BJA FY 11 Second Chance Act State, Local, and Tribal Reentry Courts

archived

The Second Chance Act of 2007 (Pub. L. 110-199) provides a comprehensive response to the increasing number of people who are released from prison and jail into communities, including the subsequent challenges communities face as ex-offenders attempt to reintegrate into society. A combination of trends in sentencing, incarceration, and post-release supervision has brought prisoner reentry to the forefront of discussion among policy makers, practitioners, and researchers. Section 111 of the Second Chance Act was created to help break the cycle of criminal recidivism, increase public safety, ensure accountability, and help better address the growing population of ex-offenders who return to their communities. More specifically, Section 111 authorizes awards to be made to monitor ex-offenders reentering the community as well as provide ex-offenders with coordinated and comprehensive reentry services and programs such as drug and alcohol testing and assessment for treatment; assessment and treatment for substance abuse from a licensed substance abuse provider approved by the state/tribe; health (including mental health) services and assessment; aftercare and case management services that facilitate access to and coordinate with clinical care; and any other services needed for reentry. Funds are also authorized to convene community impact panels, victim impact panels, or victim impact educational classes as well as provide and coordinate the delivery of community services to ex-offenders including housing assistance, education, job training, conflict resolution skills training, batterer intervention programs and other appropriate social services. Last, authorized activities also include the establishment and implementation of graduated sanctions and incentives. Reentry courts represent a relatively new form of jurisprudence. Focused on the back-end of the criminal justice system, the reentry court is designed to leverage partnerships between courts, social services and the community to facilitate successful ex-offender reintegration. Reentry courts also necessitate considerable cooperation between corrections and local judiciaries, since it requires the active involvement of community corrections agencies or parole boards in transitioning offenders back into the community through active judicial or executive branch oversight.

High