Congressman Dan Davis (D-IL) is concerned about inmates getting jobs when they get out of prison. He will be re-introducing his bill, the Ex-Offender Self-Sufficiency Act, which would create 100,000 units of housing for convicts featuring job training and social services on site.

"We've got a serious criminal justice challenge,'' Davis said, noting that nearly half end up back in jail within three years. His district, which includes much of the central city, near north, south and west sides, is home to 40 percent of those ex-offenders. Even though more than 70 percent of them were convicted of nonviolent drug offenses, they are barred from many jobs.

"We need to have something for them to do,'' Davis said. "Otherwise it's almost inevitable they are going to be back in the penitentiary.''

[comments now closed]