[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 176 (Wednesday, November 14, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2423]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       SECOND CHANCE ACT OF 2007

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                       HON. JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 13, 2007

  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, far too often this country does too 
little to keep people out of the revolving door of our prison system. 
Rather than taking steps that will provide long-term, rehabilitative 
solutions that will lower recidivism rates, Congress has adopted short-
term fixes like stricter sentencing standards that keep prisoners in 
prison longer and bring them back more frequently. Study after study 
has shown that this approach does not work, and yet we continue to 
build new prisons and fill them beyond capacity.
  That is why I support H.R. 1593, the Second Chance Act of 2007, which 
provides a new direction for our criminal justice system, one that 
focuses on helping prisoners turn their lives around and become 
contributing members of society. Specifically, H.R. 1593 allocates $110 
million to support a variety of prisoner re-entry programs which 
include mentorship, housing, drug treatment, education and job 
training. All of these programs are designed to assist former inmates 
as they transition back into society and provide the support they need 
to keep them from returning to prison.
  I support this bill because it will begin to reverse the misguided 
policy of instituting harsher laws that create longer mandatory 
sentences for crimes. This country sends more and more people to prison 
every year. A 2006 Justice Department report found that a record 7 
million people, 1 in every 32 U.S. adults, were behind bars, on 
probation, or on parole last year. These statistics are especially 
troubling because not only does time spent in jail affect the prisoner; 
it also creates a vicious cycle that has a detrimental impact on their 
families. Research shows that children of incarcerated parents are 
three to six times more likely to exhibit violent or serious delinquent 
behavior than other children.
  While, I believe strongly in securing appropriate prison sentences 
for people who break our laws, I also feel that it is important that we 
do everything we can to ensure that, when people get out of prison, 
they enter our communities as productive members of society. H.R. 1593 
makes an important step toward changing our country's outlook on crime 
and punishment. I would like to thank my friend and colleague Danny 
Davis for his tenacity and hard work on this legislation, and I urge my 
colleagues to support it.

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