The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“SECOND CHANCE ACT OF 2007” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E2423 on Nov. 14, 2007.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
SECOND CHANCE ACT OF 2007
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speech of
HON. JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY
of illinois
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, far too often this country does too little to keep people out of the revolving door of our prison system. Rather than taking steps that will provide long-term, rehabilitative solutions that will lower recidivism rates, Congress has adopted short-
term fixes like stricter sentencing standards that keep prisoners in prison longer and bring them back more frequently. Study after study has shown that this approach does not work, and yet we continue to build new prisons and fill them beyond capacity.
That is why I support H.R. 1593, the Second Chance Act of 2007, which provides a new direction for our criminal justice system, one that focuses on helping prisoners turn their lives around and become contributing members of society. Specifically, H.R. 1593 allocates $110 million to support a variety of prisoner re-entry programs which include mentorship, housing, drug treatment, education and job training. All of these programs are designed to assist former inmates as they transition back into society and provide the support they need to keep them from returning to prison.
I support this bill because it will begin to reverse the misguided policy of instituting harsher laws that create longer mandatory sentences for crimes. This country sends more and more people to prison every year. A 2006 Justice Department report found that a record 7 million people, 1 in every 32 U.S. adults, were behind bars, on probation, or on parole last year. These statistics are especially troubling because not only does time spent in jail affect the prisoner; it also creates a vicious cycle that has a detrimental impact on their families. Research shows that children of incarcerated parents are three to six times more likely to exhibit violent or serious delinquent behavior than other children.
While, I believe strongly in securing appropriate prison sentences for people who break our laws, I also feel that it is important that we do everything we can to ensure that, when people get out of prison, they enter our communities as productive members of society. H.R. 1593 makes an important step toward changing our country's outlook on crime and punishment. I would like to thank my friend and colleague Danny Davis for his tenacity and hard work on this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support it.
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