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Action Alert

	Support Funding for the Second Chance Act

President Obama recently released his fiscal year 2013 budget, which included $80 million for the Second Chance Act. As Congress begins consideration of its funding bills this year, it is critical that they understand the widespread support for Second Chance across the country. Please contact your Member of Congress TODAY to express your support of funding for the Second Chance Act in FY13.

BACKGROUND

The Second Chance Act passed with overwhelming bipartisan support and was signed into law in April 2008. It is a common sense, evidence-based approach to improving outcomes for people returning to communities from prisons and jails. This first-of-its-kind legislation authorizes federal grants to government agencies and nonprofit organizations to provide employment assistance, substance abuse treatment, housing, family-based programming, mentoring, support for victims, and other services that can help reduce recidivism.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

1. Contact your entire congressional delegation TODAY to ask them to support funding for the Second Chance Act. Use the email system below to send a letter to your Members of Congress.

2. Share this information with your colleagues and other members of your community.

TIMING

The Senate and House will work on the FY 2013 appropriation bills through April 2012, so it is imperative that you contact your Members of Congress as soon as possible.

If you would like to personalize your letter with examples from your state or community, please email Jeff Burdette at jburdette@csg.org for an MS Word version of the sample letter.

Take Action

1	Compose Message

Message Recipients:

Your U.S. Senators

Your U.S. House Representative

Delivery Method:

Subject:
Support Funding for the Second Chance Act

Editable text to House:

(edit or add your own text - 8095 characters left)

I write to express my strong support for funding for the Second Chance Act in fiscal year 2013.

The Second Chance Act, which passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, is a common-sense response to reducing recidivism and improving outcomes for people released from prisons and jails and returning to our communities. It is supported by corrections officials, law enforcement leaders, state and local policymakers, and members of faith-based and community organizations.

The Second Chance Act provides resources at a time when they are desperately needed.  Despite the massive increase in corrections spending, recidivism rates remain high: a recent study finds that four in ten individuals released from state prison are reincarcerated within three years. In contrast, when individuals returning from prison have access to key services, their likelihood of returning to prison goes down and the families and communities to which they return are stronger and safer.

Individuals leaving prisons and jails face many obstacles - which may include unemployment, lack of stable housing options, physical health problems, or mental health and/or substance use disorders - and often they return to their communities without assistance or services.  Many do not succeed.  This cycle of release and failure is expensive and harmful to communities.  Yet studies on reentry programs have proven them effective in reducing recidivism.

The Second Chance Act ensures that the tax dollars spent on corrections no longer support a revolving door of people entering and leaving prison and jail.  State, local governments and nonprofit organizations around the country are eager to launch and expand innovative reentry programs, and families and communities are desperate to access the services the Second Chance Act will provide.

Please make the Second Chance Act one of your priorities for FY 2013.

Tip: Cutting-and-pasting? Save as plain text first.

Editable text to Senate:

(edit or add your own text - 8095 characters left)

I write to express my strong support for funding for the Second Chance Act in fiscal year 2013.

Please make the Second Chance Act one of your priorities for FY 2013.

Tip: Cutting-and-pasting? Save as plain text first.

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