In October 2012, seven state corrections departments were awarded FY2012 Second Chance Act (SCA) “Statewide Recidivism Reduction” (SRR) grants that provided funding of up to $1 million to reduce rates of reoffending and technical violations of conditions of supervision for individuals reentering the community from state prisons. The SRR grant program was uniquely designed by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) to help state corrections departments adopt system-wide reforms related to risk- and needs-driven case planning and programming, as well as community supervision policies that research has shown can lead to reductions in recidivism.

“Unlike grants that support programming for a small subset of the population, the SRR program can empower corrections administrators to impact recidivism statewide through sustainable policy and procedural changes. Through this grant, we are reviewing and enhancing how we use risk- and needs- assessments to inform case management practices and community supervision guidelines.” – A.T. Wall, Director, Rhode Island Department of Corrections

As a follow-up to this first round of seven grant awards, BJA has released the FY2013 Comprehensive Statewide Adult Recidivism Reduction Planning Program, a two-phase SRR grant for planning and implementation. Grantees will receive up to $100,000 to undertake a 12-month planning process, after which they will be eligible to apply for up to $3 million in implementation funding in FY2014. Applications for the planning grant program are due on June 28, 2013.

The planning phase will provide state leaders with the opportunity to comprehensively assess their systems using the Recidivism Reduction Checklists, and focus resources on the policy areas that will have the greatest impact on recidivism rates with support from the National Reentry Resource Center. In addition, the FY2013 grant program is intended to identify four grantees whose programs can become learning sites that will serve as national models of excellence for reducing statewide recidivism and increasing public safety.

The SRR grant track was developed by BJA in direct response to the challenges leaders from all 50 states identified during the State Leaders National Forum on Reentry and Recidivism hosted in Washington D.C. in December 2011, including the importance of defining and measuring recidivism, and setting recidivism reduction targets.

The seven states awarded FY2012 grants—Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New York, Ohio, and Rhode Island—are implementing a diverse range of programs and policies, from establishing specialized community supervision practices for high-risk populations, to enhancing corrections and mental health collaborations, to tackling the challenges of rural reentry through enhanced coordination between community supervision officers and service providers (see below for a description of each of the grantees). Technical assistance in support of these projects is provided by the National Reentry Resource Center.

“Through the SRR grant, we were able to implement community supervision best practices that will be expanded to the rest of the state's 22 Probation and Parole Districts and some 70,000 offenders. We are grateful for the resources that have provided this opportunity that would otherwise not have been possible for us.” – Rhett Covington, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Reentry, Louisiana DPSC

Eligibility for the SCA SRR grant is limited to state correctional agencies (including state departments of corrections or departments of community corrections), or State Administering Agencies (SAA). Grantees who have current Second Chance Act Recidivism Reduction grants
apply. If you have any questions about the SCA SRR grant program, please contact Phoebe Potter with the Council of State Governments Justice Center at ppotter@csg.org or 240-482-8587.

The Second Chance Act (Pub. L. 110-199) seeks a comprehensive response to the increasing number of incarcerated adults and juveniles who are released from prison, jail, and juvenile residential facilities and return to their communities. There are currently over 2.2 million individuals serving time in our federal and state prisons, and millions of people cycling through local jails every year. Ninety-five percent of all offenders incarcerated today will eventually be released and will return to communities. The coordination of reentry services for members of Native American tribes is even more complex given that they can return from federal, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), state, local, and tribal facilities. The Second Chance Act Programs are designed to help communities develop and implement comprehensive and collaborative strategies that address the challenges posed by offender reentry and recidivism reduction.Developing a reentry approach for reducing recidivism is extremely challenging for even the most sophisticated correctional agency, requiring access to data and service delivery and coordination from multiple systems, including housing, health, employment, education, etc. This solicitation will provide funding for 12-month planning grants during which time state-level participants will convene and work to develop and finalize 1) decision-making processes, 2) supervision strategies, and 3) service quality and coordination plans to achieve a reduction in the state’s historical baseline recidivism rate. Upon the completion of the Statewide Recidivism Reduction Strategic Plan, states will be invited by BJA to submit applications for implementation grants from between $1-$3 million. Future funding decisions for implementation grants will be competitive and will consider the quality and comprehensiveness of the Statewide Recidivism Reduction Strategic Plan.Funding is authorized under the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013, Pub. L. 113-6, 127 Stat. 198, 253.

Click here for the Grants.gov listing.
Click here for a PDF of the Grant Solicitation

The House recently began work on its Fiscal Year 2014 Justice Appropriations bill. As this process kicks off, Congress will prioritize programs with widespread support and it’s important that they be reminded of the critical need for continued funding of the Second Chance Act.
 
Please contact your Members of Congress today and urge that they support the Second Chance Act in 2014 by signing onto Congressman Danny Davis’s “Dear Colleague” letter in support of FY14 appropriations for Second Chance!
 
BACKGROUND
 
The Second Chance Act passed with overwhelming bipartisan support and was signed into law in April 2008. It is a common-sense, evidence-based approach to improving outcomes for people returning to communities from prisons and jails. This first-of-its-kind legislation authorizes federal grants to government agencies and nonprofit organizations to provide employment assistance, substance abuse treatment, housing, family programming, mentoring, victim support, and other services that can help reduce recidivism.

Second Chance Act Funding Under Consideration in the House and Senate

On April 17, 2012 the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Commerce, Justice, and Science released their fiscal year 2013 justice funding bills. In the House, appropriators proposed $70 million for the Second Chance Act, an increase of $7 million from the FY12 funding level. Senate appropriators included $25 million in their bill, while also proposing $6 million for the Justice Reinvestment initiative. The robust funding provided for the Second Chance Act and Justice Reinvestment Initiative reflects continued congressional support for prisoner reentry and recidivism reduction efforts.

Recently, 82 Members of Congress signaled their support for the Second Chance Act in two letters sent to leading appropriators responsible for determining funding for justice programs. In the House, 59 Members of Congress signed a bipartisan letter circulated by Representatives Howard Coble (R-NC-6) and Danny Davis (D-IL-7). A similar letter in the Senate, led by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), collected 23 signatures.

At a time when Congress is increasingly focused on reducing spending, these letters, and the Commerce, Justice, Science Subcommittees’ decision to provide strong funding for the Second Chance Act, demonstrated that this important program remains a priority for many lawmakers. The Second Chance Act was passed by Congress in 2008 and supports evidence-based strategies proven to reduce recidivism.

This week Congressman Howard Coble (R-NC-6), Danny Davis (D-IL-7) and Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) are circulating letters in support of funding for Second Chance programs.  It is crucial that their letters reflect widespread national support for Second Chance. Please contact your Congressional delegation to urge that they sign onto the Davis-Coble letter in the House and the Leahy letter in the Senate in support of funding for the Second Chance Act in FY13.
 
WHAT YOU CAN DO

1.      Contact your Congressional Delegation TODAY to ask them to sign on to the Davis-Coble and Leahy letters in support of FY13 funding for Second Chance.
 
2.      Share this information with others in your state and community and enlist them to do the same.
 
TIMING

Congress is in the process of submitting their appropriations priorities for FY 2013. Please contact your members of Congress IMMEDIATELY and send a letter of support by visiting http://www.capwiz.com/csgjusticectr/home/ to ask them to make funding the Second Chance Act one of their top FY 2013 appropriations priorities and to sign on to the “Dear Colleague” letters.

BACKGROUND

The Second Chance Act passed with overwhelming bipartisan support and was signed into law in April 2008. It is a common sense, evidence-based approach to improving outcomes for people returning to communities from prisons and jails. This first-of-its-kind legislation authorizes federal grants to government agencies and nonprofit organizations to provide employment assistance, substance abuse treatment, housing, family programming, mentoring, victims support, and other services that can help reduce recidivism. Recently, President Obama released his Fiscal Year 2013 budget, allocating $80 million for the Second Chance Act.

December 13, 2011 09:29 PM EST

 The American people are rightly frustrated by Washington’s partisan bickering.

With every passing day, there seem fewer issues where Republicans and Democrats can find common ground. But when it comes to high recidivism rates among released prisoners, elected officials from both parties agree: We can pursue smart policies that drastically reduce the likelihood of repeat offenses. This can make our communities safer and reduce costs for our criminal justice system, saving money for taxpayers.

Nearly 700,000 inmates are released from state and federal prison every year. Yet nearly 50 percent are reincarcerated within three years, according to the Justice Department. The impact on our society from this recidivism is clear, and not new: lost opportunity, more crime and communities in crisis.

But high rates of return to prison also affect the bottom lines of state governments during difficult financial times. From 1988 to 2008, state spending on corrections rose faster than spending on nearly any other budget item — more than quadrupling from $12 billion to $52 billion a year.

The Second Chance Act, which passed Congress in 2008 with significant bipartisan support, created a national framework for federal, state and local governments to take on prisoners’ re-entry into the larger community and ensure fiscally sound corrections policies. These tough economic times demand nothing less.

Click here for the full Statement from Senators Portman and Whitehouse.

Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) is on the Senate Budget Committee and was an original author of the Second Chance Act when he served in the House. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) is on the Senate Judiciary Committee and served as a state attorney general.

On Monday, November 14, 2011, House and Senate conferees released the “minibus” appropriations report, which includes Fiscal Year 2012 Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) spending. The conference report, a consolidated appropriations bill for several agencies including the Department of Justice, provides $63 million for the Second Chance Act.

The compromise appropriations bill resolves differences in Second Chance Act funding between the House, which allotted $70 million for the program, and the Senate, which provided no funding. The bill is expected to go to the full House and Senate for consideration this week.

"The Second Chance Act is having a tremendous impact nationally. It has changed the way state and local leaders think about prisoner reentry and it's demonstrating how we can reduce recidivism, which not too long ago many thought was impossible. Continued funding is a victory for every community seeking to increase public safety and to help families and neighborhoods receiving people released from prison and jail," commented Justin Jones, Director of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections.

The bill provides $2.2 billion for state and criminal justice programs, including:

• $63 million for Second Chance Act programs;
• $9 million for Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act programs;
• $470 million for Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants;
• $6 million for comprehensive criminal justice reform and recidivism reduction efforts by states, also known as Justice Reinvestment;
• $35 million for drug courts;
• $10 million for residential substance abuse treatment programs;
• $20 million for Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act programs;
• $12.5 million for prison rape prevention and prosecution, and other programs.

In addition, the package contains a continuing resolution that funds other federal operations until December 16, 2011 – or until Congress completes the remaining nine FY 2012 appropriations bills.

Click here to see the legislative text approved by the conferees.  To read the conference report, click here.

Last week the Senate Appropriations Committee eliminated funding for the Second Chance Act in the fiscal year (FY) 2012 Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations bill. In contrast, the House Appropriations Committee provided $70 million in their FY12 funding bill. (The Second Chance program was originally funded at $100 million in FY 2010, but that was reduced to $83 million in 2011). Although no funding for Second Chance was included in the bill, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy pledged to work to restore funding when the House and Senate Appropriations Committees attempt to resolve differences between the two spending bills.

The bill also provides $9 million for the Mentally Ill Offender Act (the legislation that authorizes the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program) for FY12. Overall it provides $2.3 billion for state and local law enforcement programs, including:

$9 million for the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act
$0 million for the Second Chance Act
$395 million for Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants
$21 million for Byrne Competitive Grants
$35 million for Drug Courts
$10 million for Residential Substance Abuse Treatment

Status of Federal Appropriations

Committee approval is only the first step in the appropriations process. The appropriations bills must be passed by the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, as well as the full House and Senate.

Click here for the summary of the legislation approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Click here for the bill report language.

Get Involved Today — Help Restore Second Chance Act Funding
Members of Congress need to hear from you immediately about the importance of Second Chance Act funding.

How You Can Help

• Please contact your members of Congress (link to sample letter) and ask them to support funding for the Second Chance Act in FY 2012.
• Sign the national sign-on letter in support of Second Chance Act funding.
• Share this information and ask your colleagues and friends to help protect funding for the Second Chance Act.

On Wednesday, July 13, 2011, the House Appropriations Committee approved the fiscal year 2012 Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations bill, which provides $70 million for Second Chance Act Programs. The bill, which contains $50.2 billion in total budget authority, provides $1.04 billion for state and local law enforcement programs, including:

• $9.96 million for Mentally Ill Offender Act (JMCHP)
• $357 million for Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants 

• $6 million for Byrne Competitive Grants
• $40 million for Drug Courts
• $12 million for Prison Rape Prevention and Prosecution 

• $15 million for Residential Substance Abuse Treatment


Committee approval is only the first step in the appropriations process. The appropriations bills must be passed by both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, as well as the full House and Senate.

Click here for the text of the legislation approved by the Appropriations Committee.
Click here for the accompanying bill report.

Washington, D.C., July 13th —Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) met with state corrections heads from around the country in the nation’s capitol today to discuss prisoners returning to communities and recidivism reduction. The corrections leaders lauded Leahy and Portman for the introduction of Second Chance Reauthorization Act, S. 1231.

Click here for a video clip from the press conference. Click here for another video clip from the press conference.

“When Congress passed the Second Chance Act four years ago, we gave needed resources to the states to help improve reentry programs that have proven, positive results,” said Leahy. “I am grateful for the support of those officials on the front lines in the states, developing these important reentry programs, working to promote public safety while helping offenders return to their communities as productive members of society. I know that later this year, these officers and others from around the country will come together to discuss ways that states can help reduce recidivism to improve public safety. This should be a priority on the federal level as well.”

The Second Chance Act provides critical funding for reentry efforts to learn how to effectively integrate the science of risk reduction into reentry efforts and fill gaps in services, which are critical to success. A recent report by the Pew Center on the States showed that 43% of people coming out of prison nationally return within 3 years making recidivism a significant pressure on criminal justice systems.

“By improving prisoner reentry, we can prevent crime, strengthen communities and save taxpayers’ dollars,” said Portman. “The Second Chance Act is making an important contribution to public safety and reducing costs to taxpayers and it should continue. I hope the Committee will move this important legislation to the floor, and I look forward to working with Senator Leahy and others to pass it in the Senate.”

Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction Director, Gary Mohr, has seen first hand the strains that overcrowded prisons place on the state budgets and communities. “Ohio, like many states, has seen prison spending grow by 21% in less than a decade. That’s faster than most other areas in the state budget and puts enormous pressure on taxpayers to foot the bill.” He added: “The Second Chance Act is one of our best hopes for addressing one significant element of prison growth—the cycle of offenders who recidivate and return to prison.”

A.T. Wall, Director of the Rhode Island Department of Corrections, pointed to the elements of the Second Chance Act that states are learning from: “This funding helps to focus our efforts on programs that are proven to work. It is not good enough to have a gut feeling that something will change behavior. Second Chance Act programs are based on evidence-based practice to reduce recidivism, which helps us to know where to make public safety investments that will be the most effective.”

Andrew Pallito, Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Corrections, was thankful for the introduction of the Second Chance Reauthorization Act: “In Vermont and around the country, we are relying on key leaders here in D.C. to promote and fund programs that help state corrections address the overwhelming challenge of improving prisoner reentry and reducing recidivism. We are grateful for the leadership of Senators Leahy and Portman in advancing this important legislation.”

The U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, in partnership with the Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Council of State Governments, has launched an online Re-entry Programs Database. The database will serve as a national directory of adult and juvenile re-entry programs, and will help community service providers and individuals identify resources that support the reintegration of ex-offenders into communities.

The database will feature a variety of programs, ranging from community-based efforts to statewide initiatives. It will highlight self-reported innovative programs that have implemented promising practices and policies to facilitate successful re-entry. This tool was developed with three goals: to promote peer-to-peer exchanges, highlight progress in the field, and help people returning home and their families to connect with local programs that can facilitate re-entry.

"Every day, ex-offenders are released and return to communities in need of programs and services that support the challenges associated with re-entry. Now, there is a national directory of resources that can be accessed on-line, throughout the country, that will help those seeking services to achieve their full potential," said COPS Director Bernard K. Melekian.

"As BJA provides $100 million in funding to state, local, and tribal communities for re-entry programs through the Second Chance Act, it is essential that these communities know about the strategies in use in other parts of the nation, to facilitate a peer-to-peer learning network so that we have the ability to learn from each other's best practices. That is exactly why BJA has supported this project," said BJA Acting Director James H. Burch, II.

"The unveiling of the Justice Center's Re-entry Programs Database marks the first effort to create a national clearinghouse of promising re-entry initiatives. This new resource will better inform policymakers and practitioners as they implement policies and programs designed to support stronger families and communities and increase public safety," says Dr. Frank Straub, Justice Center board member and Director of Public Safety, City of Indianapolis.

The Re-entry Programs Database can be accessed at http://reentrypolicy.org/reentry-program-examples/reentry-programs-start. Jurisdictions with re-entry programs are encouraged to create or update profiles.

Federal Grantees Gather to Promote Safe Communities and Successful Prisoner Reentry

Washington, DC—Senior officials from the Department of Justice, reentry experts, formerly incarcerated individuals, victims, and representatives of programs receiving federal funding through the Second Chance Act (Public Law 110-199) came together today for a three-day conference, convened by the Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center, to share strategies that increase success rates for people released from prisons, jails, and juvenile correctional facilities.  Click here for the full press release.

The National Reentry Resource Center is guided by the Justice Center’s key project partners: the Urban Institute, Association of State Correctional Administrators, American Probation and Parole Association, and Shay Bilchik, research professor/center director, Center for Juvenile Justice Reform, Georgetown University Public Policy Institute. ASCA also serves on the NRRC Pre-release Planning and Post-release Supervision committee, chaired by Carl Wicklund, Executive Director, American Probation and Parole Association. ASCA participates as faculty in grantee conferences, directs the planning of technical assistance and other NRRC activities, communicates with members about funding opportunities, provide documents and resources about reentry issues, participate in technical assistance activities. ASCA staff regularly attend steering committee meetings in Washington DC as well as teleconferences and webinars. Recently, ASCA has developed a directory of DOC Reentry Coordinators that will serve as a tool on the NRRC and ASCA websites. ASCA also p rovides forums for reaching all directors at ASCA events, through ASCA emails and newsletters, use of the ASCA/Clearinghouse website to inform membership about opportunities for assistance, reporting success stories to extend the value of the resource center through broad information sharing.
 

Attorney General Eric Holder has announced that 118 programs have been selected to receive funding in 2011 under the Second Chance Act (SCA). Grantees include both local and state governments and nonprofit organizations.

The selection process was highly competitive. According to Laurie O. Robinson, Assistant Attorney General in the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, DOJ received more than 1,000 applications for Second Chance funding this year.
These grant awards are posted at the Office of Justice Programs web site

• Fiscal Year 2011 Grant Awards Office of Justice Programs' program grants funded through the Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2010, Public Law 111-117. Click here to view all the awards ordered by state, and here to view all the awards ordered by solicitation title.

To see the list of Second Chance Act grant recipients, click on one of the specific grant tracks listed below.

Mentoring Grants

Funding under this section helps nonprofit organizations and federally recognized Indian tribes implement mentoring projects to promote the safe and successful reintegration into the community of adults and juveniles who have been incarcerated.

• Adult Mentoring
  
• Adult Mentoring, “Promoting Successful Reentry Through Responsible Fatherhood/Motherhood”
  
• Juvenile Mentoring
  

Demonstration Grants

Funding under this section helps state and local agencies implement projects and strategies to reduce recidivism and ensure the safe and successful reentry of adults and juveniles released from prisons, jails, or youth detention facilities back to the community.

• Adult Implementation
  
• Adult Planning
  
• Juvenile Implementation
  
• Juvenile Planning
  

Family-Based Substance Abuse Treatment Grants

Funding under this section helps state and local government agencies and federally recognized Indian tribes establish or enhance residential substance abuse treatment projects in correctional facilities that include family supportive services.

• State and Local
  
• Tribal
  

Adult Offenders with Co-Occurring Substance Abuse and Mental Health Disorders

This section’s funding helps state and local government agencies and federally recognized Indian tribes establish or enhance residential substance abuse treatment programs in correctional facilities that include aftercare and recovery supportive services.

• All grantees
  

Reentry Courts

This section’s funding helps state and local government agencies and federally recognized Indian tribes establish state, local, and tribal reentry courts monitor offenders and provide them with the treatment services necessary to establish a self-sustaining and law-abiding life.

• All grantees
  

Technology Careers

Funding under this section helps state and local governments and federally recognized Indian tribes to establish programs to train individuals in prisons, jails, or juvenile residential facilities for technology-based jobs and careers during the three-year period before their release.

• All grantees
  

In addition to these awards, other reentry research and technical assistance Second Chance Act awards were announced.

In October 2012, seven state corrections departments were awarded FY2012 Second Chance Act (SCA) “Statewide Recidivism Reduction” (SRR) grants that provided funding of up to $1 million to reduce rates of reoffending and technical violations of conditions of supervision for individuals reentering the community from state prisons. The SRR grant program was uniquely designed by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) to help state corrections departments adopt system-wide reforms related to risk- and needs-driven case planning and programming, as well as community supervision policies that research has shown can lead to reductions in recidivism.

“Unlike grants that support programming for a small subset of the population, the SRR program can empower corrections administrators to impact recidivism statewide through sustainable policy and procedural changes. Through this grant, we are reviewing and enhancing how we use risk- and needs- assessments to inform case management practices and community supervision guidelines.” – A.T. Wall, Director, Rhode Island Department of Corrections

As a follow-up to this first round of seven grant awards, BJA has released the FY2013 Comprehensive Statewide Adult Recidivism Reduction Planning Program, a two-phase SRR grant for planning and implementation. Grantees will receive up to $100,000 to undertake a 12-month planning process, after which they will be eligible to apply for up to $3 million in implementation funding in FY2014. Applications for the planning grant program are due on June 28, 2013.

The planning phase will provide state leaders with the opportunity to comprehensively assess their systems using the Recidivism Reduction Checklists, and focus resources on the policy areas that will have the greatest impact on recidivism rates with support from the National Reentry Resource Center. In addition, the FY2013 grant program is intended to identify four grantees whose programs can become learning sites that will serve as national models of excellence for reducing statewide recidivism and increasing public safety.

The SRR grant track was developed by BJA in direct response to the challenges leaders from all 50 states identified during the State Leaders National Forum on Reentry and Recidivism hosted in Washington D.C. in December 2011, including the importance of defining and measuring recidivism, and setting recidivism reduction targets.

The seven states awarded FY2012 grants—Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New York, Ohio, and Rhode Island—are implementing a diverse range of programs and policies, from establishing specialized community supervision practices for high-risk populations, to enhancing corrections and mental health collaborations, to tackling the challenges of rural reentry through enhanced coordination between community supervision officers and service providers (see below for a description of each of the grantees). Technical assistance in support of these projects is provided by the National Reentry Resource Center.

“Through the SRR grant, we were able to implement community supervision best practices that will be expanded to the rest of the state's 22 Probation and Parole Districts and some 70,000 offenders. We are grateful for the resources that have provided this opportunity that would otherwise not have been possible for us.” – Rhett Covington, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Reentry, Louisiana DPSC

Eligibility for the SCA SRR grant is limited to state correctional agencies (including state departments of corrections or departments of community corrections), or State Administering Agencies (SAA). Grantees who have current Second Chance Act Recidivism Reduction grants
apply. If you have any questions about the SCA SRR grant program, please contact Phoebe Potter with the Council of State Governments Justice Center at ppotter@csg.org or 240-482-8587.

The National Reentry Resource Center March 4, 2013 newsletter features an article on the recently released Recidivism Reduction Checklists for Corrections Administrators, Reentry Coordinators and Executive and Legislative policymakers.  These checklists can help familiarize state leaders with key issues related to recidivism reduction, and help them honestly evaluate strengths and weaknesses in their reentry efforts through enhanced communication and coordination.

Other information in the newsletter includes Second Chance Act and SAMHSA reentry related funding opportunities; information about a Center for Justice Reform certificate program for workers that serve youth who are involved in the welfare and juvenile justice systems.  Other reentry related publications and news articles are included in the newsletter.   Click here for the March 4, 2013 National Reentry Resource Center newsletter.

This report presents Year 1 findings from the process evaluation, summarizing early implementation characteristics of eight programs. These eight programs are quite diverse, as they vary widely in regional location, the population served, program size, and other design characteristics. During the Year 1 site visits, that were conducted from October 2011 – March 2012, evaluation staff conducted semi-structured interviews with program staff and representatives from partnering agencies and structured observations of court proceedings and pre-court staff meetings. Other data sources for the current report include program implementation plans, policy manuals, and other written program materials.

Click here for the full report.

On Wednesday, July 13, 2011, the House Appropriations Committee approved the fiscal year 2012 Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations bill, which provides $70 million for Second Chance Act Programs. The bill, which contains $50.2 billion in total budget authority, provides $1.04 billion for state and local law enforcement programs, including:

• $9.96 million for Mentally Ill Offender Act (JMCHP)
• $357 million for Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants 

• $6 million for Byrne Competitive Grants
• $40 million for Drug Courts
• $12 million for Prison Rape Prevention and Prosecution 

• $15 million for Residential Substance Abuse Treatment


Committee approval is only the first step in the appropriations process. The appropriations bills must be passed by both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, as well as the full House and Senate.

Click here for the text of the legislation approved by the Appropriations Committee.

Click here for the accompanying bill report.

The Council of State Governments Justice Center is a national nonprofit organization that serves policymakers at the local, state, and federal levels from all branches of government. The Justice Center provides practical, nonpartisan advice and consensus-driven strategies, informed by available evidence, to increase public safety and strengthen communities.

The July 2011 BJA's Justice Today highlights the BJA "GrantStat" to Ensure Grant Program Performance; a highlight of a Featured Program; and the announcement of the new OJP CrimeSolutions.gov web site.  Click here to download the July 2011 BJA's Justice Today Newsletter

This week Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Rob Portman (R-OH) introduced the bipartisan Second Chance Reauthorization Act of 2011. First passed in 2007, the Second Chance Act provides resources to states, local governments and nonprofit organization to improve outcomes for people returning to communities from prisons and jails.

The reauthorization bill:

• Continues targeted funding for reentry programs at the state and local level to reduce recidivism;
• Helps ensure that reentry projects use methods proven through testing and review to lead to meaningful reductions in recidivism rates;
• Provides funding for the implementation of best practices in prison and jail education;
• Enables nonprofit organizations to apply for grants for programs promoting family-based substance abuse treatment and technology career training; and
• Requires periodic audits of grantees to ensure that federal dollars are responsibly spent.

Click here to view the Second Chance Reauthorization Act.  Click here to view a summary of the bill.
Click here to view materials about the bill and a press release from Senator Leahy's Office.
Click here to view a press release from Senator Portman's Office.
Click here to view the National Letter of Support for the bill.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities spearheads a National Tax Credit Outreach Campaign to promote the Earned Income Credit (EIC), Child Tax Credit (CTC) and free tax filing assistance.  These refundable tax benefits can provide needed financial assistance to individuals released from prison who are reentering society.   The tax credits can also be a resource to families caring for children of incarcerated relatives. Please go to the following links for more details.

•  The Earned Income Credit: A Powerful Benefit for People Who Work
  

•  The Child Tax Credit: An Extra Tax Break for Working Families!
  

• Individuals Released From Prison or Workers with a Relative in Prison
  

Customized flyers we developed this year for the reentry community:

• Flyer for formerly incarcerated individuals
  
• Flyer for caregivers of children with a relative in prison
  
  

On Thursday, April 14, 2011 the House passed the continuing resolution (CR) for the rest of the fiscal year by a 260-167 vote. The Senate followed quickly with a 81-19 vote, avoiding a government shutdown.

All Department of Justice (DOJ) programs were cut by 17 percent. Several programs were exempt from this cut, including the Office of Violence Against Women, National Institute of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Regional Information Sharing Systems, Justice for All, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s programs.

Council of State Government Justice Center priority programs—the Second Chance Act program, the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act (MIOTCRA) program, and the Justice Reinvestment program—fall under state and local law enforcement assistance programs, which were cut by $434 million from the FY10 levels. Click here to see funding levels for other DOJ Programs.

BJA FY 11 Second Chance Act Technology Careers Training Demonstration Projects for Incarcerated Adults and Juveniles

The Second Chance Act of 2007 (Pub. L. 110-199) provides a comprehensive response to the increasing number of incarcerated adults and juveniles who are released from prison, jail, and juvenile residential facilities and returning to communities. There are currently over 2.3 million individuals serving time in our federal and state prisons, and millions of people cycling through local jails every year. There are approximately 94,000 youth in residential confinement within the juvenile justice system on any given day. Ninety-five percent of all offenders incarcerated today will eventually be released and will return to communities. The Second Chance Act will help ensure that the transition individuals make from prison, jail, or juvenile residential facilities to the community is successful and promotes public safety. Section 115 of the Second Chance Act authorizes the U.S. Attorney General to make federal awards to states, units of local government, territories, and federally recognized Indian tribes to provide technology career training to persons confined in state prisons, local jails, and juvenile residential facilities. For more information on BJA implementation of the Second Chance Act initiatives and Frequently Asked Questions about this solicitation, visit BJA’s Second Chance Act web page at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/grant/SecondChance.html. Click Here for a link to the funding opportunity.

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) has launched their latest podcast, Advancing Corrections Through Justice Reinvestment. In this edition, James H. Burch, II, Acting BJA Director, talks with Ashbel T. Wall, Director of the Rhode Island Department of Corrections, about the concepts of reentry and justice reinvestment, and how these two practices are connecting the field of corrections with the law enforcement profession.

Click here to listen to this podcast, available under the Justice Matters subject heading found on the left side of the podcast player.

The Second Chance Resource Center offers technical assistance to both Second Chance Grantees and non-grantees. Click this link to go to the Reentry Resource Center's "Training and Technical Assistance" page.

The Second Chance Resource Center has a variety of tools and resources for a variety of reentry programs including substance abuse.  Click this link to go to the National Reentry Resource Center's web page of substance abuse resources.

The House Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security, held a hearing on September 29th on Reauthorization of the Second Chance Act this coming year. One of the witnesses was ASCA Member Gladyse Taylor, Acting Director of the Illinois Department of Correction. Secretary Walter McNeil (FL), Director Justin Jones (OK) and Secretary Tim Reisch (SD) submitted written testimony.

See the witness list below and links to download their testimony.

Le’Ann Duran, Director, National Reentry Resources Center, Council of State
Governments, New York City

Michele Banks, Manager, Richmond Second Chance Re-entry Program, Richmond
City Sheriff’s Office, Richmond, VA

Nancy G. La Vigne, Director, Justice Policy Center, The Urban Institute,
Washington, DC

David B. Muhlhausen, Ph.D., Senior Policy Analyst, Center for Data Analysis,
Heritage Foundation, Washington, DC

Gladyse Taylor, Acting Director of the Illinois Department of Correction

Walter McNeil, Secretary, Florida Department of Corrections

Justin Jones, Director, Oklahoma Department of Corrections

Tim Reisch, Secretary, South Dakota Department of Correction
 

"TIME CHANGE -- The Second Chance Act: Strengthening Safe and Effective Community Reentry"

The hearing on " The Second Chance Act: Strengthening Safe and Effective Community Reentry" before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary was held Wednesday, July 21, 2010.  The following witnesses testified before the Committee:

Andrew Pallito, Commissioner, VT Department of Corrections Click this link to read the statement of Andrew Pallito

Le'Ann Duran, Reentry Project Director, Council of State Governments Click this link to read the statement of Le'Ann Duran

Sol Rodriguez, Executive Director, Open Doors, Providence, RI Click this link to read the statement of Sol Rodriguez

David Muhlhausen, Senior Policy Analyst, The Heritage Foundation  Click this link to read the statement of David Muhlhausen

Howard Husock, Vice President, Policy Research, Manhattan Institute for Policy Research  Click this link to read the statement of Howard Husock

Click this link to read the statement of Senator Russ Feingold

Click this link to read the statement of Senator Patrick Leahy

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A WEBCAST OF THE SENATE HEARING

SustainableBusiness.com, (10/21/2010)
The Florida Department of Corrections will be using a U.S. Department of Justice grant to train soon-to-be released inmates to become certified in installing solar panels. The $740,000 grant was awarded as part of the Second Chance Act Technology Careers Training Demonstration Projects for Incarcerated Adults. A Teaching and Enhancing Careers in High Technology program will be established at Sago Palm Work Camp in Palm Beach County. The grant will be used to pay for a nine-month, 1,200-hour electrical technology career and technical component, on-the-job training, academic tutoring and career assistance. The training will include a unit housing solar panels (photovoltaic system).'

Click Here for the full article.

The following map shows a summary of the 2009 SCA Adult and Juvenile Demonstration Grantees.  Most of the grantees received their final budgets clearances in early 2010 and have been focused on launching their projects by finalizing their program plans, hiring staff, and issuing their subcontracts. The first performance measures reports are due to BJA in July 2010.

The following table provides a summary of the 2009 SCA Adult and Juvenile Demonstration Grantees including
their target populations and program focus areas.

Click this link for the summary table