From Deseret News archives:
Second Chance Act made a law by Bush
Cannon, R-Utah, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, initially sponsored the bill more than a year ago and the Senate ultimately passed a final version of the bill in March, sending it to the president.
"Successful prisoner re-entry requires the active involvement of nongovernmental entities, such as non-profit agencies, faith institutions, ex-offender support groups, and community organizations," Cannon said in a statement. "The Second Chance Act encourages public-private partnerships at the local level. The real solutions to the problems of recidivism are innovations at the community level."
Bush said that every year about 650,000 prisoners get out of jail but two-thirds are arrested again within three years. The law aims to help those released from prison have a better chance of transitioning back into society and not ending up back in a jail cell.
The law will cost about $400 million over the 2008 through 2012 period, but no tax increases or spending reductions are necessary to enact the bill, according to Cannon's office.
"A modest expenditure to help transition offenders back into the community can save taxpayers thousands of dollars in the long run and make those communities safer from repeat offenders," Cannon said.
At the bill signing, President Bush said that 12,800 offenders have enrolled in the Labor Department's pilot prisoner re-entry programs organized by community-based and faith-based groups. More than 7,900 have been placed in jobs, and less than 20 percent are arrested again within a year.
"We like to measure results, and the results of these pilot programs are very encouraging," Bush said.
E-mail: suzanne@desnews.com
Recent comments
I THINK THE PROGRAM IS A GOOD IDEA IT REALLY SHOULD BE A LAW FOR...
ms naja | Dec. 17, 2008 at 11:14 a.m.
I just came home on 7/7/08 from serving 10 years in prison for a...
A witness | Dec. 17, 2008 at 9:31 a.m.
The only way too really help these people become productive members...
mike | Oct. 2, 2008 at 4:00 a.m.
President Bush is surrounded by lawmakers as he signs the Second Chance Act Wednesday in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington. From left are Rep. Danny Davis, D-Ill., Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, D-Ohio, Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah, Rep. Howard Coble, R-N.C., Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., and Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan. The law encourages private groups to help those released from prison have a better chance of transitioning back into society.
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