Senator Webb Applauds New Law To Curb Nation's Recidivism Rate

"Second Chance Act" Increases Funding for Ex-Offender Re-Entry Programs

April 10, 2008 -- Washington, DC – Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) today expressed his strong support for the enactment into law of the “Second Chance Act,” bi-partisan legislation that seeks to make communities safer by providing the resources necessary to reduce recidivism rates. Webb, a cosponsor of the measure, has made the nation’s growing prison population one of his top legislative priorities.

The Second Chance Act, passed last month by the House and Senate, was signed into law this week. The bill allocates $360 million towards a variety of ex-offender reentry programs, including mental health counseling, academic and vocational education, and substance abuse treatment. The legislation also authorizes the Bureau of Justice Statistics to conduct research regarding re-entry programs and creates a federal taskforce to improve inter-agency collaboration on re-entry initiatives.

“Every American should applaud this effort to reduce repetitive crime in our country,” said Webb. “The Second Chance Act is a proactive measure that works to provide job training, drug treatment, and other re-entry programs to help ex-offenders stay off the streets and out of jail. This bill is an important step in addressing the factors that contribute to recidivism and provides important community resources to combat this disturbing trend.”

The United States, with 2.3 million people in prison, has the highest reported incarceration rate in the world and faces enormous problems of offender reentry and recidivism. The number of ex-offenders reentering their communities from state and federal prisons increased fourfold in the past two decades. On average, two out of three released prisoners will be rearrested and one in two will return to prison within three years of release.

Offenders typically reenter communities with insufficient monitoring, little or no job skills, inadequate access to drug treatment and housing, few positive influences, a scarcity of basic physical and mental health services, and poor basic life skills.

“We must address the widespread costs of America’s high incarceration and recidivism rates,” said Webb. “I am committed to continuing a national dialogue on these issues and working toward meaningful and workable solutions.”

Governor Tim Kaine has been a vocal supporter of this bill as state governments bear the brunt of costs associated with incarceration. In 2006 alone, states spent an estimated $2 billion on prison construction, three times the amount they were spending fifteen years earlier. The combined expenditures of local governments, state governments, and the federal government for law enforcement and corrections total over $200 billion annually.

“Programs that help reintegrate and stabilize ex-offenders as they leave prison make our communities safer,” said Governor Kaine. “The Second Chance Act will make resources available to support important re-entry programs in the states, helping us improve public safety and reduce costs associated with recidivism.”

Source: Senator Jim Webb

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