoners to the community. The bill authorizes up to $65 million in grants to state and local governments to develop prisoner reentry initiatives and a $15 million reentry program for community and faith-based organizations to deliver mentoring and transitional services for people returning from prison or jail.
Cosponsors of the bill include Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (D - MI) and Ranking Member Lamar Smith (R - TX), former Judiciary Chairman James Sensenbrenner (R - WI), current Chair of the Crime Subcommittee Bobby Scott (D - VA) and Ranking Member Randy Forbes (R - VA), former Crime Subcommittee Chair Howard Coble (R - NC), and Judiciary Committee members Reps. Chris Cannon (R - UT), Steve Chabot (R - OH), Sheila Jackson-Lee (D - TX), Hank Johnson (D - GA), and Adam Schiff (D - CA).
3/28/07 - House Judiciary Committee Passes Second Chance Act
On March 28, 2007, just a week after the re-introduction of the bill, members of the House Judiciary Committee passed H.R. 1593, the Second Chance Act of 2007 The bill will now be sent to the House floor for consideration, which sponsors say will take place in mid-April. During the mark-up of the bill, members voted down several amendments that would have jeopardized the bipartisan support for the bill.
The Second Chance Act would authorize a $65 million reentry grant program administered through the Department of Justice for state and county reentry initiatives, and a $15 million reentry program for community and faith-based organizations to deliver mentoring and transitional services. The bill also retains a number of drug treatment provisions that were added to the legislation last session. Last week, the Second Chance Act was reintroduced by Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL) and Chris Cannon (R-UT) and has a growing list of bipartisan co-sponsors. The Senate plans to reintroduce their version of the bill later this week.
3/21/07 - Second Chance Act Reintroduced in House of Representatives
Federal prisoner reentry legislation, The Second Chance Act of 2007, was reintroduced yesterday in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Danny Davis (D - IL) and Chris Cannon (R-UT). The bill, H.R. 1593, which has broad bipartisan support, will help states and communities better address challenges associated with reentry by authorizing grants to support state and local reentry initiatives focused on employment, housing, substance abuse and mental health treatment, and children and family services.
The same day the House Judiciary Committee Crime Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill to discuss the multiple challenges related to the return of incarcerated persons from prisons to their communities. The majority of members on the Crime Subcommittee are original cosponsors of the bill, which builds on the work from the last two sessions of Congress, and plan to move the bill quickly through the House this year.
Cosponsors include Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (D - MI) and Ranking Member Lamar Smith (R - TX), former Judiciary Chairman James Sensenbrenner (R - WI), current Chair of the Crime Subcommittee Bobby Scott (D - VA) and Ranking Member Randy Forbes (R - VA), former Crime Subcommittee Chair Howard Coble (D - NC), and Judiciary Committee members Reps. Chris Cannon (D - UT), Steve Chabot (R - OH), Sheila Jackson-Lee (D - TX), Hank Johnson (D - GA), and Adam Schiff (D - CA). To view the list of original cosponsors, please click here.
"There is a growing need to address rising prison populations and high recidivism rates" said Massachusetts State Representative Mike Festa, chair of the Council of State Governments Justice Center Charter Group. "The reintroduction of the Second Chance Act sends a strong message of federal support for reentry initiatives that have already begun to develop at the state and local levels."
The hearing focused on the importance of community-based reentry services and substance abuse treatment for people returning from prisons and jails. Witnesses included Stefan LoBuglio, Chief, Pre-Release and Reentry Services for Montgomery County, MD; Dr. Roger Peters, Chairman and Professor, Department of Mental Health Law and Policy, University of South Florida; George McDonald, President of the Doe Fund, Inc.; Steve Lufburrow, President and CEO of Goodwill Industries; and Jack Cowley, National Director, Alpha for Prisons and Reentry. To view the full witness list and submitted testimony, click here.
Witnesses all provided an overview of the impact of reentry programs in their states, particularly those targeted at individuals with mental illnesses or co-occuring disorders, and emphasized the importance of modest federal support through legislation like the Second Chance Act in encouraging states to implement or expand such work.
"Wardens, parole officers, Sheriffs, line officers, community groups – we are ready to work on reentry. All we need is assistance and good models," said LoBuglio.
Chairman Scott commended witnesses for working to improve prisoner reentry processes in their states and requested that other members of Congress pay attention to this issue moving forward.
"This is an important issue that affects public safety, state spending, and the well-being of the individuals who cycle in and out of our corrections systems," said Rep. Scott. "The Second Chance Act offers a common sense, smart on crime approach to giving states the tools to slow and, we hope, one day end this cycle."