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Feds' re-entry bill helps us all |
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Feds' re-entry bill helps us all
By Wayne Thompson
The Oklahoman, June 24, 2005
According to a Bureau of Justice Statistics report, every year more
than 650,000 people return from prisons and jails to their communities.
The federal Second Chance Act represents a critically important step by
Congress to ensure that these formerly incarcerated citizens returning
to our streets have a good chance to become solid citizens.
Speaking at a major Justice Department conference on re-entry last
September, then Attorney General John Ashcroft noted that "more than 90
percent of inmates currently serving time will one day re-enter
society."
In his 2004 State of the Union address, President Bush said, "We
know from long experience that if they can't find work or a home
or help, they are much more likely to commit crime and return to prison
... America is the land of second chance, and when the gates of prison
open, the path ahead should lead to a better life."
The road ahead for people leaving prison is fraught with obstacles.
Research shows that up to 67 percent of people released from jails and
prison are re-arrested within three years. Unemployment plays a major
role in this recidivism. A New York Department of Labor study
revealed that 83 percent of people who violated probation or
parole were unemployed at the time of the violation.
The Second Chance Act is a bipartisan bill sponsored by U.S. Reps.
Chris Cannon, R-Utah, Danny Davis D-Ill., Howard Coble, R-N.C.,
Stephanie Tubbs-Jones, D-Ohio, and others. It would help people
transition to life outside of prison and provide strategic help in five
key areas: employment, housing, mental health, substance abuse and
support for families.
It would also relieve the burden on grandparents by providing
assistance to them in their efforts to take care of the children left
behind by incarcerated parents. A critical component of the bill will
create a federal task force from various agencies that will identify
and work to remove barriers that restrict the reentry process.
A plethora of studies document the fact that re-entry programs reduce
recidivism and make our communities safer. According to one of them, in
Texas only 7 percent of the people completing the state's substance
abuse program returned to prison after two years. A federal Bureau of
Prisons study showed a 33 percent drop in the recidivism rate among
federal prisoners who participated in vocational and apprenticeship
training.
Successful re-entry programs are also cost-effective. A major national
study conducted by the Washington State Institute for Public Policy
found that "the best (re-entry) programs can be expected to deliver 20
percent to 30 percent reductions in recidivism or crime rates."
The price that we are paying in wasted dollars and lives demands that
we do something about the current state of the re-entry process. It is
incumbent upon us to give a second chance to the people coming back
into our communities from prison and jail intent upon being
constructive, productive citizens.
Thompson is executive director of the Oklahoma Health Care Project.
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