I 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5984 

To establish a pilot program to provide training and certification in the 

culinary arts for Federal inmates to be utilized during the normal inmate 

meals process and to be accredited for future employment and educational opportunities, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 30, 2010 

Ms. RICHARDSON (for herself and Mr. DAVIS of Illinois) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To establish a pilot program to provide training and certification in the culinary arts for Federal inmates to be 

utilized during the normal inmate meals process and 

to be accredited for future employment and educational 

opportunities, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Cooking Helps Elevate 

5 Futures Act’’ or the ‘‘CHEF Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 The Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) In 2008, according to the Bureau of Justice 

2 Statistics, the United States had more individuals in 

3 prison than any other developed nation, with more 

4 than 2,000,000 individuals incarcerated. 

5 (2) Each year, more than 650,000 inmates are 

6 released from State and Federal prisons after com7 pleting their sentences and such inmates return to 

8 living and participating in society in communities 

9 across the United States. 

10 (3) There are many impediments affecting the 

11 successful reentry of inmates into society, including 

12 the lack of marketable job skills and the overall risk 

13 of recidivism. 

14 (4) Because many inmates are not prepared for 

15 reentry into society and lack access to certain serv16 ices and networks of support, the recidivism rate for 

17 inmates in the first year after release from prison is 

18 44.1 percent, increasing to 67.5 percent in the first 

19 3 years after release. 

20 (5) According to a 12-year study conducted by 

21 the Federal Bureau of Prisons, job skills, experience, 

22 and training obtained through prison work programs 

23 or vocational training programs have a positive ef24 fect on post-release employment and recidivism, in25 creasing the likelihood that Federal inmates will sucVerDate Mar 15 2010 03:39 Aug 03, 2010 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5984.IH H5984

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1 cessfully reintegrate into the community following 

2 their release from Federal prison. 

3 (6) Such study revealed that Federal inmates 

4 who participated in vocational training programs 

5 were 24 percent less likely to recidivate and 14 per6 cent more likely to be employed at the end of the 12- 

7 month period following their release from prison 

8 than such inmates who did not participate in such 

9 training programs. 

10 (7) Culinary training is an effective strategy for 

11 increasing employment rates among former inmates 

12 because of the high demand for employment in the 

13 food service industry. In 2008, according to the Bu14 reau of Labor Statistics, there were 546,300 pri15 vately owned food service and drinking places in the 

16 Unites States, offering over 1,564,000 culinary posi17 tions. 

18 SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF PILOT PROGRAM. 

19 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 

20 date of the enactment of this Act, the Attorney General 

21 shall establish a pilot program— 

22 (1) to provide training and certification in the 

23 culinary arts for Federal inmates in order to provide 

24 such inmates with marketable employment skills; 

25 and 


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1 (2) to provide such inmates with the customary 

2 job placement assistance, including the food service 

3 industry, after their release from a Federal correc4 tional facility. 

5 (b) FACILITIES SELECTED.— 

6 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Attorney General shall 

7 select 10 different Federal correctional facilities lo8 cated in different regions of the continental United 

9 States to participate in the pilot program. 

10 (2) CONSIDERATIONS.—In selecting Federal 

11 correctional facilities under paragraph (1), the At12 torney General shall take into consideration for each 

13 State— 

14 (A) percentage of the State’s population 

15 that are Federal inmates; 

16 (B) the recidivism rate of such inmates; 

17 and 

18 (C) the unemployment rate of such in19 mates after release from a Federal correctional 

20 facility. 

21 (3) DEFINITION.—In paragraph (1), the term 

22 ‘‘continental United States’’ means a State (other 

23 than Alaska and Hawaii) and the District of Colum24 bia. 


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1 SEC. 4. ELIGIBILITY. 

2 The Attorney General, in consultation with the Direc3 tor of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, shall prescribe regu4 lations that establish eligibility requirements for Federal 

5 inmates to participate in the pilot program. 

6 SEC. 5. CONTRACTS. 

7 The Attorney General may enter into contracts with 

8 entities to provide culinary training and job placement as9 sistance for Federal inmates participating in the pilot pro10 gram. 

11 SEC. 6. REPORT. 

12 Not later than 120 days after the conclusion of the 

13 pilot program, the Attorney General shall submit to the 

14 Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representa15 tives and the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate 

16 a report that details— 

17 (1) the number of Federal inmates who partici18 pated in, completed, and received a certification 

19 under the program; 

20 (2) the number of such inmates who were suc21 cessfully placed in jobs once they were released from 

22 a Federal correctional facility; 

23 (3) the length of time it took for such inmates 

24 to find employment upon release from such a facil25 ity; 


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1 (4) the length of time that such inmates have 

2 been employed by a particular employer since they 

3 were released from such a facility; 

4 (5) the rate of recidivism of such inmates; and 

5 (6) the number of disciplinary incidents such 

6 inmates were involved in while incarcerated and par7 ticipating in the program as compared to the num8 ber of such incidents that occurred involving inmates 

9 who did not participate in the program. 

10 SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

11 There are authorized to be appropriated such sums 

12 as are necessary for each of the fiscal years 2012 through 

13 2017 to carry out the pilot program. 

Æ 


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