At the recent Second Chance Act Reauthorization event, the Council of State Governments Justice Center released the report, “Reentry Matters: Strategies and Successes of Second Chance Act Grantees Across the United States.”
The publication features snapshots of grant programs around the country that illustrate the positive impact these initiatives can have on successful reentry into the community by focusing on employment, education, mentoring, and substance abuse and mental health treatment.
The 12-page report also highlights programs that address the needs of specific populations, such as women, youth and their families, and tribal communities. Representing a wide range of populations served, these programs demonstrate the diversity of approaches that can address recidivism and increase public safety.
The Second Chance Act, signed into law in 2008, is responsible for nearly 600 grants totaling approximately $300 million. These grants are designed to increase public safety and reduce recidivism through reentry services, which include employment training, substance-abuse treatment, mentoring and improved community supervision.
The new bill – the Second Chance Reauthorization Act of 2013 – reauthorizes, improves and consolidates existing state and local grant programs, while reducing costs for the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, ultimately saving taxpayer dollars and improving prisoner reentry policy at the federal level, according to a press release from Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), a co-author of the bill.
GEO Reentry, the nation’s leader in reentry services for offenders released into community supervision, provides day reporting program options, in-custody treatment and training, and residential treatment and housing programs in an ongoing commitment to achieve results that enhance public safety in a cost-effective, lasting manner.