[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 5433]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



[[Page 5433]]

                              {time}  0915
                         NATIONAL REENTRY WEEK

  (Ms. BASS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. BASS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize National Reentry 
Week--reentry after an individual has paid their debt to society. 
Eighty-five percent of individuals who are incarcerated eventually get 
out, and we need to make sure that they have access to a well-paying 
job and quality education when they return home.
  Reentry programs work. Mr. Jerrel McCoy lives in south L.A. He is 45 
years old and served 27 years in a California prison. Today Mr. McCoy 
works for SHIELDS for Families-Jericho Vocational Services, which works 
with formerly incarcerated individuals to help them secure and maintain 
employment to avoid going back to prison.
  With the help of these reentry services, Mr. McCoy has purchased his 
first car and moved into an apartment. According to Mr. McCoy, reentry 
programs allowed him to apply skills developed during his 
incarceration, and he learned that he has gifts and potential. Today 
Mr. McCoy strives to offer these benefits to his clients.
  Reentry services are smart and just.

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