[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4676 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4676

   To reauthorize the grant program of the Department of Justice for 
 reentry of offenders into the community, to establish a task force on 
 Federal programs and activities relating to the reentry of offenders 
              into the community, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 23, 2004

Mr. Portman (for himself, Mr. Davis of Illinois, Mr. Souder, Mrs. Jones 
  of Ohio, Mr. Chabot, and Mr. Cannon) introduced the following bill; 
 which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition 
  to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
  of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
                               concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To reauthorize the grant program of the Department of Justice for 
 reentry of offenders into the community, to establish a task force on 
 Federal programs and activities relating to the reentry of offenders 
              into the community, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Second Chance Act of 2004: Community 
Safety Through Recidivism Prevention'' or the ``Second Chance Act of 
2004''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) In 2002, 2,000,000 people were incarcerated in Federal 
        or State prisons or in local jails. Nearly 650,000 people are 
        released from incarceration to communities nationwide each 
        year.
            (2) There are over 3,200 jails throughout the United 
        States, the vast majority of which are operated by county 
        governments. Each year, these jails will release in excess of 
        10,000,000 people back into the community.
            (3) Nearly two-thirds of released State prisoners are 
        expected to be rearrested for a felony or serious misdemeanor 
        within three years after release.
            (4) In his 2004 State of the Union address, President Bush 
        correctly stated: ``We know from long experience that if 
        [former prisoners] can't find work, or a home, or help, they 
        are much more likely to commit more crimes and return to 
        prison. . . . America is the land of the second chance, and 
        when the gates of the prison open, the path ahead should lead 
        to a better life.''
            (5) In recent years, a number of States and local 
        governments have begun to establish improved systems for 
        reintegrating former prisoners. Under such systems, corrections 
        officials begin to plan for a prisoner's release while the 
        prisoner is incarcerated and provide a transition to needed 
        services in the community.
            (6) Faith leaders and parishioners have a long history 
        helping ex-offenders transform their lives. Through prison 
        ministries and outreach in communities, churches and faith-
        based organizations have pioneered re-entry services to 
        prisoners and their families.
            (7) Successful reentry protects those who might otherwise 
        be crime victims. It also improves the likelihood that 
        individuals released from prison or juvenile detention 
        facilities can pay fines, fees, restitution, and family 
        support.
            (8) According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 
        expenditures on corrections alone increased from $9,000,000,000 
        in 1982 to $44,000,000,000 in 1997. These figures do not 
        include the cost of arrest and prosecution, nor do they take 
        into account the cost to victims.
            (9) Increased recidivism results in profound collateral 
        consequences, including public health risks, homelessness, 
        unemployment, and disenfranchisement.
            (10) The high prevalence of infectious disease, substance 
        abuse, and mental health disorders that has been found in 
        incarcerated populations demands that a recovery model of 
        treatment should be used for handling the more than two-thirds 
        of all offenders with such needs.
            (11) One of the most significant costs of prisoner reentry 
        is the impact on children, the weakened ties among family 
        members, and destabilized communities. The long-term 
        generational effects of a social structure in which 
        imprisonment is the norm and law-abiding role models are absent 
        are difficult to measure but undoubtedly exist.
            (12) According to the 2001 national data from the Bureau of 
        Justice Statistics, 3,500,000 parents were supervised by the 
        correctional system. Prior to incarceration, 64 percent of 
        female prisoners and 44 percent of male prisoners in State 
        facilities lived with their children.
            (13) Between 1991 and 1999, the number of children with a 
        parent in a Federal or State correctional facility increased by 
        more than 100 percent, from approximately 900,000 to 
        approximately 2,000,000. According to the Bureau of Prisons, 
        there is evidence to suggest that inmates who are connected to 
        their children and families are more likely to avoid negative 
        incidents and have reduced sentences.
            (14) Approximately 100,000 juveniles (ages 17 and under) 
        leave juvenile correctional facilities, State prison, or 
        Federal prison each year. Juveniles released from confinement 
        still have their likely prime crime years ahead of them. 
        Juveniles released from secure confinement have a recidivism 
        rate ranging from 55 to 75 percent. The chances that young 
        people will successfully transition into society improve with 
        effective reentry and aftercare programs.
            (15) Studies have shown that from 15 percent to 27 percent 
        of prisoners expect to go to homeless shelters upon release 
        from prison.
            (16) The National Institute of Justice has found that after 
        one year of release, up to 60 percent of former inmates are not 
        employed.
            (17) Fifty-seven percent of Federal and 70 percent of State 
        inmates used drugs regularly before prison, with some estimates 
        of involvement with drugs or alcohol around the time of the 
        offense as high as 84 percent (BJS Trends in State Parole, 
        1990-2000).
            (18) According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 60 to 
        83 percent of the Nation's correctional population have used 
        drugs at some point in their lives. This is twice the estimated 
        drug use of the total United States population of 40 percent.
            (19) Family-based treatment programs have proven results 
        for serving the special population of female offenders and 
        substance abusers with children. An evaluation by the Substance 
        Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of family-based 
        treatment for substance abusing mothers and children found that 
        at six months post treatment, 60 percent of the mothers remain 
        alcohol and drug free, and drug related offenses declined from 
        28 to 7 percent. Additionally, a 2003 evaluation of residential 
        family based treatment programs revealed that 60 percent of 
        mothers remained clean and sober six months after treatment, 
        criminal arrests declined by 43 percent, and 88 percent of the 
        children treated in the program with their mothers remain 
        stabilized.
            (20) A Bureau of Justice Statistics analysis indicated that 
        only 33 percent of Federal and 36 percent of State inmates had 
        participated in residential inpatient treatment programs for 
        alcohol and drug abuse 12 months before their release. Further, 
        over one-third of all jail inmates have some physical or mental 
        disability and 25 percent of jail inmates have been treated at 
        some time for a mental or emotional problem.
            (21) According to the National Institute of Literacy, 70 
        percent of all prisoners function at the two lowest literacy 
        levels.
            (22) The Bureau of Justice Statistics has found that 27 
        percent of Federal inmates, 40 percent of State inmates, and 47 
        percent of local jail inmates have never completed high school 
        or its equivalent. Furthermore, the Bureau of Justice 
        Statistics has found that less educated inmates are more likely 
        to be recidivists. Only 1 in 4 local jails offer basic adult 
        education programs.
            (23) Participation in State correctional education programs 
        lowers the likelihood of reincarceration by 29 percent, 
        according to a recent United States Department of Education 
        study. A Federal Bureau of Prisons study found a 33 percent 
        drop in recidivism among federal prisoners who participated in 
        vocational and apprenticeship training.

SEC. 3. REAUTHORIZATION OF ADULT AND JUVENILE OFFENDER STATE AND LOCAL 
              REENTRY DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS.

    (a) Adult and Juvenile Offender Demonstration Projects 
Authorized.--Section 2976 of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets 
Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3797w) is amended in subsection (b) by striking 
paragraphs (1) through (4) and inserting the following new paragraphs:
            ``(1) establishing or improving the system or systems under 
        which--
                    ``(A) the correctional agency of the State or local 
                government develops and carries out plans to facilitate 
                the reentry into the community of each offender in 
                State or local custody;
                    ``(B) the supervision and services provided to 
                offenders in State or local custody are coordinated 
                with the supervision and services provided to offenders 
                after reentry into the community;
                    ``(C) the efforts of various public and private 
                entities to provide supervision and services to 
                offenders after reentry into the community, and to 
                family members of such offenders, are coordinated; and
                    ``(D) offenders awaiting reentry into the community 
                are provided with documents (such as identification 
                papers, referrals to services, medical prescriptions, 
                job training certificates, apprenticeship papers, and 
                information on obtaining public assistance) useful in 
                achieving a successful transition from prison;
            ``(2) carrying out programs and initiatives by units of 
        local government to strengthen reentry services for individuals 
        released from local jails;
            ``(3) enabling prison mentors of offenders to remain in 
        contact with those offenders, including through the use of such 
        technology as videoconferencing, during incarceration and after 
        reentry into the community and encouraging the involvement of 
        prison mentors in the reentry process;
            ``(4) providing structured post-release housing and 
        transitional housing, including group homes for recovering 
        substance abusers, through which offenders are provided 
        supervision and services immediately following reentry into the 
        community;
            ``(5) assisting offenders in securing permanent housing 
        upon release or following a stay in transitional housing;
            ``(6) providing continuity of health services (including 
        mental health services, substance abuse treatment and 
        aftercare, and treatment for contagious diseases) to offenders 
        in custody and after reentry into the community;
            ``(7) providing offenders with education, job training, 
        English as a second language programs, work experience 
        programs, self-respect and life skills training, and other 
        skills useful in achieving a successful transition from prison;
            ``(8) facilitating collaboration among corrections and 
        community corrections, technical schools, community colleges, 
        and the workforce development and employment service sectors 
        to--
                    ``(A) promote, where appropriate, the employment of 
                people released from prison and jail, through efforts 
                such as educating employers about existing financial 
                incentives and facilitate the creation of job 
                opportunities, including transitional jobs, for this 
                population that will benefit communities;
                    ``(B) connect inmates to employment, including 
                supportive employment and employment services, before 
                their release to the community; and
                    ``(C) addressing barriers to employment;
            ``(9) assessing the literacy and educational needs of 
        offenders in custody and identifying and providing services 
        appropriate to meet those needs, including follow-up 
        assessments and long-term services;
            ``(10) systems under which family members of offenders are 
        involved in facilitating the successful reentry of those 
        offenders into the community, including removing obstacles to 
        the maintenance of family relationships while the offender is 
        in custody, strengthening the family's capacity as a stable 
        living situation during re-entry where appropriate, and 
        involving family members in the planning and implementation of 
        the re-entry process;
            ``(11) programs under which victims are included, on a 
        voluntary basis, in the reentry process;
            ``(12) programs that facilitate visitation and maintenance 
        of family relationships with respect to offenders in custody by 
        addressing obstacles such as travel, telephone costs, mail 
        restrictions, and restrictive visitation policies;
            ``(13) identifying and addressing barriers to collaborating 
        with child welfare agencies in the provision of services 
        jointly to offenders in custody and to the children of such 
        offenders;
            ``(14) implementing programs in correctional agencies to 
        include the collection of information regarding any dependent 
        children of an incarcerated person as part of intake 
        procedures, including the number of children, age, and location 
        or jurisdiction, and connect identified children with 
        appropriate services;
            ``(15) addressing barriers to the visitation of children 
        with an incarcerated parent, and maintenance of the parent-
        child relationship, such as the location of facilities in 
        remote areas, telephone costs, mail restrictions, and 
        visitation policies;
            ``(16) creating, developing, or enhancing prisoner and 
        family assessments curricula, policies, procedures, or programs 
        (including mentoring programs) to help prisoners with a history 
        or identified risk of domestic violence, dating violence, 
        sexual assault, or stalking reconnect with their families and 
        communities as appropriate (or when it is safe to do so) and 
        become mutually respectful, nonabusive parents or partners, 
        under which particular attention is paid to the safety of 
        children affected and the confidentiality concerns of victims, 
        and efforts are coordinated with existing victim service 
        providers;
            ``(17) developing programs and activities that support 
        parent-child relationships, such as--
                    ``(A) using telephone conferencing to permit 
                incarcerated parents to participate in parent-teacher 
                conferences;
                    ``(B) using videoconferencing to allow virtual 
                visitation when incarcerated persons are more than 100 
                miles from their families;
                    ``(C) the development of books on tape programs, 
                through which incarcerated parents read a book into a 
                tape to be sent to their children;
                    ``(D) the establishment of family days, which 
                provide for longer visitation hours or family 
                activities; or
                    ``(E) the creation of children's areas in 
                visitation rooms with parent-child activities;
            ``(18) expanding family-based treatment centers that offer 
        family-based comprehensive treatment services for parents and 
        their children as a complete family unit;
            ``(19) conducting studies to determine who is returning to 
        prison or jail and which of those returning prisoners represent 
        the greatest risk to community safety;
            ``(20) developing or adopting procedures to ensure that 
        dangerous felons are not released from prison prematurely;
            ``(21) developing and implementing procedures to assist 
        relevant authorities in determining when release is appropriate 
        and in the use of data to inform the release decision;
            ``(22) developing and implementing procedures to identify 
        efficiently and effectively those violators of probation or 
        parole who should be returned to prison;
            ``(23) utilizing established assessment tools to assess the 
        risk factors of returning inmates and prioritizing services 
        based on risk;
            ``(24) conducting studies to determine who is returning to 
        prison or jail and which of those returning prisoners represent 
        the greatest risk to community safety;
            ``(25) facilitating and encouraging timely and complete 
        payment of restitution and fines by ex-offenders to victims and 
        the community;
            ``(26) developing or adopting procedures to ensure that 
        dangerous felons are not released from prison prematurely;
            ``(27) establishing or expanding the use of reentry courts 
        to--
                    ``(A) monitor offenders returning to the community;
                    ``(B) provide returning offenders with--
                            ``(i) drug and alcohol testing and 
                        treatment; and
                            ``(ii) mental and medical health assessment 
                        and services;
                    ``(C) facilitate restorative justice practices and 
                convene family or community impact panels, family 
                impact educational classes, victim impact panels, or 
                victim impact educational classes;
                    ``(D) provide and coordinate the delivery of other 
                community services to offenders, including--
                            ``(i) housing assistance;
                            ``(ii) education;
                            ``(iii) employment training;
                            ``(iv) children and family support;
                            ``(v) conflict resolution skills training;
                            ``(vi) family violence intervention 
                        programs; and
                            ``(vii) other appropriate social services; 
                        and
                    ``(E) establish and implement graduated sanctions 
                and incentives; and
            ``(28) providing technology to advance post release 
        supervision.''.
    (b) Juvenile Offender Demonstration Projects Reauthorized.--Such 
section is further amended in subsection (c) by striking ``may be 
expended for'' and all that follows through the period at the end and 
inserting ``may be expended for any activity referred to in subsection 
(b).''.
    (c) Applications; Priorities; Performance Measurements.--Such 
section is further amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsection (h) as subsection (o); and
            (2) by striking subsections (d) through (g) and inserting 
        the following new subsections:
    ``(d) Applications.--A State, unit of local government, territory, 
or Indian tribe desiring a grant under this section shall submit an 
application to the Attorney General that--
            ``(1) contains a reentry strategic plan, which describes 
        the long-term strategy, and a detailed implementation schedule, 
        including the jurisdiction's plans to pay for the program after 
        the Federal funding is discontinued;
            ``(2) identifies the governmental agencies and community 
        and faith-based organizations that will be coordinated by, and 
        collaborate on, the applicant's prisoner reentry strategy and 
        certifies their involvement; and
            ``(3) describes the methodology and outcome measures that 
        will be used in evaluating the program.
    ``(e) Priority Consideration.--The Attorney General shall give 
priority to grant applications that best--
            ``(1) focus initiative on geographic areas with a 
        substantiated high population of ex-offenders;
            ``(2) include partnerships with community-based 
        organizations, including faith-based organizations;
            ``(3) provide consultations with crime victims and former 
        incarcerated prisoners and their families;
            ``(4) review the process by which the State adjudicates 
        violations of parole or supervised release and consider reforms 
        to maximize the use of graduated, community-based sanctions for 
        minor and technical violations of parole or supervised release;
            ``(5) establish pre-release planning procedures for 
        prisoners to ensure that a prisoner's eligibility for Federal 
        or State benefits (including Medicaid, Medicare, Social 
        Security, and Veterans benefits) upon release is established 
        prior to release, subject to any limitations in law, and to 
        ensure that prisoners are provided with referrals to 
        appropriate social and health services or are linked to 
        appropriate community-based organizations; and
            ``(6) target high-risk offenders for reentry programs 
        through validated assessment tools.
    ``(f) Requirements.--The Attorney General may make a grant to an 
applicant only if the application--
            ``(1) reflects explicit support of the chief executive 
        officer of the State or unit of local government, territory, or 
        Indian tribe applying for a grant under this section;
            ``(2) provides extensive discussion of the role of State 
        corrections departments, community corrections agencies, 
        juvenile justice systems, or local jail systems in ensuring 
        successful reentry of ex-offenders into their communities;
            ``(3) provides extensive evidence of collaboration with 
        State and local government agencies overseeing health, housing, 
        child welfare, education, and employment services, and local 
        law enforcement;
            ``(4) provides a plan for analysis of existing State 
        statutory, regulatory, rules-based, and practice-based hurdles 
        to a prisoner's reintegration into the community that--
                    ``(A) takes particular note of laws, regulations, 
                rules, and practices that: disqualify former prisoners 
                from obtaining professional licenses or other 
                requirements necessary for certain types of employment; 
                and that hinder full civic participation; and
                    ``(B) identifies those laws, regulations, rules, or 
                practices that are not directly connected to the crime 
                committed and the risk that the ex-offender presents to 
                the community; and
            ``(5) includes the use of a State or local task force to 
        carry out the activities funded under the grant.
    ``(g) Uses of Grant Funds.--
            ``(1) Federal share.--The Federal share of a grant received 
        under this section may not exceed 75 percent of the project 
        funded under the grant, unless the Attorney General--
                    ``(A) waives, in whole or in part, the requirement 
                of this paragraph; and
                    ``(B) publicly delineates the rationale for the 
                waiver.
            ``(2) Supplement not supplant.--Federal funds received 
        under this section shall be used to supplement, not supplant, 
        non-Federal funds that would otherwise be available for the 
        activities funded under this section.
    ``(h) Reentry Strategic Plan.--
            ``(1) As a condition of receiving financial assistance 
        under this section, each applicant shall develop a 
        comprehensive strategic reentry plan that contains measurable 
        annual and 5- to 10-year performance outcomes. The plan shall 
        have as a goal to reduce the rate of recidivism of incarcerated 
        persons served with funds from this section within the State by 
        50 percent over a period of 10 years.
            ``(2) In developing reentry plans under this subsection, 
        applicants shall coordinate with communities and stakeholders, 
        including experts in the fields of public safety, corrections, 
        housing, health, education, employment, and members of 
        community and faith-based organizations that provide reentry 
        services.
            ``(3) Each reentry plan developed under this subsection 
        shall measure the applicant's progress toward increasing public 
        safety by reducing rates of recidivism and enabling released 
        offenders to transition successfully back into their 
        communities.
    ``(i) Reentry Task Force.--As a condition of receiving financial 
assistance under this section, each State or local government receiving 
a grant shall establish a Reentry Task Force or other relevant 
convening authority to examine ways to pool existing resources and 
funding streams to promote lower recidivism rates for returning 
prisoners and to minimize the harmful effects of incarceration on 
families and communities by collecting data and best practices in 
offender re-entry from demonstration grantees and other agencies and 
organizations. The task force or other authority shall be comprised of 
relevant State or local leaders, agencies, service providers, 
community-based organizations, or stakeholders.
    ``(j) Strategic Performance Outcomes.--
            ``(1) Each applicant shall identify specific performance 
        outcomes related to the long-term goals of increasing public 
        safety and reducing recidivism.
            ``(2) The performance outcomes identified under paragraph 
        (1) shall include, with respect to offenders released back into 
        the community--
                    ``(A) recommitment rates;
                    ``(B) reduction in crime;
                    ``(C) employment and education;
                    ``(D) violations of conditions of supervised 
                release;
                    ``(E) child support;
                    ``(F) housing;
                    ``(G) drug and alcohol abuse; and
                    ``(H) participation in mental health services.
            ``(3) States may also report on other activities that 
        increase the success rates of offenders who transition from 
        prison, such as programs that foster effective risk management 
        and treatment programming, offender accountability, and 
        community and victim participation.
            ``(4) Applicants should coordinate with communities and 
        stakeholders about the selection of performance outcomes 
        identified by the applicants and with the Department of Justice 
        for assistance with data collection and measurement activities.
            ``(5) Each grantee shall submit an annual report to the 
        Department of Justice that--
                    ``(A) identifies the grantee's progress toward 
                achieving its strategic performance outcomes; and
                    ``(B) describes other activities conducted by the 
                grantee to increase the success rates of the reentry 
                population.
    ``(k) Performance Measurement.--
            ``(1) The Department of Justice shall, in consultation with 
        the States--
                    ``(A) identify primary and secondary sources of 
                information to support the measurement of the 
                performance indicators identified under this section;
                    ``(B) identify sources and methods of data 
                collection in support of performance measurement 
                required under this section;
                    ``(C) provide to all grantees technical assistance 
                and training on performance measures and data 
                collection for purposes of this section; and
                    ``(D) coordinate with the Substance Abuse and 
                Mental Health Services Administration on strategic 
                performance outcome measures and data collection for 
                purposes of this section relating to substance abuse 
                and mental health.
            ``(2) The Department of Justice shall coordinate with other 
        Federal agencies to identify national sources of information to 
        support State performance measurement.
    ``(l) Future Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
this section for fiscal years after the first receipt of such a grant, 
a State shall submit to the Attorney General such information as is 
necessary to demonstrate that--
            ``(1) the State has adopted a re-entry plan that reflects 
        input from community-based and faith-based organizations;
            ``(2) the State's re-entry plan includes performance 
        measures to assess the State's progress toward increasing 
        public safety by reducing by 10 percent over the 2-year period 
        the rate at which individuals released from prison who 
        participate in the re-entry system supported by Federal funds 
        are recommitted to prison; and
            ``(3) the State will coordinate with the Department of 
        Justice, community-based and faith-based organizations, and 
        other experts regarding the selection and implementation of the 
        performance measures described in subsection (k).
    ``(m) National Adult and Juvenile Offender Reentry Resource 
Center.--
            ``(1) The Attorney General may, using amounts made 
        available to carry out this subsection, make a grant to an 
        eligible organization to provide for the establishment of a 
        National Adult and Juvenile Offender Reentry Resource Center.
            ``(2) An organization eligible for the grant under 
        paragraph (1) is any national nonprofit organization approved 
        by the Federal task force established under the Second Chance 
        Act of 2004 that represents, provides technical assistance and 
        training to, and has special expertise and broad, national-
        level experience in offender re-entry programs, training, and 
        research.
            ``(3) The organization receiving the grant shall establish 
        a National Adult and Juvenile Offender Reentry Resource Center 
        to--
                    ``(A) provide education, training, and technical 
                assistance for States, local governments, service 
                providers, faith based organizations, and corrections 
                institutions;
                    ``(B) collect data and best practices in offender 
                re-entry from demonstration grantees and others 
                agencies and organizations;
                    ``(C) develop and disseminate evaluation tools, 
                mechanisms, and measures to better assess and document 
                coalition performance measures and outcomes;
                    ``(D) disseminate knowledge to States and other 
                relevant entities about best practices, policy 
                standards, and research findings;
                    ``(E) develop and implement procedures to assist 
                relevant authorities in determining when release is 
                appropriate and in the use of data to inform the 
                release decision;
                    ``(F) develop and implement procedures to identify 
                efficiently and effectively those violators of 
                probation or parole who should be returned to prison 
                and those who should receive other penalties based on 
                defined, graduated sanctions;
                    ``(G) collaborate with the Federal task force 
                established under the Second Chance Act of 2004 and the 
                Federal Resource Center for Children of Prisoners;
                    ``(H) develop a national research agenda; and
                    ``(I) bridge the gap between research and practice 
                by translating knowledge from research into practical 
                information.
            ``(4) Of amounts made available to carry out this section, 
        not more than 4 percent shall be available to carry out this 
        subsection.
    ``(n) Administration.--Of amounts made available to carry out this 
section, not more than 2 percent shall be available for administrative 
expenses in carrying out this section.''.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--Such section is further 
amended in paragraph (1) of subsection (o) (as redesignated by 
subsection (c)) by striking ``and $16,000,000 for fiscal year 2005'' 
and inserting ``$40,000,000 for fiscal year 2005, and $40,000,000 for 
fiscal year 2006''.

SEC. 4. TASK FORCE ON FEDERAL PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES RELATING TO 
              REENTRY OF OFFENDERS.

    (a) Task Force Required.--The Attorney General, in consultation 
with the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, the Secretary of 
Labor, the Secretary of Education, the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services, and the heads of such other elements of the Federal 
Government as the Attorney General considers appropriate, and in 
collaboration with stakeholders, service providers, community-based 
organizations, States, and local governments, shall establish an 
interagency task force on Federal programs and activities relating to 
the reentry of offenders into the community.
    (b) Duties.--The task force required by subsection (a) shall--
            (1) identify such programs and activities that may be 
        resulting in overlapping or duplication of services, the scope 
        of such overlapping or duplication, and the relationship of 
        such overlapping and duplication to public safety, public 
        health, and effectiveness and efficiency;
            (2) identify methods to improve collaboration and 
        coordination of such programs and activities;
            (3) identify areas of responsibility in which improved 
        collaboration and coordination of such programs and activities 
        would result in increased effectiveness or efficiency;
            (4) develop innovative interagency or intergovernmental 
        programs, activities, or procedures that would improve outcomes 
        of reentering offenders and children of offenders;
            (5) develop methods for increasing regular communication 
        that would increase interagency program effectiveness;
            (6) identify areas of research that can be coordinated 
        across agencies with an emphasis on applying science-based 
        practices to support, treatment, and intervention programs for 
        reentering offenders;
            (7) identify funding areas that should be coordinated 
        across agencies and any gaps in funding; and
            (8) identify successful programs currently operating and 
        collect best practices in offender reentry from demonstration 
        grantees and other agencies and organizations, determine the 
        extent to which such programs and practices can be replicated, 
        and make information on such programs and practices available 
        to States, localities, community-based organizations, and 
        others.
    (c) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the task force required by subsection (a) shall submit a 
report, including recommendations, to Congress on barriers to reentry. 
The report shall identify Federal barriers to successful reentry of 
offenders into the community and analyze the effects of such barriers 
on offenders and on children and other family members of offenders, 
including--
            (1) parental incarceration as a consideration for purposes 
        of family reunification under the Adoption and Safe Families 
        Act of 1997;
            (2) admissions in Federal housing programs;
            (3) child support obligations and procedures;
            (4) Social Security benefits, Veterans benefits, food 
        stamps, and other forms of Federal public assistance;
            (5) Medicaid and Medicare procedures, requirements, 
        regulations, and guidelines;
            (6) education programs, financial assistance, and civic 
        participation;
            (7) TANF program funding criteria and other welfare 
        benefits;
            (8) employment;
            (9) re-entry procedures, case planning, and transitions of 
        persons from the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons to a 
        Federal parole or probation program or community corrections;
            (10) laws, regulations, rules, and practices that may 
        require a parolee to return to the same county that they were 
        living in before their arrest so that parolees can change their 
        setting upon release and not go back to the same neighborhood 
        full of people who may be negative influences; and
            (11) trying to establish pre-release planning procedures 
        for prisoners to ensure that a prisoner's eligibility for 
        federal or state benefits (including Medicaid, Medicare, Social 
        Security and Veterans benefits) upon release is established 
        prior to release, subject to any limitations in law; and to 
        ensure that prisoners are provided with referrals to 
        appropriate social and health services or are linked to 
        appropriate community-based organizations.
    (d) Annual Reports.--On an annual basis, the task force required by 
subsection (a) shall submit to Congress a report on the activities of 
the task force, including specific recommendations of the task force on 
matters referred to in subsection (b).

SEC. 5. OFFENDER RE-ENTRY RESEARCH.

    (a) National Institute of Justice.--From amounts made available to 
carry out this Act, the National Institute of Justice may conduct 
research on offender re-entry, including--
            (1) a study identifying the number and characteristics of 
        children who have had a parent incarcerated and the likelihood 
        of these minors becoming involved in the criminal justice 
        system some time in their lifetime;
            (2) a study identifying a mechanism to compare rates of 
        recidivism (including re-arrest, violations of parole and 
        probation, and re-incarceration) among States; and
            (3) a study on the population of individuals released from 
        custody who do not engage in recidivism and the characteristics 
        (housing, employment, treatment, family connection) of that 
        population.
    (b) Bureau of Justice Statistics.--From amounts made available to 
carry out this Act, the Bureau of Justice Statistics may conduct 
research on offender re-entry, including--
            (1) an analysis of special populations, including prisoners 
        with mental illness or substance abuse disorders, female 
        offenders, juvenile offenders, and the elderly, that present 
        unique re-entry challenges;
            (2) studies to determine who is returning to prison or jail 
        and which of those returning prisoners represent the greatest 
        risk to community safety;
            (3) annual reports on the profile of the population coming 
        out of prisons, jails, and juvenile justice facilities;
            (4) a national recidivism study every three years; and
            (5) a study of parole violations and revocations.

SEC. 6. CHILDREN OF INCARCERATED PARENTS AND FAMILIES.

    The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall--
            (1) review, and make available to States a report on any 
        recommendations regarding, the role of State child protective 
        services at the time of the arrest of a person; and
            (2) by regulation, establish such services as the Secretary 
        determines necessary for the preservation of families that have 
        been impacted by the incarceration of a family member.

SEC. 7. ENCOURAGEMENT OF EMPLOYMENT OF FORMER PRISONERS.

    The Secretary of Labor shall take such steps as are necessary to 
implement a program, including but not limited to the Employment and 
Training Administration, to educate employers about existing 
incentives, including bonding, to the hiring of former Federal, State, 
or county prisoners.

SEC. 8. FEDERAL RESOURCE CENTER FOR CHILDREN OF PRISONERS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the National Institute 
of Corrections for each of fiscal years 2005 and 2006, such sums as may 
be necessary for the continuing activities of the Federal Resource 
Center for Children of Prisoners, including review of policies and 
practices of State and Federal corrections to support parent-child 
relationships.

SEC. 9. ELIMINATION OF AGE REQUIREMENT FOR RELATIVE CAREGIVER UNDER 
              NATIONAL FAMILY CAREGIVER SUPPORT PROGRAM.

    Section 372 of the National Family Caregiver Support Act (part E of 
title III of the Older Americans Act of 1965; 42 U.S.C. 3030s) is 
amended in paragraph (3) by striking ``who is 60 years of age or older 
and--'' and inserting ``who--''.

SEC. 10. CLARIFICATION OF AUTHORITY TO PLACE PRISONER IN COMMUNITY 
              CORRECTIONS.

    (a) Place of Imprisonment.--Section 3621 of title 18, United States 
Code, is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsections (c) through (e) as 
        subsections (d) through (f), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (b) the following new 
        subsection (c):
    ``(c) Community Correction Facilities.--For purposes of 
designations made under this section, the terms ``place of the 
prisoner's imprisonment'' and ``available penal or correctional 
facility'' do not include a community corrections center, community 
treatment center, ``halfway house,'' or similar facility that does not 
confine residents in the manner of a prison or jail.''.
    (b) Pre-Release Custody.--Section 3624(c) of title 18, United 
States Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking ``a reasonable part, not to exceed 6 
        months, of the last 10 per centum of the term to be served'' 
        and inserting ``a reasonable part of the last 20 percent of the 
        term to be served, not to exceed 6 months''; and
            (2) by inserting after ``home confinement'' the following: 
        ``for the last 20 percent of the term to be served, not to 
        exceed 6 months''.

SEC. 11. USE OF VIOLENT OFFENDER TRUTH-IN-SENTENCING GRANT FUNDING FOR 
              DEMONSTRATION PROJECT ACTIVITIES.

    Section 20102(a) of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement 
Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 13702(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2) by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) in paragraph (3) by striking the period at the end and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(4) to carry out any activity referred to in section 
        2976(b) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 
        1968 (42 U.S.C. 3797w(b)).''.

SEC. 12. GRANTS TO STUDY PAROLE VIOLATIONS AND REVOCATIONS.

    (a) Grants Authorized.--From amounts made available to carry out 
this section, the Attorney General may award grants to States to study, 
and to improve the collection of data with respect to, individuals 
whose parole is revoked and which such individuals represent the 
greatest risk to community safety.
    (b) Application.--As a condition of receiving a grant under this 
section, a State shall--
            (1) certify that the State has, or intends to establish, a 
        program that collects comprehensive and reliable data with 
        respect to individuals described in subsection (a), including 
        data on--
                    (A) the number and type of parole violations that 
                occur within the State;
                    (B) the reasons for parole revocation;
                    (C) the underlying behavior that led to the 
                revocation; and
                    (D) the term of imprisonment or other penalty that 
                is imposed for the violation; and
            (2) provide the data described in paragraph (1) to the 
        Bureau of Justice Statistics, in a form prescribed by the 
        Bureau.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $1,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2005 and 2006.

SEC. 13. IMPROVEMENT OF THE RESIDENTIAL SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT FOR 
              STATE PRISONERS PROGRAM.

    (a) Definition.--Section 1902 of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe 
Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796ff-1) is amended by redesignating 
subsections (c) through (f) as subsections (d) through (g), 
respectively, and by inserting after subsection (b) the following new 
subsection:
    ``(c) Residential Substance Abuse Treatment.--The term `residential 
substance abuse treatment' means a course of individual and group 
activities and treatment, lasting at least 6 months, in residential 
treatment facilities set apart from the general prison population. This 
can include the use of pharmacotherapies, where appropriate, that may 
extend beyond the 6-month period.''.
    (b) Requirement for After Care Component.--Section 1902 of such Act 
is further amended in subsection (d) (as redesignated by subsection 
(a)) is amended--
            (1) in the subsection heading, by striking ``Eligibility 
        for Preference With After Care Component'' and inserting 
        ``Requirement for After Care Component'';
            (2) by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows:
            ``(1) To be eligible for funding under this part, a State 
        must ensure that individuals who participate in the substance 
        abuse treatment program established or implemented with 
        assistance provided under this part will be provided with 
        aftercare services.''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(4) Aftercare services required by this subsection shall 
        be funded by the funding provided in this part.''.

SEC. 14. RESIDENTIAL DRUG ABUSE PROGRAM IN FEDERAL PRISONS.

    Section 3621(e)(5)(A) of title 18, United States Code, is amended 
by striking ``means a course of'' and all that follows through the 
semicolon at the end and inserting the following: ``means a course of 
individual and group activities and treatment, lasting at least 6 
months, in residential treatment facilities set apart from the general 
prison population, which may include the use of pharmacotherapies, 
where appropriate, that may extend beyond the 6-month period;''.

SEC. 15. TECHNICAL AMENDMENT TO DRUG-FREE STUDENT LOANS PROVISION TO 
              ENSURE THAT IT APPLIES ONLY TO OFFENSES COMMITTED WHILE 
              RECEIVING FEDERAL AID.

    Section 484(r)(1) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1091(r)(1)) is amended by striking ``A student'' and all that follows 
through ``table:'' and inserting the following: ``A student who is 
convicted of any offense under any Federal or State law involving the 
possession or sale of a controlled substance for conduct that occurred 
during a period of enrollment for which the student was receiving any 
grant, loan, or work assistance under this title shall not be eligible 
to receive any grant, loan, or work assistance under this title from 
the date of that conviction for the period of time specified in the 
following table:''.

SEC. 16. MENTORING GRANTS TO COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS.

    (a) Authority to Make Grants.--From amounts made available to carry 
out this section, the Secretary of Labor shall make grants to 
community-based organizations for the purpose of providing mentoring 
and other transitional services essential to reintegrating ex-
offenders.
    (b) Use of Funds.--Funds for the mentoring grants may be expended 
for--
            (1) mentoring of adult and juvenile offenders; and
            (2) transitional services to assist in the reintegration of 
        ex-offenders into the community.
    (c) Application.--To apply for a grant under this section, a 
community-based organization shall submit an application to the 
Secretary of Labor based on criteria developed by the Secretary in 
consultation with the Attorney General and the Secretary of Housing and 
Urban Development.
    (d) Strategic Performance Outcomes.--The Secretary of Labor may 
require each applicant to identify specific performance outcomes 
related to the long-term goal of stabilizing communities by reducing 
recidivism and re-integrating ex-offenders into society.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $15,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2005 and 2006.
                                 <all>