[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 85 (Wednesday, May 23, 2007)]
[House]
[Page H5691]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   EVERYONE DESERVES A SECOND CHANCE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, the United States of America has 
more of its people in prison per capita than any other developed nation 
in the world, more than 2 million. The vast majority, 95 percent, of 
the men and women in our prisons will eventually return to the 
community. This means that every year more than 650,000 offenders are 
released from State and Federal prisons and return back to civilian 
life.
  These men and women deserve a second chance. Their families, spouses, 
and children deserve a second chance. And their communities deserve a 
second chance. A second chance means an opportunity to turn a life 
around, a chance to break the grip of a drug habit; a chance to support 
a family, to pay taxes, to be self-sufficient.
  Today, few of those who return to their communities are prepared for 
their release or receive any supportive service. When the prison door 
swings open, an ex-offender may receive a bus ticket and spending money 
for a day or two. Many leave prison to return to the same environment 
which saw them offend in the first place. But as they return, they 
often face additional barriers to reentry: serious physical and mental 
health problems, no place to stay, and lack of education or 
qualifications to hold a job. As a result, two out of three will be 
rearrested for new crimes within the first 3 years after their release. 
Youthful offenders are even more likely to reoffend.
  One-third of all correction departments provide no services to 
released offenders, and most departments do not offer a transitional 
program, placing a heavy burden on families and communities. 
Considering the cost of incarceration, as much as $40,000 per year, and 
all the social and economic costs of crime to the community, it is just 
plain common sense to help ex-offenders successfully reenter our 
communities and reduce recidivism.
  That is why I have sponsored the bipartisan Second Chance Act of 
2007, H.R. 1593, along with Representatives Cannon, Conyers, Coble, 
Scott of Virginia, Smith of Texas, Jones of Ohio, Forbes, Schiff, 
Sensenbrenner, Chabot, Jackson-Lee of Texas, Cummings, Johnson of 
Georgia, Clarke, and 75 other Members of Congress.
  A companion bill, S. 1060, has been introduced in the Senate by 
Senators Biden, Durbin, Specter, Brownback, Leahy, Obama, and 10 
others.
  The Second Chance Act will provide transitional assistance to assist 
ex-offenders in coping with the challenges of reentry. It will reduce 
recidivism. It will help reunite families and protect communities. It 
will enhance public safety and save taxpayer dollars. It is the humane 
thing to do. It is the responsible thing to do. And, of course, it is 
the right thing to do.
  The Judiciary Committee held hearings on the bill last month and 
quickly voted to send the bill to the full House. I fully expect it to 
pass soon. The bill has the support of more than 200 criminal justice, 
service provider, faith-based, housing, governmental, disability, and 
civil rights organizations. President Bush has signaled his support of 
the legislation as well.
  No single piece of legislation is going to solve the reentry crisis 
we are facing, but the Second Chance Act is a good start. I hope that 
with passage of this bill, we will begin a new era in criminal justice.
  Mr. Speaker, I am convinced that any serious effort to facilitate the 
reentry of men and women with criminal records to civil society must be 
prepared to do two things. First, we must be prepared to help with drug 
treatment on demand for everyone who requests it. Second, we need to 
find work for ex-offenders. Programs don't supply jobs. After ex-
offenders have undergone rehabilitation and received appropriate 
training, employers will have to open their hearts and put these men 
and women back into the workforce. They do not belong in prison.
  Many of them don't need prison, but they do need a second chance. 
Congress can give them that. And we should

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