NYTimes: Pass the Second Chance Act

By Jeralyn, Section Inmates and Prisons
Posted on Mon Mar 10, 2008 at 10:37:00 AM EST
Tags: Second Chance Act (all tags)

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The New York Times has an editorial today on the report released by the Pew Center last week and its statistics showing that 1 in every 100 Americans are in jail or prison.

The Times advocates the passage of the Second Chance Act (S. 1060: Recidivism Reduction and Second Chance Act of 2007). The bill would expand services to offenders and their families for reentry into society. In addition, it would:

Direct the Attorney General to award grants for: (1) state and local reentry courts; (2) Comprehensive and Continuous Offender Reentry Task Forces; (3) pharmacological drug treatment services to incarcerated offenders; (4) technology career training for offenders; and (5) mentoring services for reintegrating offenders into the community.

.... [and] Require the Director of the Bureau of Prisons to establish: (1) a prisoner reentry program; and (2) a pilot program for the release of elderly nonviolent offenders (age 60 or older).

Both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have signed as co-sponsors. The bill passed on the House side by a vote 347-62. So who's holding it up in the Senate?

It was Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) who, concerned about the cost, said he needed more time to study it. The bill is now sitting in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Let's get it passed.

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NYTimes: Pass the Second Chance Act | 7 comments (7 topical)

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Jobs for prison workers (none / 0) (#1)
by Munibond on Mon Mar 10, 2008 at 07:45:05 AM EST

As the NYT editorial also mentions somewhat obliquely, many communities are dependent on their local prison industry. Assistance with relocation expenses as well as job training may be necessary to overcome political opposition to reducing prison facilities and/or their prison populations, particularly in remote areas.

Don't get me wrong.... (none / 0) (#2)
by kdog on Mon Mar 10, 2008 at 09:27:31 AM EST

I'd rather our govt. spend our money on prisoner rehabilitation and integration programs than on development of a new fighter jet...but again we ignore the root problem and settle for a band-aid.

The root problem...too many laws making too many criminals, and the draconian sentences handed down to our manufactured criminals. When's congress gonna get to work on that, or is that too politically suicidal?

Do we really have too many laws? (none / 0) (#3)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Mon Mar 10, 2008 at 12:25:21 PM EST

Or too many citizens who disregard laws?


Too many laws.... (none / 0) (#6)
by kdog on Mon Mar 10, 2008 at 12:55:34 PM EST

which inevitably leads to an increase in people disregarding/breaking the law.

I beat this quote to death, but here it goes again, I think it hits the nail on the head....

"There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What's there in that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced nor objectively interpreted and you create a nation of law-breakers."
- Ayn Rand

I know it has become, err always has been, impossible for me to live without breaking the law. It works too...I'd be impossible to rule if I wasn't a criminal.


: Yeah, my question was rhetorical. (none / 0) (#7)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Mon Mar 10, 2008 at 12:59:20 PM EST

How was the concert Sat night?

Ditto (none / 0) (#4)
by KevinMc on Mon Mar 10, 2008 at 12:31:34 PM EST

: Ditto to K-dogs reply that is. (none / 0) (#5)
by KevinMc on Mon Mar 10, 2008 at 12:32:16 PM EST