[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 15]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 21170]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     THE SECOND CHANCE ACT OF 2007

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 27, 2007

  Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak about the Second 
Chance Act which provides assistance to individuals who have been 
incarcerated, including the expungement of their records.
  Individuals released from prison have no chance of becoming 
productive members of society because their criminal records prevent 
employers from considering them for jobs. This leads many of them to 
return to lives of crime. In an effort to change the dynamic of 
recidivism, we must remove barriers to employment--particularly 
criminal records--which hang over the heads of ex-offenders, even those 
who have been rehabilitated.
  The Second Chance Act allocates $360 million towards programs that 
would help the ex-offenders adjust to their new environment after their 
release from prison. Focusing on four different areas: employment, 
housing, access to health services and families, it would provide a 
secure setting for the individual and make the transition easier, which 
would reduce the rate of recidivism.
  Almost two thirds of newly discharged individuals return to their 
lives of crime within 3 years of their release. This signifies a great 
number of crimes being committed that could have prevented through 
effective programs, which is one of the components of this legislation. 
Billions of dollars are being wasted in the criminal justice system 
mostly because of the prosecutions of repeat offenders.
  If we do not take the necessary actions to help these individuals, 
they will be trapped in the cycle of recidivism. We must take action to 
help them break the cycle.

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