Letter to the U.S. Congress Supporting the Passage of H.R. 4676, the Second Chance Act of 2004 (Human Rights Watch, 24-6-2004)

June 23, 2004

Dear Member of Congress:

We, the undersigned organizations, including criminal justice, service provider, faith-based, housing, disability, and civil rights groups, urge you to support passage of the bipartisan Second Chance Act of 2004: Community Safety through Recidivism Prevention. This legislation begins to address the reentry of more than 600,000 men and women who return to society each year from federal and state prisons, and the thousands more who reenter from local jails each day. As President Bush said in this year’s State of the Union Address, “[w]e know from long experience that if they can’t find work, or a home or help, they are much more likely to commit more crimes and return to prison.”

Few of those who return to our communities every day are prepared for their release or receive any supportive services beyond a bus ticket and a few days’ spending money. One-third of all corrections departments provide no funds to prisoners upon release. While 70 to 85 percent of state prisoners need substance abuse treatment, just 13 percent receive it while incarcerated. In addition to substance abuse disorders, many of those leaving jail and prison have other chronic health issues, no housing, little education or job training, and generally lack resources to allow them to reintegrate. While research shows that these supportive services are critical to an individual’s safe and successful reentry, barriers are in place that make it difficult, if not impossible, for people with criminal records to access them. As a result, according to a 2002 study by the Justice Department, sixty-seven percent of persons released from state prisons were arrested for a new crime within the first three years after release. The economic and social costs of failing to provide services to these individuals are simply too high, and the benefits of effective reintegration are too great, for Congress to fail to act.

The Second Chance Act of 2004 is an important first step toward reducing today’s unacceptably high recidivism rate and its accompanying costs, including the threat to public safety. Reducing recidivism rates will protect the public, strengthen families, save money, and redeem lives. This legislation begins the process of ensuring better coordination and planning for release, providing for improved drug treatment, job training and education programs, maintenance of family relationships, much-needed services upon release, and review of the many barriers facing individuals upon their release from incarceration.

Because time is short for congressional action this year, we urge Congress to act promptly to pass this important legislation. It not only will enhance public safety but it will improve the quality of life in communities across the country.
Please let us know if we can provide you with additional information on reentry.

Thank you for your leadership on this critically important issue.

AIDS Housing of Washington
All of Us or None, Oklahoma City, OK (OKC) Chapter
American Correctional Association
American Jail Association
American Probation and Parole Association
Association of Citizens for Social Reform
Center for Community Alternatives
Child Welfare League of America
Citizens United for Rehabilitation of Errants – Virginia, Inc.
Connections to Success
The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities Criminal Justice Policy Task Force
Criminon International
Family Justice
Human Rights Watch
Justice Fellowship
Leadership Conference on Civil Rights
Legal Action Center
National AIDS Housing Coalition
National Alliance to End Homelessness
National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice
National Association of Counties
The National Association of Protection and Advocacy Systems (NAPAS)
National Black Church Taskforce Initiative on Crime and Criminal Justice
National Consortium of TASC Programs Inc.
National Correctional Industries Association
National Council of La Raza
National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty
National Low Income Housing Coalition
National Network for Youth
National Religious Affairs Association
National Transitional Jobs Network
Prison Fellowship
The Sentencing Project
Therapeutic Communities of America
TurnAround Village, LTD
The United States Conference of Mayors
Volunteers of America