Everyone Deserves a Second Chance

Floor Speech

EVERYONE DESERVES A SECOND CHANCE -- (House of Representatives - May 23, 2007)

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) is recognized for 5 minutes.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, the United States of America has more of its people in prison per capita than any other developed nation in the world, more than 2 million. The vast majority, 95 percent, of the men and women in our prisons will eventually return to the community. This means that every year more than 650,000 offenders are released from State and Federal prisons and return back to civilian life.

These men and women deserve a second chance. Their families, spouses, and children deserve a second chance. And their communities deserve a second chance. A second chance 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 service. 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, no place to stay, and lack of education or qualifications to hold a job. As a result, two out of three will be rearrested for new crimes within the first 3 years after their release. Youthful offenders are even more likely to reoffend.

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 help ex-offenders successfully reenter our communities and reduce recidivism.

That is why I have sponsored the bipartisan Second Chance Act of 2007, H.R. 1593, along with Representatives Cannon, Conyers, Coble, Scott of Virginia, Smith of Texas, Jones of Ohio, Forbes, Schiff, Sensenbrenner, Chabot, Jackson-Lee of Texas, Cummings, Johnson of Georgia, Clarke, and 75 other Members of Congress.

A companion bill, S. 1060, has been introduced in the Senate by Senators Biden, Durbin, Specter, Brownback, Leahy, Obama, and 10 others.

The Second Chance Act will provide transitional assistance to assist ex-offenders in coping with the challenges of reentry. It will reduce recidivism. It will help reunite families and protect communities. It will enhance public safety and save taxpayer dollars. It is the humane thing to do. It is the responsible thing to do. And, of course, it is the right thing to do.

The Judiciary Committee held hearings on the bill last month and quickly voted to send the bill to the full House. I fully expect it to pass soon. The bill has the support of more than 200 criminal justice, service provider, faith-based, housing, governmental, disability, and civil rights organizations. President Bush has signaled his support of 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 hope that with passage of this bill, we will begin a new era in criminal justice.

Mr. Speaker, I am convinced 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. Second, we need to find work for ex-offenders. Programs don't supply jobs. After ex-offenders have undergone rehabilitation and received appropriate training, employers will have to open their hearts and put these men and women back into the workforce. They do not belong in prison.

Many of them don't need prison, but they do need a second chance. Congress can give them that. And we should

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