connected to their children and families are more 
likely to avoid negative incidents and have reduced 
sentences. 
(12) Approximately 100,000 juveniles (ages 17 
and under) leave juvenile correctional facilities, State 
prison, or Federal prison each year. Juveniles re-
leased from confinement still have their likely prime 
crime years ahead of them. Juveniles released from 
secure confinement have a recidivism rate ranging 
from 55 to 75 percent. The chances that young peo-
ple will successfully transition into society improve 
with effective re-entry and aftercare programs. 
(13) Studies have shown that from 15 percent 
to 27 percent of prisoners expect to go to homeless 
shelters upon release from prison. 
(14) The National Institute of Justice has 
found that after 1 year of release, up to 60 percent 
of former inmates are not employed. 
(15) Fifty-seven percent of Federal and 70 per-
cent of State inmates used drugs regularly before 
prison, with some estimates of involvement with 
drugs or alcohol around the time of the offense as 
high as 84 percent (BJS Trends in State Parole, 
1990–2000).
(16) According to the Bureau of Justice Statis-
tics, 60 to 83 percent of the Nation’s correctional 
population have used drugs at some point in their 
lives. This is twice the estimated drug use of the 
total United States population of 40 percent. 
(17) Family-based treatment programs have 
proven results for serving the special population of 
female offenders and substance abusers with chil-
dren. An evaluation by the Substance Abuse and 
Mental Health Services Administration of family- 
based treatment for substance abusing mothers and 
children found that at 6 months post treatment, 60 
percent of the mothers remain alcohol and drug free, 
and drug-related offenses declined from 28 to 7 per-
cent. Additionally, a 2003 evaluation of residential 
family-based treatment programs revealed that 60 
percent of mothers remained clean and sober 6 
months after treatment, criminal arrests declined by 
43 percent, and 88 percent of the children treated 
in the program with their mothers remain stabilized. 
(18) A Bureau of Justice Statistics analysis in-
dicated that only 33 percent of Federal and 36 per-
cent of State inmates had participated in residential 
inpatient treatment programs for alcohol and drug 
abuse 12 months before their release. Further, over
one-third of all jail inmates have some physical or 
mental disability and 25 percent of jail inmates have 
been treated at some time for a mental or emotional 
problem. 
(19) According to the National Institute of Lit-
eracy, 70 percent of all prisoners function at the two 
lowest literacy levels. 
(20) The Bureau of Justice Statistics has found 
that 27 percent of Federal inmates, 40 percent of 
State inmates, and 47 percent of local jail inmates 
have never completed high school or its equivalent. 
Furthermore, the Bureau of Justice Statistics has 
found that less-educated inmates are more likely to 
be recidivists. Only 1 in 4 local jails offer basic adult 
education programs. 
(21) Participation in State correctional edu-
cation programs lowers the likelihood of reincarcer-
ation by 29 percent, according to a recent United 
States Department of Education study. A Federal 
Bureau of Prisons study found a 33-percent drop in 
recidivism among federal prisoners who participated 
in vocational and apprenticeship training.
TITLE I—GRANTS TO ENCOUR-
AGE SUCCESSFUL PRISONER 
RE-ENTRY 
SEC. 101. REAUTHORIZATION OF ADULT AND JUVENILE OF-
FENDER STATE AND LOCAL RE-ENTRY DEM-
ONSTRATION PROJECTS. 
(a) ADULT AND JUVENILE OFFENDER DEMONSTRA-
TION PROJECTS AUTHORIZED.—Section 2976 of the Om-
nibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 
U.S.C. 3797w) is amended in subsection (b) by striking 
paragraphs (1) through (4) and inserting the following 
new paragraphs: 
‘‘(1) establishing or improving the system or 
systems under which— 
‘‘(A) the correctional agency of the State 
or local government develops and carries out 
plans to facilitate the re-entry into the commu-
nity of each offender in State or local custody; 
‘‘(B) the supervision and services provided 
to offenders in State or local custody are co-
ordinated with the supervision and services pro-
vided to offenders after re-entry into the com-
munity; 
‘‘(C) the efforts of various public and pri-
vate entities to provide supervision and services
to offenders after re-entry into the community, 
and to family members of such offenders, are 
coordinated; and 
‘‘(D) offenders awaiting re-entry into the 
community are provided with documents (such 
as identification papers, referrals to services, 
medical prescriptions, job training certificates, 
apprenticeship papers, and information on ob-
taining public assistance) useful in achieving a 
successful transition from prison; 
‘‘(2) carrying out programs and initiatives by 
units of local government to strengthen re-entry 
services for individuals released from local jails; 
‘‘(3) enabling prison mentors of offenders to re-
main in contact with those offenders, including 
through 
the 
use 
of 
such 
technology 
as 
videoconferencing, during incarceration and after re- 
entry into the community and encouraging the in-
volvement of prison mentors in the re-entry process; 
‘‘(4) providing structured post-release housing 
and transitional housing, including group homes for 
recovering substance abusers, through which offend-
ers are provided supervision and services imme-
diately following re-entry into the community;
‘‘(5) assisting offenders in securing permanent 
housing upon release or following a stay in transi-
tional housing; 
‘‘(6) providing continuity of health services (in-
cluding mental health services, substance abuse 
treatment and aftercare, and treatment for con-
tagious diseases) to offenders in custody and after 
re-entry into the community; 
‘‘(7) providing offenders with education, job 
training, English as a Second Language programs, 
work experience programs, self-respect and life skills 
training, and other skills useful in achieving a suc-
cessful transition from prison; 
‘‘(8) facilitating collaboration among corrections 
and community corrections, technical schools, com-
munity colleges, and the workforce development and 
employment service sectors to— 
‘‘(A) promote, where appropriate, the em-
ployment of people released from prison and 
jail, through efforts such as educating employ-
ers about existing financial incentives and facili-
tate the creation of job opportunities, including 
transitional jobs, for this population that will 
benefit communities;
‘‘(B) connect inmates to employment, in-
cluding supportive employment and employment 
services, before their release to the community; 
and 
‘‘(C) address barriers to employment; 
‘‘(9) assessing the literacy and educational 
needs of offenders in custody and identifying and 
providing services appropriate to meet those needs, 
including followup assessments and long-term serv-
ices; 
‘‘(10) systems under which family members of 
offenders are involved in facilitating the successful 
re-entry of those offenders into the community, in-
cluding removing obstacles to the maintenance of 
family relationships while the offender is in custody, 
strengthening the family’s capacity as a stable living 
situation during re-entry where appropriate, and in-
volving family members in the planning and imple-
mentation of the re-entry process; 
‘‘(11) programs under which victims are in-
cluded, on a voluntary basis, in the re-entry process; 
‘‘(12) programs that facilitate visitation and 
maintenance of family relationships with respect to 
offenders in custody by addressing obstacles such as
travel, telephone costs, mail restrictions, and restric-
tive visitation policies; 
‘‘(13) identifying and addressing barriers to col-
laborating with child welfare agencies in the provi-
sion of services jointly to offenders in custody and 
to the children of such offenders; 
‘‘(14) implementing programs in correctional 
agencies to include the collection of information re-
garding any dependent children of an incarcerated 
person as part of intake procedures, including the 
number of children, age, and location or jurisdiction, 
and connect identified children with appropriate 
services; 
‘‘(15) addressing barriers to the visitation of 
children with an incarcerated parent, and mainte-
nance of the parent-child relationship, such as the 
location of facilities in remote areas, telephone costs, 
mail restrictions, and visitation policies; 
‘‘(16) creating, developing, or enhancing pris-
oner and family assessments curricula, policies, pro-
cedures, or programs (including mentoring pro-
grams) to help prisoners with a history or identified 
risk of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual as-
sault, or stalking reconnect with their families and 
communities as appropriate (or when it is safe to do
so) and become mutually respectful, nonabusive par-
ents or partners, under which particular attention is 
paid to the safety of children affected and the con-
fidentiality concerns of victims, and efforts are co-
ordinated with existing victim service providers; 
‘‘(17) developing programs and activities that 
support parent-child relationships, such as— 
‘‘(A) using telephone conferencing to per-
mit incarcerated parents to participate in par-
ent-teacher conferences; 
‘‘(B) using videoconferencing to allow vir-
tual visitation when incarcerated persons are 
more than 100 miles from their families; 
‘‘(C) the development of books on tape 
programs, through which incarcerated parents 
read a book into a tape to be sent to their chil-
dren; 
‘‘(D) the establishment of family days, 
which provide for longer visitation hours or 
family activities; or 
‘‘(E) the creation of children’s areas in vis-
itation rooms with parent-child activities; 
‘‘(18) expanding family-based treatment centers 
that offer family-based comprehensive treatment
services for parents and their children as a complete 
family unit; 
‘‘(19) conducting studies to determine who is 
returning to prison or jail and which of those return-
ing prisoners represent the greatest risk to commu-
nity safety; 
‘‘(20) developing or adopting procedures to en-
sure that dangerous felons are not released from 
prison prematurely; 
‘‘(21) developing and implementing procedures 
to assist relevant authorities in determining when re-
lease is appropriate and in the use of data to inform 
the release decision; 
‘‘(22) developing and implementing procedures 
to identify efficiently and effectively those violators 
of probation or parole who should be returned to 
prison; 
‘‘(23) utilizing established assessment tools to 
assess the risk factors of returning inmates and 
prioritizing services based on risk; 
‘‘(24) conducting studies to determine who is 
returning to prison or jail and which of those return-
ing prisoners represent the greatest risk to commu-
nity safety;
‘‘(25) facilitating and encouraging timely and 
complete payment of restitution and fines by ex-of-
fenders to victims and the community; 
‘‘(26) developing or adopting procedures to en-
sure that dangerous felons are not released from 
prison prematurely; 
‘‘(27) establishing or expanding the use of re- 
entry courts to— 
‘‘(A) monitor offenders returning to the 
community; 
‘‘(B) provide returning offenders with— 
‘‘(i) drug and alcohol testing and 
treatment; and 
‘‘(ii) mental and medical health as-
sessment and services; 
‘‘(C) facilitate restorative justice practices 
and convene family or community impact pan-
els, family impact educational classes, victim 
impact panels, or victim impact educational 
classes; 
‘‘(D) provide and coordinate the delivery of 
other community services to offenders, includ-
ing— 
‘‘(i) housing assistance; 
‘‘(ii) education;
‘‘(iii) employment training; 
‘‘(iv) children and family support; 
‘‘(v) conflict resolution skills training; 
‘‘(vi) family violence intervention pro-
grams; and 
‘‘(vii) other appropriate social serv-
ices; and 
‘‘(E) establish and implement graduated 
sanctions and incentives; and 
‘‘(28) providing technology to advance post re-
lease supervision.’’. 
(b) 
JUVENILE
OFFENDER
DEMONSTRATION 
PROJECTS
REAUTHORIZED.—Such section is further 
amended in subsection (c) by striking ‘‘may be expended 
for’’ and all that follows through the period at the end 
and inserting ‘‘may be expended for any activity referred 
to in subsection (b).’’. 
(c) 
APPLICATIONS; 
PRIORITIES; 
PERFORMANCE 
MEASUREMENTS.—Such section is further amended— 
(1) by redesignating subsection (h) as sub-
section (o); and 
(2) by striking subsections (d) through (g) and 
inserting the following new subsections: 
‘‘(d) APPLICATIONS.—A State, unit of local govern-
ment, territory, or Indian tribe desiring a grant under this
section shall submit an application to the Attorney Gen-
eral that— 
‘‘(1) contains a re-entry strategic plan, which 
describes the long-term strategy, and a detailed im-
plementation schedule, including the jurisdiction’s 
plans to pay for the program after the Federal fund-
ing is discontinued; 
‘‘(2) identifies the governmental agencies and 
community-based organizations that will be coordi-
nated by, and collaborate on, the applicant’s pris-
oner re-entry strategy and certifies their involve-
ment; and 
‘‘(3) describes the methodology and outcome 
measures that will be used in evaluating the pro-
gram. 
‘‘(e) PRIORITY CONSIDERATION.—The Attorney Gen-
eral shall give priority to grant applications that best— 
‘‘(1) focus initiative on geographic areas with a 
substantiated high population of ex-offenders; 
‘‘(2) include partnerships with community-based 
organizations; 
‘‘(3) provide consultations with crime victims 
and former incarcerated prisoners and their families; 
‘‘(4) review the process by which the State ad-
judicates violations of parole or supervised release
and consider reforms to maximize the use of grad-
uated, community-based sanctions for minor and 
technical violations of parole or supervised release; 
‘‘(5) establish pre-release planning procedures 
for prisoners to ensure that a prisoner’s eligibility 
for Federal or State benefits (including Medicaid, 
Medicare, Social Security, and Veterans benefits) 
upon release is established prior to release, subject 
to any limitations in law, and to ensure that pris-
oners are provided with referrals to appropriate so-
cial and health services or are linked to appropriate 
community-based organizations; and 
‘‘(6) target high-risk offenders for re-entry pro-
grams through validated assessment tools. 
‘‘(f) CONDITION OF FUNDING.—As a condition of re-
ceiving a grant under this section, a State must agree to— 
‘‘(1) establish a process to identify and review 
existing State laws, regulations, and rules that im-
pose restrictions or occupational disqualifications on 
people with criminal convictions and to consider 
modifications of such laws, regulations, and rules to 
ensure that each such restriction or disqualification 
bears a substantial relationship to the nature of the 
conduct that resulted in the criminal conviction;
‘‘(2) afford members of the public an oppor-
tunity to participate in the process described in the 
preceding paragraph; 
‘‘(3) establish a meaningful and accessible proc-
ess to enable people with criminal convictions to re-
gain their civil rights and privileges if they have led 
a law-abiding life following release from prison; 
‘‘(4) review the process by which the State ad-
judicates violations of parole or supervised release 
and consider reforms to maximize the use of grad-
uated, community-based sanctions for minor and 
technical violations of parole or supervised release; 
‘‘(5) review the State’s correctional policies and 
expenditures to maximize the use of community- 
based corrections for non-violent offenders; 
‘‘(6) establish pre-release planning procedures 
for State prisoners to ensure that a prisoner’s eligi-
bility for Federal or State benefits (including Med-
icaid, Medicare, Social Security, and Veterans bene-
fits) upon release is established prior to release, sub-
ject to any limitations in law; and 
‘‘(7) maintain existing State funding for pris-
oner re-entry activities. 
‘‘(g) USES OF GRANT FUNDS.—
‘‘(1) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of a 
grant received under this section may not exceed 75 
percent of the project funded under the grant, unless 
the Attorney General— 
‘‘(A) waives, in whole or in part, the re-
quirement of this paragraph; and 
‘‘(B) publicly delineates the rationale for 
the waiver. 
‘‘(2) SUPPLEMENT
NOT
SUPPLANT.—Federal 
funds received under this section shall be used to 
supplement, not supplant, non-Federal funds that 
would otherwise be available for the activities funded 
under this section. 
‘‘(h) REENTRY STRATEGIC PLAN.— 
‘‘(1) As a condition of receiving financial assist-
ance under this section, each applicant shall develop 
a comprehensive strategic re-entry plan that con-
tains measurable annual and 5- to 10-year perform-
ance outcomes. The plan shall have as a goal to re-
duce significantly the rate of recidivism of formerly 
incarcerated persons within the State over a period 
of 5 years. 
‘‘(2) In developing re-entry plans under this 
subsection, applicants shall coordinate with commu-
nities and stakeholders, including experts in the
fields of public safety, corrections, housing, health, 
education, employment, and members of community- 
based organizations that provide re-entry services. 
‘‘(3) Each re-entry plan developed under this 
subsection shall measure the applicant’s progress to-
ward increasing public safety by reducing rates of 
recidivism and enabling released offenders to transi-
tion successfully back into their communities. 
‘‘(i) REENTRY TASK FORCE.—As a condition of re-
ceiving financial assistance under this section, each State 
or local government receiving a grant shall establish a Re-
entry Task Force or other relevant convening authority 
to examine ways to pool existing resources and funding 
streams to promote lower recidivism rates for returning 
prisoners and to minimize the harmful effects of incarcer-
ation on families and communities by collecting data and 
best practices in offender re-entry from demonstration 
grantees and other agencies and organizations. The task 
force or other authority shall be comprised of relevant 
State or local leaders, agencies, service providers, commu-
nity-based organizations, or stakeholders. 
‘‘(j) STRATEGIC PERFORMANCE OUTCOMES.— 
‘‘(1) Each applicant shall identify specific per-
formance outcomes related to the long-term goals of 
increasing public safety and reducing recidivism.
‘‘(2) The performance outcomes identified 
under paragraph (1) shall include, with respect to 
offenders released back into the community— 
‘‘(A) recommitment rates; 
‘‘(B) reduction in crime; 
‘‘(C) employment and education; 
‘‘(D) violations of conditions of supervised 
release; 
‘‘(E) child support; 
‘‘(F) housing; 
‘‘(G) drug and alcohol abuse; and 
‘‘(H) participation in mental health serv-
ices. 
‘‘(3) States may also report on other activities 
that increase the success rates of offenders who 
transition from prison, such as programs that foster 
effective risk management and treatment program-
ming, offender accountability, and community and 
victim participation. 
‘‘(4) Applicants should coordinate with commu-
nities and stakeholders about the selection of per-
formance outcomes identified by the applicants and 
with the Department of Justice for assistance with 
data collection and measurement activities.