[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Pages 8694-8695]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           SECOND CHANCE ACT

  Mr. OBAMA. Mr. President, I rise today to speak in favor of the 
Recidivism Reduction and Second Chance Act, a bill to strengthen 
community safety and reduce poverty by improving the reintegration of 
people returning from prison. I am pleased to work with Senators Biden, 
Specter, Brownback, and Leahy as a cosponsor of this very important 
bill.
  It is estimated that approximately 650,000 prisoners are released 
into communities across America every year. They have paid their debt 
to society and now return to their homes and neighborhoods, to their 
families, and back to their lives.
  The problem is that for most of these returning prisoners, their 
families, neighborhoods, and prior lives often lack what it takes to 
ensure successful reintegration.
  In the best of cases, incarcerated individuals maintain contact with 
their families and receive rehabilitation services while in prison; 
they are released to a network of law-abiding peers and quickly find a 
rewarding job that provides the skills and career development for long-
term opportunity. Released prisoners can help support their families, 
become active in their churches and other community organizations, stay 
off drugs, away from trouble, on track, and out of jail.
  Unfortunately, that rarely happens. Up to two-thirds of all released 
prisoners nationwide end up back in prison within just 3 years. They 
don't manage to find and keep effective jobs and to care for themselves 
and their families. Many become a drain on their families and a drain 
on the system. They are more likely to resort to criminal activity and 
to perpetuate poverty and family dysfunction.
  Their failure is our failure since we all share the high cost, lost 
opportunities, and other burdens of unemployment, crime, community 
failure, and cycles of recidivism.
  Fortunately, people have been hard at work in hundreds of communities 
and community organizations all across the country to improve the 
process of reintegrating prisoners. As one example, the Safer 
Foundation in Illinois has managed to cut the State's recidivism rate 
by almost 50 percent for the people who receive Safer's supportive 
employment services. And Safer has further demonstrated that ex-
prisoners who are still employed after 12 months of supportive services 
have a recidivism rate of lower than 10 percent. One of Safer's program 
models, funded by the U.S. Department of Labor, provides participants 
with job placement and support services, and matches them with mentors 
from the neighborhoods where the participants reside. Only 2 percent of 
the participants in this community and faith- based program recidivated 
over a 2-year period.
  One of the most effective reentry strategies that Safer, the 
Heartland Alliance for Human Needs and Human Rights, and other 
nonprofit organizations have devised is transitional jobs, a strategy 
that worked for welfare to work, and is now working for prison 
returnees. In a transitional jobs program, former prisoners with 
employment challenges are hired and paid a wage for legitimate 
employment in a time-limited, subsidized job. The program not only 
offers real work, income, skill development, and a letter of reference 
and experience to add to their resume, it also offers coaching and 
support services to help participants overcome substantial barriers to 
employment, such as substance abuse or mental health issues. The 
program focuses heavily on placement into unsubsidized work at the 
earliest possible time and job retention services after placement.
  The participants in transitional jobs programs gain an immediate 
source of legitimate income upon release. They also gain paid work 
experience, access to professional counseling and training services, 
and a clear path to unsubsidized employment in the community. Employers 
gain access to a pipeline of supported workers who have demonstrated an 
ability to do the job and remain employable. Most of all, our 
communities gain by helping ex-prisoners to contribute positively to 
family, neighborhood, and the larger environment.

[[Page 8695]]

  Too many people are caught up in the criminal justice system. 
Especially within the African-American community where nearly a third 
of Black males will enter State or Federal prison sometime during their 
lifetime. Communities are protected and strengthened when people who 
break the law are punished appropriately. But communities--all 
communities, including yours and mine--are weakened if we neglect the 
challenges of rehabilitation and reentry.
  To improve the integration of former prisoners and to reduce 
recidivism is in all of our best interests. A well-designed reentry 
system can enhance public safety, reduce recidivism, reduce costs, and 
help prisoners achieve long-term integration. The Second Chance Act is 
an important effort to strengthen America's communities. The bill is 
supported by a wide range of organizations, and I urge my colleagues to 
join us in passing this important legislation.

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