Number: RL34287
Title: Offender Reentry: Correctional Statistics, Reintegration into the Community, and Recidivism
Authors: Blas Nunez-Neto, Domestic Social Policy Division 
Abstract: The 110th Congress is considering a number of bills that include some form of offender reentry program within their purview. The Second Chance Act (P.L. 110- 199) was enacted on April 9, 2008. The Act expands the current offender reentry grant program at the Department of Justice and creates a wide array of targeted grantfunded pilot programs. Bills pertaining to offender reentry include S. 1060, S. 2237, S. 456, S. 1907, H.R. 623, H.R. 3187, H.R. 3547, H.R. 3467, and H.R. 3409. Potential issues facing Congress include the adequacy of the federal government's existing grant programs, the lack of current national-level statistics on recidivism, whether other outcome measures should be considered, whether more funding should be allocated toward program evaluations, and whether enough coordination is taking place among the various federal agencies that manage programs used to fund offender reentry.
Pages: 44
Date: July 11, 2008