Human Services News

From Center for Law and Social Policy:

The Second Chance Act of 2007 was signed into law by the president on April 9, 2008 after receiving broad bipartisan support from Congress.

The legislation reauthorizes the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (OCCSSA), authorizing grant funds that promote comprehensive planning and collaborative delivery of services to individuals recently released from prison.

The Second Chance Act, H.R. 1593, was introduced by Representative Danny Davis on March 20, 2007.

The Second Chance Act reauthorizes (but does not appropriate funds for) $300 million in grant programs to facilitate successful reentry.

© 2008 Center for Law and Social Policy www.clasp.org reauthorize $110 million in federal grant funds for adult and juvenile offender reentry demonstration projects to provide pre-and-post release services for incarcerated and reentering persons, to engage families, and to address victim needs.

Grant applicants must develop a long-term reentry strategic plan that includes a goal of reducing recidivism by 50 percent over a 5-year period, measures progress and performance outcomes, and include extensive public and private coordination.

Required outcome measures address recidivism, supervised release violations, substance abuse, mental health, employment, education, housing, and child support.

The legislation authorizes $55 million for each of fiscal years 2009 and 2010.

The proposed project must be located in an urban area, have a large number of returning prisoners, and have a high recidivism rate.

Authorizes $20 million in grants administered by the Attorney General to state, tribal, and local governments to expand comprehensive family-based substance abuse treatment programs as alternatives to incarceration for nonviolent parent drug offenders and provide prison-based family treatment programs for incarcerated parents of minor children.

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