WASHINGTON BUREAU ∙ NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE
1156 15TH STREET, NW SUITE 915 ∙ WASHINGTON, DC 20005 ∙ P (202) 463-2940 ∙ F (202) 463-2953
E-MAIL: WASHINGTONBUREAU@NAACPNET.ORG ∙ WEB ADDRESS WWW.NAACP.ORG
ACTION ALERT
DATE:
February 12, 2016
TO:
Concerned Parties
FROM:
Hilary O. Shelton, Director, Washington Bureau
URGE THE U.S. HOUSE AND SENATE TO REAUTHORIZE
THE SECOND CHANCE ACT OF 2007
THE SECOND CHANCE REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2013 (S. 1690 / H.R. 3465), IMPROVES STATE AND LOCAL
GRANT PROGRAMS WHICH PROMOTE SUCCESSFUL PRISONER REENTRY AND REDUCE RECIDIVISM
THE ISSUE:
The Second Chance Act of 2007 was passed with strong bipartisan support and signed into law by President
George W. Bush on April 9, 2008. Since that time, the law has been responsible for providing almost $300
million for the development, implementation, and coordination of pre- and post-release reentry services
such as employment training, substance abuse treatment, mentoring, and improved community
supervision. The evidence-based programs authorized under this legislation reduce recidivism and, as a
result, help to increase public safety and save taxpayer dollars. The Second Chance Act of 2007 has been
extremely successful: recidivism rates are significantly reduced when states commit to jailing only people
who present a risk to public safety and to helping newly released prisoners find drug treatment, psychiatric
counseling and the other services they need for a successful transition into private life. Since its enactment,
the Second Chance Act of 2007 has reduced prison costs, improved public safety and helped the break the
cycle of recidivism.
Over ninety- five percent of those incarcerated in state prisons are expected to be released at some point.
This dramatically impacts our communities, since more than 60% of the people in prison are now racial and
ethnic minorities. For African American males in their thirties, 1 in every 10 is in prison or jail on any given
day. In fact, in 2011 there were more African-Americans in prison or involved with the justice system
than were enslaved in the United States in 1850.
The Second Chance Reauthorization Act of 2013 (S. 1960 / H.R. 3465) continues targeted funding for reentry
programs at the state and local level that have been proven to reduce recidivism. It also expands the impact
of the Second Chance Act by expanding existing correctional education and employment initiatives and
allowing grants to programs which promote family-based substance abuse treatment and career training.
The NAACP strongly supported passage of the original Second Chance Act of 2007, and since that time no
other law has done more to provide the critical support necessary to improve the coordination of reentry
services and policies at the state, tribal, and local levels. Given our strong support for the Second Chance
Act of 2007, we are pleased to strongly support the Second Chance Reauthorization Act of 2013 (S. 1690 /
H.R. 3465), which was introduced on November 13, 2013 with solid bi-partisan support in the U.S. Senate
and the U.S. House of Representatives by Senators Rob Portman (OH) and Patrick Leahy (VT) along with
Congressmen Jim Sensenbrenner (WI) and Danny K. Davis (IL) as well as other co-sponsors.
More…
THE ACTION WE NEED YOU TO TAKE:
Contact your Representative and BOTH your Senators and URGE THEM TO CO- SPONSOR AND
SUPPORT THE SECOND CHANCE ACT REAUTHORIZATION ACT, S. 1960 / H.R. 3465.
To contact your Senators and Representative, you may:
 Make a Phone Call:
Call your Senators and your Representative in Washington by dialing the Capitol
Switchboard and asking to be transferred to your Senators'/Congressman’s offices. The
switchboard phone number is (202) 224-3121 (see message section, below).
 Write a Letter
A SAMPLE
To write letters to your Senators, send them to:
The Honorable (name of Senator)
LETTER IS
U.S. Senate
ATTACHED
Washington, D.C. 20510
To write a letter to your Representative, send it to:
The Honorable (name of Representative)
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
 Send a Fax
If you would like to send a fax, call your Senators’ or Representative’s offices (through
the Capitol switchboard) and ask for their fax numbers (you can use either the attached
sample letter or the message box, below).
 Send an E-Mail
To send an e-mail to your Senators, go to www.senate.gov; click on “Find Your
Senators”. Look up your Senators by state; go to their web sites for e-mail addresses.
To send an e-mail to your Representative, go to www.house.gov, and click on “Write
Your Representative” (on the left hand side, just under “find your Representative). This
will help you identify who your congressman is and how to contact him/her.
REMEMBER TO CONTACT BOTH YOUR SENATORS!!!!!
THE MESSAGE
 Since enactment in 2008, the Second Chance Act of 2007 has proven successful in reducing
recidivism by developing, implementing, and coordinating pre- and post-release reentry
services such as employment training, substance abuse treatment, mentoring, and
improved community supervision.
 As a result, the Second Chance Act of 2007 has reduced prison costs, improved public safety
and helped the break the cycle of recidivism.
 The Second Chance Act of 2007 is now due to be reauthorized, and the proposed legislation,
The Second Chance Reauthorization Act of 2013 (S. 1960 / H.R. 3465), would improve the
2008 law by continuing targeted funding for reentry programs that have been proven to
reduce recidivism. It also expands the impact and successes of the Second Chance Act of
2007 by expanding existing correctional education and employment initiatives and
promoting family-based substance abuse treatment and career training.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS IMPORTANT MATTER!!!
If you have any questions, call Hilary Shelton at the Washington Bureau at (202) 463-2940.
MEMBERSHIP IS POWER! JOIN THE NAACP TODAY.
To become an NAACP member or to sign up for e-mail legislative and press updates, visit www.naacp.org
Sample Letter
(date)
The Honorable ___________________________
United States Senate / House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20510 / 20515
RE: SUPPORT FOR THE SECOND CHANCE REAUTHORIZATION
ACT OF 2013
Dear Senator / Representative __________________________;
As your constituent, I strongly urge you to co-sponsor and support quick passage
of the Second Chance Reauthorization Act of 2013 (S. 1960 / H.R. 3465). Since
enactment in 2008, the Second Chance Act of 2007 has proven successful in
reducing recidivism by developing, implementing, and coordinating pre- and postrelease reentry services such as employment training, substance abuse
treatment, mentoring, and improved community supervision. As a result, the
Second Chance Act of 2007 has reduced prison costs, improved public safety
and helped the break the cycle of recidivism.
The Second Chance Act of 2007 is now due to be reauthorized, and the
proposed legislation in the 113th Congress, S. 1960 / H.R. 3465, would improve
the 2008 law by continuing targeted funding for reentry programs that have been
proven to reduce recidivism. It also extends the impact and successes of the
Second Chance Act of 2007 by expanding existing correctional education and
employment initiatives and promoting family-based substance abuse treatment
and career training. The Second Chance Reauthorization Act of 2013 (S. 1960 /
H.R. 3465) currently enjoys broad bipartisan and bicameral support.
Since being signed into law in 2008, the Second Chance Act of 2007 has served
more than 11,000 individuals pre- release from jails, prisons, and juvenile
systems and nearly 9,500 individuals after release. The Second Chance Act of
2007 has been an unabashed success: a recent report found that recidivism
rates are significantly reduced when states commit to jailing only people who
present a risk to public safety and to helping newly released prisoners find drug
treatment, psychiatric counseling and the other services they need for a
successful transition to the world beyond bars.
Please contact me in the very near future to let me know what you are doing to
address the serious problems facing our communities as a result of recidivism
and what you believe I can do to help.
Sincerely,
(sign and print your name and
remember to include your address)
Remember to contact your
Representative and BOTH
your Senators.