[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 14]
[House]
[Pages 20132-20135]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 18, 2007, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) is recognized 
for half the time until midnight as the designee of the majority 
leader.


                             General Leave

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members may have 5 days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include any extraneous material.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I want to thank you for the 
opportunity to address the House.
  I want to, first of all, thank Speaker Pelosi for granting to the 
Congressional Black Caucus this time on this evening.
  I also want to thank our chairperson, Representative Carolyn 
Kilpatrick, for deciding that each Monday members of the Congressional 
Black Caucus will come to the floor with a message to address issues, 
issues that affect not only African Americans, but issues which are 
pertinent to the quality of life in these United States of America.
  This evening we have chosen to take a look at something called Second 
Chance, and that is we've chosen to take a look at how do we help 
successfully reintegrate the more than 650,000 people who come home 
from jail and prison each year back into a normal setting so that they 
can become contributing members of society, so that they can become 
assets and not liabilities, and so that they can be the productive 
citizens that they have the potential of being.
  We all know that it's common knowledge that people being released 
from prison and jail have complex needs, and that's why Second Chance 
is so important. Three out of four have a substance abuse problem, but 
only 10 percent in State prisons and 3 percent in local jails receive 
formal treatment prior to release. Fifty-five percent have children 
under 18, and about 2 percent of all United States minors either have 
or have had a parent in prison. Two out of three lack a high school 
diploma. And 40 percent have neither a diploma nor GED, and only about 
one out of three gets vocational training at any point during their 
incarceration.
  Nearly half of those in jail earned less than $600 a month just prior 
to incarceration, and more than one of three jail inmates reported some 
physical or mental disability. About one out of five prisoners is 
released from prison without any real supervision or without any kind 
of help.
  And so when we look at this enormous problem, it is essential that we 
provide all of the assistance. We know, for example, that those 
individuals who come out of prison and receive no help, within a 3-year 
period of time, 67 percent of them would have done what we call 
reoffend. About 53 percent of them will be back reincarcerated after 
having used up thousands of dollars of public resources just to get 
them back in jail or back in prison, not to mention the enormous cost 
of maintaining them during their stay.

                              {time}  2230

  That is why we believe that it makes far more sense to help these 
individuals return.
  You know, it is not easy to get people to come over on a Monday night 
at 10:30. But one Member of the Congressional Black Caucus has come 
this evening. Not only has he come this evening, but he comes often. He 
comes often in terms of the kind of representation that he has provided 
in this House during his entire tenure, but also the kind of 
representation that he has provided throughout America trying to make 
sure that people experience equality, equal opportunity, a sense of 
justice, and a sense of hope. So I am very pleased that Representative 
Bobby Scott has joined me.
  Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield to him to further discuss 
this issue.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from 
Illinois for yielding.
  Madam Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Illinois for 
scheduling this special order on the Second Chance Act and for his long 
and diligent labors to move the bill forward as

[[Page 20133]]

part of his lifetime of dedication to protecting and serving the 
public's interest.
  He has been a dedicated public servant on this issue, ensuring that 
those who are in prison have a chance to turn their lives around and 
become productive citizens. That is why he is the chief sponsor of the 
Second Chance Act.
  Congressman Davis' efforts not only benefit the offenders, because 
for everyone who comes out and establishes a law-abiding and productive 
life, one or more potential victims of crime never become victims, and 
the taxpayers have to pay less in prison expenses because one less 
person is not going back to prison.
  This is the third Congress in a row that we have been working on this 
bill on a bipartisan basis. I believe this year we will be successful 
in passing the bill.
  Madam Speaker, over the last decade we have seen an unprecedented 
explosion in our prison and jail populations. Now there are more than 
2.2 million people incarcerated in Federal and State prisons and local 
jails, a tenfold increase since just 1980. Moreover, the annual 
expenses for corrections have increased from $9 billion in 1982 to more 
than $65 billion today. The figures continue to grow. These figures do 
not include the cost of arrest and prosecution, nor do they take into 
account the cost to victims of crime.
  As a result of this focus in incarceration, the United States leads 
the world in per capita incarceration rates. The United States locks up 
726 inmates for every 100,000 in population, according to 2004 data.
  The international average is about 100 per 100,000. 142 in England 
and Wales, 117 in Australia, 116 in Canada, 91 in Germany, 85 in 
France. So the United States average is more than seven times the 
international average of about 100 per 100,000. The closest competitor 
is 532 inmates per 100,000 in Russia. That is 726 in the United States, 
Russia, second place, 532 per 100,000.
  This year, more than 650,000 people will be released from State and 
Federal prisons to communities nationwide, along with more than 9 
million people leaving our local jails. According to the Department of 
Justice, 67 percent of offenders leaving State and Federal prison will 
be rearrested within the next 3 years.
  There is a pressing need to provide ex-offenders with education and 
training, drug treatment and medical and mental health services 
necessary to afford them the ability to obtain and hold steady jobs.
  The statistics underlying the needs of our prison population are 
staggering. For example, 57 percent of Federal and 70 percent of State 
inmates used drugs regularly before prison, with some estimates going 
as high as 84 percent of alcohol or drug use at the time the offense 
occurred.
  Furthermore, one-third of all jail inmates will have some physical or 
mental disability. Twenty-five percent of jail inmates in fact have 
been treated at some time for mental or emotional problems. And as has 
been detailed by many researchers, other deficiencies include limited 
education and few job skills or job experience.
  Evidence from the Department of Justice indicates that the needs for 
prison population are not being met under the current system. If we 
allow them to return to their communities with few economic 
opportunities where they were actually involved in crime and where 
their friends and associates may still be involved in crime and 
substance abuse, if we allow them to return to those communities 
without support, we can only expect to see the extension of the cycle 
of recidivism.
  With bipartisan support in this legislation, we are set to build a 
broad web of programs which will help break the cycle of recidivism 
laying at the heart of our prison population explosion. The Second 
Chance Act provides a host of evidence-based approaches designed to 
reduce the high rate of recidivism that we are now experiencing.
  If we are going to continue to send more and more people to prison 
with longer and longer sentences, we should do as much as we reasonably 
can to assure that when they do return to their communities, they don't 
turn around and commit new offenses and have to go back to prison.
  Madam Speaker, let's be clear: The primary reason for supporting the 
Second Chance Act is not to benefit the offenders, although it does 
benefit the offenders. The primary reason for doing so is it better 
assures us that we and other Members of the community will not be 
victims of crime in the future and because the taxpayer will have to 
pay less in services under the Second Chance Act than we now have to 
pay because of the high recidivism rate and having people go back to 
prison.
  So I want to thank again the gentleman from Illinois for holding this 
special order to bring attention to this important issue and the 
legislation that has been carefully drawn up to address it. I thank Mr. 
Davis for being the chief sponsor of the Second Chance Act. We are 
going to work as hard as we can to make sure it passes the House and 
the Senate.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I want to thank Representative 
Scott again for leading the charge in the Judiciary Committee to make 
sure that this legislation was in fact passed. It has passed out of 
Judiciary. Without your leadership and the leadership of Chairman 
Conyers and the help of individuals like Representative Waters and 
Representative Watts and Representative Sensenbrenner and a number of 
others, it never would have happened. So we definitely appreciate that.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. If the gentleman will yield further, I would 
also like to point out it is bipartisan. Representative Chabot from 
Ohio and many Republicans on the committee have been strong supporters 
of the Second Chance Act. That is how it received such an overwhelming 
vote in the committee.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. And definitely Representative Chris Cohen was 
very helpful and was a chief Republican sponsor of the legislation.
  Let me also indicate that I agree with what you just said about 
America having more of its people in prison than any other developed 
nation in the world. But the vast majority, 95 percent of those 
individuals, will eventually return to the community. That is, they 
will return to the communities from whence they came. That means that 
every year about 650,000 are released. These men and women deserve a 
second chance. Their families, spouses and children deserve a second 
chance, and their communities indeed deserve a second chance. ``Second 
chance'' really 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 services. 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, as you just indicated; no place to stay; a lack of 
education or qualifications to hold a job.
  As a result, two out of three will be re-arrested for new crimes 
within the first 3 years of their release. Youthful offenders are even 
more likely to re-offend. 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 act to help these individuals reenter, 
become useful and reduce the level of recidivism.
  When we think about it, the Second Chance Act will provide 
transitional assistance to assist ex-offenders in coping with the 
challenges of reentry. It will help reunite families and protect 
communities. It will enhance public safety and save taxpayer dollars. 
It is

[[Page 20134]]

the humane thing to do, it is the responsible thing to do, and it is 
indeed the right thing to do.
  The bill has the support of more than 200 criminal justice, service 
provider, faith-based, housing, governmental, disability and civil 
rights organizations, and President Bush has signaled his support for 
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 believe 
that with its passage, then we put the spotlight not just on the 
problem, but on the opportunities for solutions.
  I am convinced, however, 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; secondly, we must 
find work for ex-offenders. Programs won't supply jobs. And after ex-
offenders have undergone rehabilitation and receive appropriate 
training, employers will have to open their hearts and put these men 
and women back into the workforce, or they will surely and certainly 
end up back in prison.
  I hope that everyone watching does in fact agree. I hope that 
everyone listening does in fact agree. And I certainly hope that all of 
the Members of this body and all of the Members in the other body will 
agree. Because when we help a person successfully reenter, we are not 
really just helping them, we are helping ourselves. I would much rather 
help an individual get rid of a drug problem than have to watch behind 
me when I walk down the street, or have to wonder whether or not I am 
going to be under attack because some person is in need of a $15 fix.
  Madam Speaker, this legislation is legislation for America.
  Madam Speaker, I include for the Record the following statistics on 
adults on parole.

                                                                          Adults on Parole, by Race/Ethnic Origin, 2005
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                                                                           Native
                                                                       Parold                      Black/                     American                    Hawaiian/
                               State                                 population,      White        African     Hispanic or     Indian/        Asian         other      Two or more   Unknown or
                                                                     12/31/2005                   American       Latino        Alaskan                     Pacific        races     not reported
                                                                                                                               Native                     Islander
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New Jersey........................................................        13,874         2,906         6,679         2,563            19            25            53             0         1,629
New York..........................................................        53,533         8,770        24,467        18,739           225           312             0             0         1,020
Pennsylvaniaa.....................................................        75,678        39,517        28,271         6,022            62           295             3            56         1,452
Illinoisb.........................................................        34,576        10,124        20,386         3,923            30            90            **            **            23
Michigan..........................................................        19,978         9,170        10,209           309           132            38             0             0           120
Minnesota.........................................................         3,966         2,350           996           319           201             0             0             0           100
Missouri..........................................................        18,374        12,246         5,665           356            55            37             0             0            15
Ohiob.............................................................        19,512         9,717         9,580           156            39            20             0             0             0
Wisconsina........................................................        15,505         6,983         6,712         1,209           432           122            **            **            47
Alabamab..........................................................         7,252         2,503         4,670            32             2             8             0             2            35
Florida...........................................................         4,785         1,940         2,725           105             5             0             0            **            10
Georgia...........................................................        22,851         7,979        14,872            **            **            **            **            **             0
Louisiana.........................................................        24,072         8,519        15,432             4             4             2            **            **           111
Maryland..........................................................        14,271         3,617        10,602            **            13            17            **            **            22
Mississippi.......................................................         1,970           847         1,104            11             4             2             0             0             2
North Carolina....................................................         3,101         1,096         1,801           126            50             9             1            **            18
South Carolina....................................................         3,155         1,029         2,081            20             8             1             0            **            16
Texas.............................................................       101,916        34,561        39,718        26,920            70           163             0             0           484
Virginiab.........................................................         4,499         2,144         2,243             0             2             0             0             0           110
California........................................................       111,743        34,535        27,825        44,135           897         1,018           193             0         3,140
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
**Not known.
aSee Explanatory notes for more detail.
bSome or all detailed data are estimated for race.

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Representative Scott, I don't know if you have 
anything else you would like to add. If so, please feel free to do so.

                              {time}  2245

  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I would like to thank you for 
introducing the legislation. It not only helps individuals, but saves 
taxpayer money and reduces crime in a cost-effective manner. Everybody 
wins with passage of this legislation. I thank you for your leadership.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. I thank the gentleman.
  Madam Speaker, I hope the next time we come to the floor to talk 
about ex-offender reentry, we will be congratulating ourselves, we will 
be congratulating the House, the Senate and the President for having 
put into play a meaningful piece of legislation that is going to be 
good for America.
  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today in 
strong support of the Second Chance Act, and I thank Mr. Davis for 
introducing this important piece of legislation.
  In American we have more than 2-million people in prison. Of these, 
over 600-thousand are released each year.
  Very few of these individuals are prepared to return to their 
communities or receive support services to ease their transition.
  These ex-offenders face serious impediments in obtaining employment, 
and often have serious mental or physical ailments that remain 
unaddressed.
  Today, approximately half of all black men are jobless. Amongst ex-
offenders this number is even higher.
  There is revolving door of ex-offenders into many of our 
neighborhoods.
  With few opportunities two-thirds of all ex-offenders are arrested 
for new crimes within a few years of their release.
  We must give these individuals the opportunity to become productive 
citizens.
  The Second Chance Act will go a long way towards this goal by 
providing transitional assistance to ex-offenders reentering their 
communities.
  It will work to reunite families and provide the appropriate training 
and rehabilitation for these individuals.
  This bill will increase public safety and give millions of ex-
offenders a chance to be positive productive citizens. I strongly urge 
my colleagues support.
  Ms. LEE. Madam Speaker. I would also like to thank Congressman Davis 
for his leadership on this issue, and for introducing H.R. 1593, The 
Second Chance Act, which injects a much needed dose of reality into 
this debate.
  The reality is, recidivism rates continue to rise with nearly 70 
percent of released offenders returning to prison within 3 years. By 
releasing ex-offenders back into our communities without arming them 
with the necessary tools for survival, we are condemning them to repeat 
their past mistakes. And this does nothing to reduce the crime rate and 
provide for safe communities.
  Today, we can change the landscape of ex-offender re-entry programs 
in this country. We need to make rehabilitation a reality not just an 
abstract proposal. By providing all formerly incarcerated individuals 
with greater access to education, health care, job placement, and drug 
treatment we will reduce recidivism rates across the board.
  Re-entry programs are critical to reintegrating ex-offenders into 
civil society. Up to 60 percent of ex-offenders are unemployed a year 
after their release and up to 30 percent go directly to homeless 
shelters upon their release. The incidence of drug use among ex-
offenders is over 80 percent, twice the rate of the United States 
population. It's more than clear that something needs to be done.
  Madam Speaker, this legislation is especially important to me due to 
large number of formerly incarcerated prisoners in my district. I am 
currently helping those who qualify to legally clean up their records. 
Following the lead of my colleague from Illinois, Congressman Danny 
Davis, I have hosted two Record Remedy summits in my district. These 
summits are a resource for the nearly 10,000 people who come back to my 
District every year after having served their time in jail. We have a 
vested interest in making sure that people reentering our community do 
so successfully. Help with

[[Page 20135]]

cleaning their records provides an opportunity for a second chance to 
read an application, get a job or go back to school.
  Madam Speaker, our criminal justice systems are sorely in need of 
reform. We must provide formerly incarcerated individuals with the 
required skills to successfully reenter our communities. And, we must 
end the cycle of injustice that is perpetuated by a system that 
continues to punish people, long after they have paid their debt to 
society. H.R. 1593, the Second Chance Act, is a critical step forward. 
No one condones criminal activity but I tell you once one serves their 
time, they should be able to feed their family and move on with their 
lives.
  I urge my colleagues and support the Second Chance Act.
  Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I have been waiting nearly 30 
years for Congress to enact meaningful reentry legislation, as I have 
been deeply involved in prisoner reentry issues since my days as a 
judge and county prosecutor in Cleveland, Ohio before serving in 
Congress. While Cuyahoga County Prosecutor, I helped establish the 
``Pretrial Diversion Program,'' as well as the ``Municipal Drug 
Court.'' Both programs, I am proud to say, still exist and continue to 
help ex-offenders move on with their lives and become productive 
citizens of society.
  Prisoner reentry is not a Democratic issue. It is not a Republican 
issue. It is a common sense issue. The facts are clear--meaningful 
reentry programs significantly diminish the chances that ex-offenders 
will return to prison. That saves taxpayer dollars and increases public 
safety. So why not invest in enhancing reentry programs in order to end 
the cycle of recidivism? That is exactly what the Second Chance Act 
does.
  In 2002, two million people were incarcerated in all federal and 
state prisons. Each year, nearly 650,000 people are released from 
prison to communities nationwide. Nearly two thirds of released 
prisoners are expected to be re-arrested for a felony or serious 
misdemeanor within three years of their release.
  The State of Ohio has one of the largest populations of ex-offenders 
re-entering the community, with about 24,000 ex-offenders returning to 
their respective communities annually. Of those ex-offenders, about 
6,000 will return to Cuyahoga County and almost 5,000 will re-enter in 
the City of Cleveland. Statewide, about 40 percent of ex-offenders will 
return to prison. In Cuyahoga County, about 41 percent will return to 
prison. Such high recidivism rates translate into thousands of new 
crimes each year and wasted taxpayer dollars, which can be averted 
through improved prisoner reentry efforts.
  Today, I am proud to stand with my colleague Representative Danny K. 
Davis as an original co-sponsor of the ``Second Chance Act of 2007. 
This legislation allocates $360 million towards a variety of reentry 
programs. One of the main components of the bill is the funding of 
demonstration projects that would provide ex-offenders with a 
coordinated continuum of housing, education, health, employment, and 
mentoring services. This broad array of services would provide 
stability and make the transition for ex-offenders easier, in turn 
reducing recidivism.
  This legislation is critical to successful re-entry of offenders. The 
bill provides as a beginning the essential ingredients necessary to 
assure public safety and recovery. It will help begin the process of 
breaking down barriers to successful re-entry and allow offenders and 
their families the tools necessary to break the cycle of criminality.
  This is first-of-a-kind legislation that is critical to successful 
reentry of ex-offenders. It provides as a beginning the essential 
ingredients necessary to assure public safety and recovery. It will 
help begin the process of breaking down barriers to successful reentry 
and allow offenders and their families the tools necessary to break the 
cycle of criminality.
  A key component of the Second Chance Act is that it makes funds for 
reentry services directly available to state and local governments and 
non-profit organizations that offer reentry services. This is important 
because these are the groups that are committed to reentry and are ``on 
the ground.'' And if one thing is true, it is that that state and local 
governments and non-profits need more funds in order to provide reentry 
services more effectively.
  Let me highlight two entities that do wonderful reentry work in my 
State of Ohio and would stand to benefit from the Second Chance Act: 
(1) Community Reentry in Cleveland, Ohio, led by Charles See, and on 
which I sit on the Board of Directors, and (2) the Ohio Department of 
Rehabilitation and Correction, formerly headed by Reggie Wilkinson, who 
devoted 33 years of public service to the Department.
  Community Reentry, which is part of the Lutheran Metropolitan 
Ministry, has served the City of Cleveland since 1973 by resettling 
people who have been involved with the justice system to reduce 
recidivism and enhance the quality of their lives and the life of the 
community.
  Community Reentry also provides prevention and intervention social 
services to youth in low-income public housing facilities who are at 
high risk for involvement in drug or gang activity and future 
incarceration.
  Community Reentry administers a variety of reentry services that 
benefit the Cleveland community. Let me underscore a few of their 
programs, all of which are comprised of ex-offenders.
  Care Team. Care Team members, also known as ``Red Jackets,'' that 
serve elderly people and people with disabilities who live in 
apartments managed by Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA). 
Care Team members escort residents to the market, doctor's offices and 
the bank, run errands and assist with light chores.
  When one elderly woman was asked how she feels about two of the 
members of her building's Care Team, she replied, ``They're not 
criminals. They are just like my sons!''
  Care Team members are paid employees of Community Reentry. Full time 
employees receive a full benefits package that includes vacation, 
health insurance, and pension that is fully vested after 1 year. The 
recidivism rate for Care Team members is less than 5 percent.
  Friend to Friend. The Friend to Friend program recruits, trains and 
coordinates volunteers to visit men and women in prison. Male 
volunteers are matched with men at Lorain Correctional and Grafton 
Prison--both located in Lorain County, Ohio. Female volunteers are 
matched with women at the Pre-Release Center in Cleveland. The purpose 
of the program is to reduce social isolation of people who are 
incarcerated and to help prepare them for reentry into the community.
  Volunteers are not asked to do anything they don't already know how 
to do, and their only job is to be a friend to someone who needs one.
  Women's Re-Entry Network (WREN). WREN's mission is to enhance the 
quality of life for women involved in the criminal justice system, 
their families, and the community, by helping participants reenter 
society. The program enhances self-sufficiency and access to resources, 
increases positive social supports and family ties, overcomes barriers 
to goal achievement, and reduces the risk of recidivism.
  WREN provides a holistic network of mental health, education, 
employment, family and supportive services in a safe and welcoming 
environment. It is a place where women can begin the process of 
rebuilding their lives, reconnecting with family and reclaiming their 
place as productive members of the community.
  As a member of Community Reentry's Board of Directors, I can tell you 
that these reentry programs work, and investing in their expansion 
makes sense. I urge you to contact your Representatives and Senators so 
that they support the Second Chance Act and see that it passes the 
House and Senate as soon as possible.

                          ____________________