Second Chance Act
For those that have been convicted of a crime, release from prison often times will bring about more obstacles than many ex-offenders may actually realize. Once the prison door opens an ex-offender may receive little more than a bus ticket and spending money for a day or two. After this they are on their own and faced with establishing a place of residency and employment. This can prove to very difficult due to their felon status. In addition, this daunting challenge has been proven to be one of the major reasons that ex-offenders commit future crimes upon release and eventually return back to prison.
In a recent shift in attitudes about incarceration, many states have experimented with re-entry programs to help released prisoners fit back into their communities and avoid new crime. Recognizing the challenges ex-offenders face upon re-entry to society, Representative Danny Davis (D-Ill) introduced a bill titled the Second Chance Act of 2007 (HR1593). The measure, sponsored by Davis in the Senate, easily passed both houses of Congress and was signed into law by President George Bush on April 9, 2008.
Davis noted that the United States imprisons more citizens than any other nation on Earth, and releases 700,000 offenders from state and federal prisons annually. Davis further noted:
“These men and women deserve a second chance. Their families, spouses and children, deserve a second chance and their communities deserve a second chance. A second chance means an opportunity to turn a life around. A chance to break the grip of a drug habit. A chance to support a family, to pay taxes, to be self-sufficient.”
The Justice Department estimates that nearly two-thirds of released prisoners will find themselves in trouble with the law at some point in the future. The Act is designed and intended to reduce that recidivism rate. The Act will also help connect people released from prison and jail to mental health and substance abuse treatment, expand job training and placement services, and facilitate transitional housing and case management services. Additionally, the Act authorizes a number of other programs aimed at offenders, including treatment programs as an alternative to incarceration.
Now that the Second Chance Act has been signed into law what does all this mean for the ex-offender? The opportunity to obtain grants for housing is a goal of the act. Financial assistance will provide a significant boost to those reentering with hopes of finding residency. Furthermore, ex-offenders may also receive assistance in education, vocational training, and job placement services. Student loans once not available to convicted felons may now be available. This will help reintegrate the ex-offender into society while they develop the skills and a foundation necessary to avoid recidivism.