Washington, D.C. – The National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Hispanic civil rights organization in the U.S., expressed its support for legislation introduced in the U.S. Congress today as an important step to reduce the threat to public safety posed by today’s unacceptably high recidivism rate and to give ex-offenders who have completed their prison sentences a second chance to reintegrate back into society. The legislation, entitled “Second Chance Act of 2004: Community Safety through Recidivism Prevention,” was introduced by Representatives Rob Portman (R-OH), Danny Davis (D-IL), Mark Souder (R-IN), and Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-OH).

“These members of Congress are to be commended. This legislation will truly give thousands of people who have completed their prison sentences a second chance to become productive and valued members of their communities,” said Raul Yzaguirre, President and CEO of NCLR. “They’ve paid their debt to society. With the proper counseling and job training, these former prisoners can gain the vital skills they need in order to contribute to their families and our economy. Plus, by cutting the number of repeat offenses, this legislation will help safeguard the public and bring down overall crime rates. It’s an important step for public safety.”

The Portman-Davis bill authorizes state and local governments to establish comprehensive programs to help ex-offenders successfully reenter their communities. Such efforts include access to supports and services such as family reunification, job training, education, housing, and substance abuse and mental health services. The bill also establishes a federal interagency task force on offender reentry, and provides for research on reentry and a national resource center to collect and disseminate information on best practices in offender reentry.

Every year more than 600,000 people are released from local, state, and federal prisons, jails, and detention facilities and returned to the community. Of those, almost a one-third are Latino. Few of the 600,000 are prepared for their release and few receive any supportive services whatsoever beyond a bus ticket and a few days spending money. One-third of all corrections departments provide no funds to prisoners upon release. While 70% to 85% of state prisoners need substance abuse treatment, just 13% receive it while incarcerated. In addition to substance abuse disorders, many of those leaving jail and prison have other chronic health issues, no housing, little education or job training, and generally lack resources to allow them to reintegrate.

NCLR serves as an umbrella organization for over 300 local affiliated community-based organizations. In addition to providing capacity-building assistance to our affiliates, NCLR serves as a voice for all Hispanic subgroups in all regions of the country.

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