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House Passes Second Chance Act, 347-62 |
The Second Chance Act passed the House of Representatives overwhelmingly Tuesday evening by a vote of 347-62. It now moves to the Senate where we hope for quick action.
The bill authorizes a total of $165 million, of which $55 million will go to state and local governments to refocus their prisons on reentry, with other grants going for drug treatment, mentoring, mental health and family treatment programs.
Of particular importance is the $15 million appropriated for faith-based and community mentoring programs. The mentoring grants in the Second Chance Act will allow churches and community groups to recruit, train and match mentors with returning inmates. Studies of Prison Fellowship programs show that mentoring relationships are pivotal for prisoners trying to make a successful transition from prison to the community.
Description of Key Provisions
Demonstration Grants. Provides grants to states and local governments that may be used to promote the safe and successful reintegration 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.
Children and Families. Resources provided in the bill could be used for a variety of family strengthening programs such as maintaining family relationships when a parent is incarcerated, identifying barriers to collaborating with child welfare agencies in providing services, collecting information regarding dependent children of incarcerated persons, and developing programs that support parent-child relationships.
Mentoring Grants. Provides grants to nonprofit organizations that may be used for mentoring of adult offenders or providing transitional services for re-integration into the community.
Offender Reentry Substance Abuse Treatment. Provides 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.
With strong support from leaders of both parties, this bill stands as a shining example of bi-partisan cooperation. In the midst of often rancorous debate on other issues, the sponsors of this bill worked through significant philosophical differences to forge a bill that every Democrat and two-thirds of the Republicans could support. They deserve high praise for their persistence.
As I have often said, support for this bill carries no political advantage. There are no torch lit parades in legislators' districts demanding more help for prisoners trying to change their lives. Those who supported it did so merely because it was in the public interest. It would mean a lot to them if you thanked them for their support. You can check the vote tally to see how your legislator voted, and then email them through our Legislative Action Center. Or, a hand written note would even be a more personal way to express your gratitude.
While you are at our Legislative Action Center, it would be good to write your Senators and tell them how crucial it is to pass the Second Chance Act quickly. Most important, keep up the prayers. They availeth much.
In His service,
Pat Nolan
Vice President, Prison Fellowship
Resources
For more resources on the Second Chance Act and ex-offender reentry, please visit Justice Fellowship’s reentry website. |
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