November 2007-Congressman Danny K. Davis, chief sponsor of the historic Second Chance Act of 2007 applauded his colleagues in both the House of Representatives and the U. S. Senate, members from both sides of the aisle, for moving the Second Chance Act of 2007 to the point where a vote was held in the U. S. House of Representatives on Tuesday, November 13, 2007, and the measure passed 347-62. Press Conferences are planned in Washington D. C. and Chicago. Today, on Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2007, at 10:00 a.m. in Washington D.C. On Monday, November 19, 2007, at 10:00 a.m., a press conference is planned in Chicago, IL, at the office of Congressman Danny K. Davis, 3333 W. Arthington. We are currently working with legislators to hold press conferences in several key states.
"The Second Chance Act is a good first step that will provide much needed resources and an approach to better understanding what works to increase public safety, reduce crime, and lower the recidivism rate.
"In addition, we must seriously review the link between drug use and incarceration. The number of people going to jail for drug related offenses continues to rise. Resources that will help people get off drugs and reduce crime are not keeping pace with the number of people going to prisons and jails for drug related offenses" said Rep. Davis.
The U. S. Senate is poised to vote on the measure. In a recent letter U. S. Senators Biden and Spector, former chairmen of the Senate Judiciary Committee wrote, "Study after study confirms that offenders are most likely to commit additional crimes after their release. In fact, two-thirds of the 650,000 ex-offenders who are released from state prison or jail each year will be rearrested within three years of their release. With a growing prison population that reached 2 million in 2006 - at an average cost of more than $20,000 per prisoner per year and a total of $60 billion per year - recidivism is a problem that we cannot afford to ignore. Unless we take action to resolve these problems now, our communities and neighborhoods will be the victims of this never-ending cycle. "
In a recent editorial the New York Times said, "Congress can give these efforts a boost by passing the Second Chance Act, which would provide crucial help to people who have paid their debts to society. . .The programs necessary to help former prisoners find a place in society do not exist in most communities. The Second Chance Act of 2007 would help to create those programs by providing money, training, technical assistance -- and a Congressional stamp of approval."
For additional information, please contact Tumia Romero, Director of Public Policy and Programs, at 773-533-7520 or tumia.romero@mail.house.gov.
