Library / Laws / 113th / s / S. 1690 / Introduced in Senate
II
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1690
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
November 13, 2013Mr. Leahy (for himself, Mr. Portman, Mr. Durbin, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Franken, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Brown, Ms. Landrieu, and Mr. Menendez) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
A BILL
To reauthorize the Second Chance Act of
2007.
1.
Short
title
This Act may be cited as
the Second Chance Reauthorization Act
of 2013.
2.
Improvements to
existing programs
(a)
Reauthorization
of adult and juvenile offender State and local demonstration
projects
Section 2976 of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and
Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3797w) is amended—
(1) by striking
subsection (a) and inserting the following:
(a)
Grant
authorization
The Attorney General shall make grants to States,
local governments, territories, or Indian tribes, or any combination thereof
(in this section referred to as an eligible entity), in
partnership with interested persons (including Federal corrections and supervision agencies), services providers, and nonprofit organizations
for the purpose of strategic planning and implementation of adult and juvenile
offender reentry
projects.
;
(2) in subsection
(b)—
(A) in paragraph (3), by inserting or reentry courts, after
community,;
(B) in paragraph (6), by striking and at the end;
(C) in paragraph (7), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and; and
(D) by adding at the end the following:
(8) promoting employment opportunities consistent with the Transitional Jobs strategy (as defined in section 4 of the Second Chance Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17502)).
;
(3) by striking
subsections (d), (e), and (f) and inserting the following:
(d)
Combined grant
application; priority consideration
(1)
In
general
The Attorney General shall develop a procedure to allow
applicants to submit a single application for a planning grant under subsection
(e) and an implementation grant under subsection (f).
(2)
Priority
consideration
The Attorney General shall give priority
consideration to grant applications under subsections (e) and (f) that include
a commitment by the applicant to partner with a local evaluator to identify and
analyze data that will—
(A) enable the
grantee to target the intended offender population; and
(B) serve as a
baseline for purposes of the evaluation.
(e)
Planning
grants
(1)
In
general
Except as provided in paragraph (3), the Attorney General
may make a grant to an eligible entity of not more than $75,000 to develop a
strategic, collaborative plan for an adult or juvenile offender reentry
demonstration project as described in subsection (h) that includes—
(A) a budget and a
budget justification;
(B) a description of
the outcome measures that will be used to measure the effectiveness of the
program in promoting public safety and public health;
(C) the activities
proposed;
(D) a schedule for
completion of the activities described in subparagraph (C); and
(E) a description of
the personnel necessary to complete the activities described in subparagraph
(C).
(2)
Maximum total
grants and geographic diversity
(A)
Maximum
amount
The Attorney General may not make planning grants and
implementation grants to 1 eligible entity in a total amount that is more than
a $1,000,000.
(B)
Geographic diversity
The Attorney General shall make every effort to ensure equitable geographic distribution of grants under this section and take into consideration the needs of underserved populations, including rural and tribal communities.
(3)
Period of
grant
A planning grant made under this subsection shall be for a
period of not longer than 1 year, beginning on the first day of the month in which the planning
grant is made.
(f)
Implementation
grants
(1)
Applications
An
eligible entity desiring an implementation grant under this subsection shall
submit to the Attorney General an application that—
(A) contains a
reentry strategic plan as described in subsection (h), which describes the
long-term strategy and incorporates a detailed implementation schedule,
including the plans of the applicant to fund the program after Federal funding
is discontinued;
(B) identifies the
local government role and the role of governmental agencies and nonprofit
organizations that will be coordinated by, and that will collaborate on, the
offender reentry strategy of the applicant, and certifies the involvement of
such agencies and organizations;
(C) describes the
evidence-based methodology and outcome measures that will be used to evaluate
the program funded with a grant under this subsection, and specifically
explains how such measurements will provide valid measures of the impact of
that program; and
(D) describes how the
project could be broadly replicated if demonstrated to be effective.
(2)
Requirements
The
Attorney General may make a grant to an applicant under this subsection only if
the application—
(A) reflects explicit
support of the chief executive officer, or their designee, of the State, unit of local government,
territory, or Indian tribe applying for a grant under this subsection;
(B) provides
extensive discussion of the role of Federal corrections, State corrections departments, community
corrections agencies, juvenile justice systems, and tribal or local jail systems in
ensuring successful reentry of offenders into their communities;
(C) provides
extensive evidence of collaboration with State and local government agencies
overseeing health, housing, child welfare, education, substance abuse, victims
services, and employment services, and with local law enforcement
agencies;
(D) provides a plan
for analysis of the statutory, regulatory, rules-based, and practice-based
hurdles to reintegration of offenders into the community;
(E) includes the use
of a State, local, territorial, or tribal task force, described in subsection
(i), to carry out the activities funded under the grant;
(F) provides a plan
for continued collaboration with a local evaluator as necessary to meeting the
requirements under subsection (h); and
(G) demonstrates that
the applicant participated in the planning grant process or engaged in
comparable planning for the reentry project.
(3)
Priority
considerations
The Attorney General shall give priority to grant
applications under this subsection that best—
(A) focus initiative
on geographic areas with a disproportionate population of offenders released
from prisons, jails, and juvenile facilities;
(B) include—
(i) input from
nonprofit organizations, in any case where relevant input is available and
appropriate to the grant application;
(ii) consultation
with crime victims and offenders who are released from prisons, jails, and
juvenile facilities;
(iii) coordination
with families of offenders;
(iv) input, where
appropriate, from the juvenile justice coordinating council of the
region;
(v) input, where appropriate, from the reentry coordinating council of the region; and
(vi) other interested persons, as appropriate;
(C) demonstrate
effective case assessment and management abilities in order to provide
comprehensive and continuous reentry, including—
(i) planning for prerelease transitional
housing and community release that begins upon admission for juveniles and jail inmates, and, as appropriate, for prison inmates, depending on the length of the sentence;
(ii) establishing
prerelease planning procedures to ensure that the eligibility of an offender
for Federal, tribal, or State benefits upon release is established prior to release,
subject to any limitations in law, and to ensure that offenders obtain all
necessary referrals for reentry services, including assistance identifying and
securing suitable housing; and
(iii) delivery of
continuous and appropriate mental health services, drug treatment, medical care, job training and
placement, educational services, vocational services, and any other service or support needed for
reentry;
(D) review the
process by which the applicant adjudicates violations of parole, probation, or
supervision following release from prison, jail, or a juvenile facility, taking
into account public safety and the use of graduated, community-based sanctions
for minor and technical violations of parole, probation, or supervision
(specifically those violations that are not otherwise, and independently, a
violation of law);
(E) provide for an
independent evaluation of reentry programs that include, to the maximum extent
possible, random assignment and controlled studies to determine the
effectiveness of such programs;
(F) target moderate
and high-risk offenders for reentry programs through validated assessment
tools; and
(G) target offenders
with histories of homelessness, substance abuse, or mental illness, including a
prerelease assessment of the housing status of the offender and behavioral
health needs of the offender with clear coordination with mental health,
substance abuse, and homelessness services systems to achieve stable and
permanent housing outcomes with appropriate support service.
(4)
Amount
The
amount of a grant made under this subsection may not be more than
$925,000.
(5)
Period of
grant
A grant made under this subsection shall be effective for a
2-year period—
(A) beginning on the
date on which the planning grant awarded under subsection (e) concludes;
or
(B) in the case of an
implementation grant awarded to an eligible entity that did not receive a
planning grant, beginning on the date on which the implementation grant is
awarded.
;
(4) in subsection
(h)—
(A) by redesignating
paragraphs (2) and (3) as paragraphs (3) and (4), respectively; and
(B) by striking
paragraph (1) and inserting the following:
(1)
In
general
As a condition of receiving financial assistance under
subsection (f), each application shall develop a comprehensive reentry
strategic plan that—
(A) contains a plan
to assess inmate reentry needs and measurable annual and 3-year performance
outcomes;
(B) uses, to the
maximum extent possible, randomly assigned and controlled studies, or rigorous
quasi-experimental studies with matched comparison groups, to determine the
effectiveness of the program funded with a grant under subsection (f);
and
(C) includes as a
goal of the plan to reduce the rate of recidivism for offenders released from
prison, jail or a juvenile facility with funds made available under subsection
(f).
(2)
Local
evaluator
A partnership with a local evaluator described in
subsection (d)(2) shall require the local evaluator to use the baseline data
and target population characteristics developed under a subsection (e) planning
grant to derive a feasible and meaningful target goal for recidivism reduction
during the 3-year period beginning on the date of implementation of the
program.
;
(5) in subsection
(i)(1)—
(A) in the matter
preceding subparagraph (A), by striking under this section and
inserting under subsection (f); and
(B) in subparagraph
(B), by striking subsection (e)(4) and inserting
subsection (f)(2)(D);
(6) in subsection
(j)—
(A) in paragraph (1),
by inserting for an implementation grant under subsection (f)
after applicant;
(B) in paragraph
(2)—
(i) in
subparagraph (E), by inserting , where appropriate after
support; and
(ii) by
striking subparagraphs (F), (G), and (H), and inserting the following:
(F) increased number
of staff trained to administer reentry services;
(G) increased
proportion of individuals served by the program among those eligible to receive
services;
(H) increased number
of individuals receiving risk screening needs assessment, and case planning
services;
(I) increased
enrollment in, and completion of treatment services, including substance abuse
and mental health services among those assessed as needing such
services;
(J) increased
enrollment in and degrees earned from educational programs, including high school, GED,
vocational training, and college education;
(K) increased number
of individuals obtaining and retaining employment;
(L) increased number
of individuals obtaining and maintaining housing;
(M) increased self-reports of successful community living, including stability of living situation and positive family relationships;
(N) reduction in drug
and alcohol use; and
(O) reduction in
recidivism rates for individuals receiving reentry services after release, as
compared to either baseline recidivism rates in the jurisdiction of the grantee
or recidivism rates of the control or comparison
group.
;
(C) in paragraph (3),
by striking facilities. and inserting facilities,
including a cost-benefit analysis to determine the cost effectiveness of the
reentry program.;
(D) in paragraph (4),
by striking this section and inserting subsection
(f); and
(E) in paragraph (5),
by striking this section and inserting subsection
(f);
(7) in subsection
(k)(1), by striking this section each place the term appears and
inserting subsection (f);
(8) in subsection
(l)—
(A) in paragraph (2),
by inserting beginning on the date on which the most recent
implementation grant is made to the grantee under subsection (f) after
2-year period; and
(B) in paragraph (4),
by striking over a 2-year period and inserting during the
2-year period described in paragraph (2);
(9) in subsection
(o)(1), by striking appropriated and all that follows and
inserting the following: appropriated $35,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2014 through 2018.; and
(10) by adding at the
end the following:
(p)
Definition
In
this section, the term
reentry court means a program that—
(1) monitors juvenile
and adult eligible offenders reentering the community;
(2) provides continual judicial supervision;
(3) provides juvenile
and adult eligible offenders reentering the community with coordinated and
comprehensive reentry services and programs, such as—
(A) drug and alcohol
testing and assessment for treatment;
(B) assessment for
substance abuse from a substance abuse professional who is approved by the
State or Indian tribe and licensed by the appropriate entity to provide alcohol
and drug addiction treatment, as appropriate;
(C) substance abuse
treatment from a provider that is approved by the State or Indian tribe, and
licensed, if necessary, to provide medical and other health services;
(D) health
(including mental health) services and assessment;
(E) aftercare and
case management services that—
(i) facilitate access
to clinical care and related health services; and
(ii) coordinate with
such clinical care and related health services; and
(F) any other
services needed for reentry;
(4) convenes
community impact panels, victim impact panels, or victim impact educational
classes;
(5) provides and
coordinates the delivery of community services to juvenile and adult eligible
offenders, including—
(A) housing
assistance;
(B) education;
(C) job
training;
(D) conflict
resolution skills training;
(E) batterer
intervention programs; and
(F) other
appropriate social services; and
(6) establishes and
implements graduated sanctions and
incentives.
.
(b)
Grants for
family-Based substance abuse treatment
Part DD of title I of the
Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3797s et seq.) is
amended—
(1) in section 2921
(42 U.S.C. 3797s), in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by inserting
nonprofit organizations, before and
Indian;
(2) in section 2923
(42 U.S.C. 3797s–2), by adding at the end the following:
(c)
Priority
considerations
The Attorney General shall give priority
consideration to grant applications for grants under section 2921 that are
submitted by a nonprofit organization that demonstrates a relationship with
State and local criminal justice agencies, including—
(1) within the
judiciary and prosecutorial agencies; or
(2) with the local
corrections agencies, which shall be documented by a written agreement that
details the terms of access to facilities and participants and provides
information on the history of the organization of working with correctional
populations.
;
and
(3) by striking
section 2926(a) (42 U.S.C. 3797s–5(a)), and inserting the following:
(a)
In
general
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this
part $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through
2018.
.
(c)
Grant program
To evaluate and improve educational methods at prisons, jails, and juvenile
facilities
Title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets
Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3711 et seq.) is amended—
(1) by redesignating
part KK (42 U.S.C. 3797ee et seq.) as part LL;
(2) by redesignating
the second part designated as part JJ, as added by the Second Chance Act of
2007 (Public Law 110–199; 122 Stat. 677), relating to grants to evaluate and
improve educational methods, as part KK;
(3) by redesignating
the second section designated as section 3001 and section 3002 (42 U.S.C.
3797dd and 3797dd–1), as added by the Second Chance Act of 2007 (Public Law
110–199; 122 Stat. 677), relating to grants to evaluate and improve educational
methods, as sections 3005 and 3006, respectively;
(4) in section 3005,
as so redesignated—
(A) in subsection
(a)—
(i) in
paragraph (2), by striking and at the end;
(ii) in
paragraph (3), by striking the period at the end and inserting ;
and; and
(iii) by adding at
the end the following:
(4) implement methods
to improve academic and vocational education for offenders in prisons, jails,
and juvenile facilities consistent with the best practices identified in
subsection
(c).
;
(B) by redesignating
subsection (c) as subsection (d); and
(C) by inserting
after subsection (b), the following:
(c)
Best
practices
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of
the Second Chance Reauthorization Act of
2013, the Attorney General shall identify and publish best
practices relating to academic and vocational education for offenders in
prisons, jails, and juvenile facilities. The best practices shall consider the
evaluations performed and recommendations made under grants made under
subsection (a) before the date of enactment of the
Second Chance Reauthorization Act of
2013.
;
and
(5) in section 3006,
as so redesignated, by striking to carry and all that follows
through 2010 and inserting for each of fiscal years 2014,
2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 for grants for purposes described in section
3005(a)(4).
(d)
Careers training demonstration grants
Section 115 of the Second
Chance Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17511) is amended—
(1) in subsection
(a)—
(A) by striking and Indian and inserting nonprofit
organizations, and Indian; and
(B) by striking technology career training to prisoners and inserting career training, including subsidized employment, when part of a training program, to prisoners and reentering youth and adults;
(2) in subsection (b)—
(A) by striking technology careers training;
(B) by striking technology-based; and
(C) by inserting , as well as upon transition and reentry into the community after facility;
(3) by striking
subsections (c) and (e);
(4) by inserting
after subsection (b) the following:
(c)
Priority
consideration
Priority consideration shall be given to any
application under this section that—
(1) provides assessment of local demand for employees in the geographic areas to which offenders are likely to return;
(2) conducts individualized reentry career planning upon the start of incarceration or post-release employment planning for each offender served under the grant;
(3) demonstrates connections to employers within the local community; or
(4) tracks and monitors employment outcomes.
; and
(5) by adding at the
end the following:
(e)
Authorization
of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated to
carry out this section $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014, 2015, 2016,
2017, and
2018.
.
(e)
Offender
reentry substance abuse and criminal justice collaboration
program
Section 201(f)(1) of the Second Chance Act of 2007 (42
U.S.C. 17521(f)(1)) is amended to read as follows:
(1)
In
general
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this
section $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through
2018.
.
(f)
Community-Based
mentoring and transitional service grants to nonprofit organizations
(1)
In
general
Section 211 of the Second Chance Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C.
17531) is amended—
(A) in the header, by
striking Mentoring grants to
nonprofit organizations and inserting
Community-based mentoring
and transitional service grants to nonprofit organizations;
(B) in subsection
(a), by striking mentoring and other;
(C) in subsection
(b), by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following:
(2) transitional
services to assist in the reintegration of offenders into the community,
including—
(A) educational,
literacy, and vocational, services and the Transitional Jobs strategy;
(B) substance abuse
treatment and services;
(C) coordinated
supervision and comprehensive services for offenders, including housing and
mental and physical health care;
(D) family services;
and
(E) validated
assessment tools to assess the risk factors of returning inmates;
and
; and
(D) in subsection
(f), by striking this section and all that
follows and inserting the following: this section $15,000,000 for fiscal
years 2014 through 2018..
(2)
Table of
contents amendment
The table of contents in section 2 of the
Second Chance Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17501 note) is amended by striking the
item relating to section 211 and inserting the following:
Sec. 211. Community-based
mentoring and transitional service
grants.
.
(g)
Definitions
(1)
In general
Section 4 of the Second Chance Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17502) is amended to read as follows:
4.
Definitions
In this Act—
(1) the term exoneree means an individual who—
(A) has been convicted of a Federal, tribal, or State offense that is punishable by a term of imprisonment of more than 1 year;
(B) has served a term of imprisonment for not less than 6 months in a Federal, tribal, or State prison or correctional facility as a result of the conviction described in subparagraph (A); and
(C) has been determined to be factually innocent of the offense described in subparagraph (A);
(2) the term Indian tribe has the meaning given in section 901 of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3791);
(3) the term offender includes an exoneree; and
(4) the term Transitional Jobs strategy means an employment strategy for youth and adults who are chronically unemployed or those that have barriers to employment that—
(A) is conducted by State, tribal, and local governments, State, tribal, and local workforce boards, and nonprofit organizations;
(B) provides time-limited employment using individual placements, team placements, and social enterprise placements, without displacing existing employees;
(C) pays wages in accordance with applicable law, but in no event less than the higher of the rate specified in section 6(a)(1) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206(a)(1)) or the applicable State or local minimum wage law, which are subsidized, in whole or in part, by public funds;
(D) combines time-limited employment with activities that promote skill development, remove barriers to employment, and lead to unsubsidized employment such as a thorough orientation and individual assessment, job readiness and life skills training, case management and supportive services, adult education and training, child support-related services, job retention support and incentives, and other similar activities;
(E) places participants into unsubsidized employment; and
(F) provides job retention, re-employment services, and continuing and vocational education to ensure continuing participation in unsubsidized employment and identification of opportunities for advancement.
.
(2)
Table of
contents amendment
The table of contents in section 2 of the
Second Chance Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17501 note) is amended by striking the
item relating to section 4 and inserting the following:
Sec. 4. Definitions.
.
(h)
Extension of the length of section 2976 grants
Section 6(1) of the Second Chance Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17504(1)) is amended by inserting or under section 2976 of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3797w) after and 212.
3.
Audit and
accountability of grantees
(a)
Definition
In
this section, the term unresolved audit finding means an audit
report finding or recommendation that a grantee has used grant funds for an
unauthorized expenditure or otherwise unallowable cost that is not closed or
resolved during a 1-year period beginning on the date of an initial
notification of the finding or recommendation.
(b)
Audit
requirement
Beginning in fiscal year 2013, and every 3 years
thereafter, the Inspector General of the Department of Justice shall conduct an
audit of not less than 5 percent of all grantees that are awarded funding
under—
(1) section 2976(b)
of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C.
3797w(b));
(2) part CC of title
I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3797q et
seq.), as amended by this Act;
(3) part DD of title
I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3797s et
seq.);
(4) part JJ of title
I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3797dd
et seq.); or
(5) section 115, 201,
or 211 of the Second Chance Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17511, 17521, and
17531).
(c)
Mandatory
exclusion
A grantee that is found to have an unresolved audit
finding under an audit conducted under subsection (b) may not receive grant
funds under the grant programs described in paragraphs (1) through (5) of
subsection (b) in the fiscal year following the fiscal year to which the
finding relates.
(d)
Priority of
grant awards
The Attorney General, in awarding grants under the
programs described in paragraphs (1) through (5) of subsection (b) shall give
priority to eligible entities that during the 2-year period preceding the
application for a grant have not been found to have an unresolved audit
finding.
4.
Federal reentry
improvements
(a)
Responsible
reintegration of offenders
Section 212 of the Second Chance Act
of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17532) is repealed.
(b)
Federal
prisoner reentry initiative
Section 231 of the Second Chance Act
of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17541) is amended—
(1) in subsection
(g)—
(A) in paragraph (3),
by striking carried out during fiscal years 2009 and 2010 and
inserting carried out during fiscal years 2014 through 2018;
and
(B) in paragraph
(5)(A)—
(i) in
clause (i), by striking 65 years and inserting 60
years; and
(ii) in clause (ii), by
striking or 75 percent and inserting or
2/3;
(2) by striking
subsection (h);
(3) by redesignating
subsection (i) as subsection (h); and
(4) in subsection
(h), as so redesignated, by striking 2009 and 2010 and inserting
2014 through 2018.
(c)
Enhancing
reporting requirements pertaining to community
corrections
Section 3624(c) of title 18, United States Code, is
amended—
(1) in paragraph (5),
in the second sentence, by inserting , and number of prisoners not being
placed in community corrections facilities for each reason set forth
before , and any other information; and
(2) in paragraph (6),
by striking the Second Chance Act of 2007 and inserting
the Second Chance Reauthorization Act
of 2013.
(d)
Termination of
study on effectiveness of depot naltrexone for heroin
addiction
Section 244 of the Second Chance Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C.
17554) is repealed.
(e)
Authorization
of appropriations for research
Section 245 of the Second Chance
Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17555) is amended—
(1) by striking
243, and 244 and inserting and 243; and
(2) by striking
$10,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2009 and 2010 and inserting $5,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and
2018.
(f)
Federal
prisoner recidivism reduction programming enhancement
(1)
In
general
Section 3621 of title 18, United States Code, is
amended—
(A) by redesignating
subsection (g) as subsection (h); and
(B) by inserting
after subsection (f) the following:
(g)
Partnerships To
expand access to reentry programs proven To reduce recidivism
(1)
Definition
The
term demonstrated to reduce recidivism means that the Director of
Bureau of Prisons has determined that appropriate research has been conducted
and has validated the effectiveness of the type of program on
recidivism.
(2)
Eligibility for
recidivism reduction partnership
A faith-based or community-based
nonprofit organization that provides mentoring or other programs that have been
demonstrated to reduce recidivism is eligible to enter into a recidivism
reduction partnership with a prison or community-based facility operated by the
Bureau of Prisons.
(3)
Recidivism
reduction partnerships
The Director of the Bureau of Prisons
shall develop policies to require wardens of prisons and community-based
facilities to enter into recidivism reduction partnerships with faith-based and
community-based nonprofit organizations that are willing to provide, on a
volunteer basis, programs described in paragraph (2).
(4)
Reporting
requirement
The Director of the Bureau of Prisons shall submit to
Congress an annual report on the last day of each fiscal year that—
(A) details, for each
prison and community-based facility for the fiscal year just ended—
(i) the number of
recidivism reduction partnerships under this section that were in
effect;
(ii) the number of
volunteers that provided recidivism reduction programming; and
(iii) the number of
recidivism reduction programming hours provided; and
(B) explains any
disparities between facilities in the numbers reported under subparagraph
(A).
.
(2)
Effective
date
The amendments made by paragraph (1) shall take effect 180
days after the date of enactment of this Act.
(g)
Repeals
(1) Section 2978 of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3797w–2) is repealed.
(2) Part CC of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3797q et seq.) is repealed.
5.
Task Force on Federal programs and activities relating to reentry of offenders
(a)
Task Force Required
The Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of Education, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the Secretary of Agriculture, and the heads of such other agencies of the Federal Government as the Attorney General considers appropriate, and in collaboration with interested persons, service providers, nonprofit organizations, States, tribal, and local governments, shall establish an interagency task force on Federal programs and activities relating to the reentry of offenders into the community (referred to in this section as the Task Force).
(b)
Duties
The Task Force shall—
(1) identify such programs and activities that may be resulting in overlap or duplication of services, the scope of such overlap or duplication, and the relationship of such overlap and duplication to public safety, public health, and effectiveness and efficiency;
(2) identify methods to improve collaboration and coordination of such programs and activities;
(3) identify areas of responsibility in which improved collaboration and coordination of such programs and activities would result in increased effectiveness or efficiency;
(4) develop innovative interagency or intergovernmental programs, activities, or procedures that would improve outcomes of reentering offenders and children of offenders;
(5) develop methods for increasing regular communication among agencies that would increase interagency program effectiveness;
(6) identify areas of research that can be coordinated across agencies with an emphasis on applying evidence-based practices to support, treatment, and intervention programs for reentering offenders;
(7) identify funding areas that should be coordinated across agencies and any gaps in funding; and
(8) in collaboration with the National Adult and Juvenile Offender Reentry Resources Center, identify successful programs currently operating and collect best practices in offender reentry from demonstration grantees and other agencies and organizations, determine the extent to which such programs and practices can be replicated, and make information on such programs and practices available to States, localities, nonprofit organizations, and others.
(c)
Report
(1)
In general
Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Task Force shall submit a report, including recommendations, to Congress on barriers to reentry.
(2)
Contents
The report required under paragraph (1) shall identify Federal and other barriers to successful reentry of offenders into the community and analyze the effects of such barriers on offenders and on children and other family members of offenders, including—
(A) admissions and evictions from Federal housing programs;
(B) child support obligations and procedures;
(C) Social Security benefits, veterans benefits, food stamps, and other forms of Federal public assistance;
(D) Medicaid Program and Medicare Program procedures, requirements, regulations, and guidelines;
(E) education programs, financial assistance, and full civic participation;
(F) Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program funding criteria and other welfare benefits;
(G) employment and training;
(H) reentry procedures, case planning, and transitions of persons from the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons to a Federal parole or probation program or community corrections;
(I) laws, regulations, rules, and practices that may require a parolee to return to the same county that they were living in before their arrest and therefore prevent offenders from changing their setting upon release; and
(J) trying to establish pre-release planning procedures for prisoners to ensure that a prisoner's eligibility for Federal or State benefits (including Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security and veterans benefits) upon release is established prior to release, subject to any limitations in law, and to ensure that prisoners are provided with referrals to appropriate social and health services or are referred to appropriate nonprofit organizations.
(d)
Updated reports
On an annual basis, the Task Force shall submit to Congress an updated report on the activities of the Task Force, including specific recommendations on issues described in subsections (b) and (c).