‘‘(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 
and faith-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. 
‘‘(5) Each grantee shall submit an annual re-
port to the Department of Justice that—
‘‘(A) identifies the grantee’s progress to-
ward achieving its strategic performance out-
comes; and 
‘‘(B) describes other activities conducted 
by the grantee to increase the success rates of 
the re-entry population. 
‘‘(k) PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT.—
‘‘(1) The Department of Justice shall, in con-
sultation with the States—
‘‘(A) identify primary and secondary 
sources of information to support the measure-
ment of the performance indicators identified 
under this section; 
‘‘(B) identify sources and methods of data 
collection in support of performance measure-
ment required under this section; 
‘‘(C) provide to all grantees technical as-
sistance and training on performance measures 
and data collection for purposes of this section; 
and
‘‘(D) coordinate with the Substance Abuse 
and Mental Health Services Administration on 
strategic performance outcome measures and 
data collection for purposes of this section relat-
ing to substance abuse and mental health. 
‘‘(2) The Department of Justice shall coordi-
nate with other Federal agencies to identify national 
sources of information to support State performance 
measurement. 
‘‘(l) FUTURE ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible to receive 
a grant under this section for fiscal years after the first 
receipt of such a grant, a State shall submit to the Attor-
ney General such information as is necessary to dem-
onstrate that, with respect to the comprehensive strategic 
re-entry plan developed by the State pursuant to sub-
section (h)—
‘‘(1) the public has been afforded an oppor-
tunity to provide input in the development of the 
plan; 
‘‘(2) the plan includes performance measures to 
assess the State’s progress toward increasing public 
safety by reducing rates of recidivism and enabling 
released offenders to transition successfully into 
their communities; and
‘‘(3) the State will coordinate with communities 
and stakeholders about the selection and implemen-
tation of performance outcome measures and with 
the Department of Justice for assistance with data 
collection and measurement activities. 
‘‘(m) NATIONAL ADULT AND JUVENILE OFFENDER 
REENTRY RESOURCE CENTER.—
‘‘(1) The Attorney General may, using amounts 
made available to carry out this subsection, make a 
grant to an eligible organization to provide for the 
establishment of a National Adult and Juvenile Of-
fender Reentry Resource Center. 
‘‘(2) An organization eligible for the grant 
under paragraph (1) is any national nonprofit orga-
nization approved by the Federal task force estab-
lished under the Second Chance Act of 2004 that 
represents, provides technical assistance and train-
ing to, and has special expertise and broad, national-
level experience in offender re-entry programs, train-
ing, and research. 
‘‘(3) The organization receiving the grant shall 
establish a National Adult and Juvenile Offender 
Reentry Resource Center to—
‘‘(A) provide education, training, and tech-
nical assistance for States, local governments,
service providers, faith based organizations, and 
corrections institutions; 
‘‘(B) collect data and best practices in of-
fender re-entry from demonstration grantees 
and others agencies and organizations; 
‘‘(C) develop and disseminate evaluation 
tools, mechanisms, and measures to better as-
sess and document coalition performance meas-
ures and outcomes; 
‘‘(D) disseminate knowledge to States and 
other relevant entities about best practices, pol-
icy standards, and research findings; 
‘‘(E) develop and implement procedures to 
assist relevant authorities in determining when 
release is appropriate and in the use of data to 
inform the release decision; 
‘‘(F) develop and implement procedures to 
identify efficiently and effectively those violators 
of probation or parole who should be returned 
to prison and those who should receive other 
penalties based on defined, graduated sanctions; 
‘‘(G) collaborate with the Federal task 
force established under the Second Chance Act 
of 2004 and the Federal Resource Center for 
Children of Prisoners;
‘‘(H) develop a national research agenda; 
and 
‘‘(I) bridge the gap between research and 
practice by translating knowledge from research 
into practical information. 
‘‘(4) Of amounts made available to carry out 
this section, not more than 4 percent shall be avail-
able to carry out this subsection. 
‘‘(n) ADMINISTRATION.—Of amounts made available 
to carry out this section, not more than 2 percent shall 
be available for administrative expenses in carrying out 
this section.’’. 
(d) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.—Such 
section is further amended in paragraph (1) of subsection 
(o) (as redesignated by subsection (c)) by striking ‘‘and 
$16,000,000 for fiscal year 2005’’ and inserting ‘‘and 
$75,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2005 through 2008’’. 
SEC. 102. IMPROVED RE-ENTRY PROCEDURES FOR FED-
ERAL PRISONERS. 
(a) GENERAL RE-ENTRY PROCEDURES.—The Attor-
ney General shall take such steps as are necessary to mod-
ify existing procedures and policies to enhance case plan-
ning and to improve the transition of persons from the 
custody of the Bureau of Prisons to the community, in-
cluding placement of such individuals in community cor-
rections facilities. 
(b) PROCEDURES REGARDING BENEFITS.—The Di-
rector of the Bureau of Prisons shall establish pre-release 
planning procedures for Federal prisoners to ensure that 
a prisoner’s eligibility for Federal or State benefits (in-
cluding Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, and Veterans 
benefits) upon release is established prior to release, sub-
ject to any limitations in law. 
(c) PROCEDURES REGARDING CHILDREN OF INCAR-
CERATED PARENTS.—The Director of the Bureau of Pris-
oners shall—
(1) collect information regarding the dependent 
children of an incarcerated person as part of stand-
ard intake procedures, including the number, age, 
and residence of such children; 
(2) review all policies, practices, and facilities to 
ensure that they support the relationship between 
parent and child; and 
(3) identify the training needs of staff with re-
spect to the effect of incarceration on children, fami-
lies, and communities, age-appropriate interactions, 
and community resources for the families of incar-
cerated persons.
SEC. 103. TASK FORCE ON FEDERAL PROGRAMS AND AC-
TIVITIES RELATING TO REENTRY OF OF-
FENDERS. 
(a) TASK FORCE ESTABLISHED.—There is estab-
lished in the executive branch an interagency task force 
on Federal programs and activities related to the re-entry 
of former prisoners into the community. The Attorney 
General shall chair the task force, whose members shall 
consist of the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of Health 
and Human Services, the Secretary of Housing and Urban 
Development, and the heads of such other government de-
partments or agencies as the Attorney General deems ap-
propriate. 
(b) DUTIES.—The task force required by subsection 
(a) shall—
(1) identify such programs and activities that 
may be resulting in overlapping or duplication of 
services, the scope of such overlapping or duplica-
tion, and the relationship of such overlapping and 
duplication to public safety, public health, and effec-
tiveness and efficiency; 
(2) identify methods to improve collaboration 
and coordination of such programs and activities; 
(3) identify areas of responsibility in which im-
proved collaboration and coordination of such pro-
grams and activities would result in increased effec-
tiveness or efficiency; 
(4) develop innovative interagency or intergov-
ernmental programs, activities, or procedures that 
would improve outcomes of reentering offenders and 
children of offenders; 
(5) develop methods for increasing regular com-
munication that would increase interagency program 
effectiveness; 
(6) identify areas of research that can be co-
ordinated across agencies with an emphasis on ap-
plying science-based practices to support, treatment, 
and intervention programs for reentering offenders; 
(7) identify funding areas that should be co-
ordinated across agencies and any gaps in funding; 
and 
(8) identify successful programs currently oper-
ating and collect best practices in offender re-entry 
from demonstration grantees and other agencies and 
organizations, determine the extent to which such 
programs and practices can be replicated, and make 
information on such programs and practices avail-
able to States, localities, community-based organiza-
tions, and others.
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the task force established 
by subsection (a) shall submit to Congress a report on 
legal barriers to successful prisoner re-entry. The task 
force shall provide for public input in preparing the report. 
The report shall identify all such barriers in Federal law 
and those that are common features of State law, analyze 
the effect of such barriers on prisoners and their families, 
and propose modifications to Federal law to ensure that 
such barriers are narrowly tailored and do not unneces-
sarily hinder successful prisoner re-entry. Among the 
issues the report shall address are the following: 
(1) Policies related to the admission and evic-
tion of former prisoners and their families in public 
housing programs. 
(2) Eligibility criteria for Federal benefit pro-
grams (including Medicaid, Medicare, Social Secu-
rity, and Veterans benefits) that limit the ability of 
former prisoners to obtain eligibility immediately 
upon release from prison. 
(3) Eligibility for welfare benefits. 
(4) The consideration of parental incarceration 
in terminating parental rights under the Adoption 
and Safe Families Act of 1997.
(5) The ineligibility of prisoners for education 
loans. 
(6) Felon disenfranchisement laws. 
(7) Federal statutory protections against em-
ployment discrimination based on criminal record. 
(d) ANNUAL REPORTS.—On an annual basis, the 
task force required by subsection (a) shall submit to Con-
gress a report on the activities of the task force, including 
specific recommendations of the task force on matters re-
ferred to in subsection (b). 
SEC. 104. OFFENDER RE-ENTRY RESEARCH. 
(a) NATIONAL
INSTITUTE
OF
JUSTICE.—From 
amounts made available to carry out this Act, the National 
Institute of Justice shall conduct research on offender re-
entry, including—
(1) a study identifying the number and charac-
teristics of children who have had a parent incarcer-
ated and the likelihood of these minors becoming in-
volved in the criminal justice system some time in 
their lifetime; 
(2) a study identifying a mechanism to compare 
rates of recidivism (including re-arrest, violations of 
parole and probation, and re-incarceration) among 
States; and
(3) a study on the population of individuals re-
leased from custody who do not engage in recidivism 
and the characteristics (housing, employment, treat-
ment, family connection) of that population. 
(b) 
BUREAU
OF
JUSTICE
STATISTICS.—From 
amounts made available to carry out this Act, the Bureau 
of Justice Statistics may conduct research on offender re-
entry, including—
(1) an analysis of special populations, including 
prisoners with mental illness or substance abuse dis-
orders, female offenders, juvenile offenders, and the 
elderly, that present unique re-entry challenges; 
(2) studies to determine who is returning to 
prison or jail and which of those returning prisoners 
represent the greatest risk to community safety; 
(3) annual reports on the profile of the popu-
lation coming out of prisons, jails, and juvenile jus-
tice facilities; 
(4) a national recidivism study every three 
years; and 
(5) a study of parole violations and revocations.
SEC. 105. USE OF VIOLENT OFFENDER TRUTH-IN-SEN-
TENCING GRANT FUNDING FOR DEMONSTRA-
TION PROJECT ACTIVITIES. 
Section 20102(a) of the Violent Crime Control and 
Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 13702(a)) is 
amended—
(1) in paragraph (2) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(2) in paragraph (3) by striking the period at 
the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(4) to carry out any activity referred to in sec-
tion 2976(b) of the Omnibus Crime Control and 
Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3797w(b)).’’. 
SEC. 106. STATE AND LOCAL REENTRY COURTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Part FF of title I of the Omnibus 
Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 
3797w et seq.) is amended by inserting at the end the 
following: 
‘‘SEC. 2979. STATE AND LOCAL REENTRY COURTS. 
‘‘(a) GRANTS AUTHORIZED.—The Attorney General 
shall award grants of not more than $500,000 to—
‘‘(1) State and local courts; or 
‘‘(2) State agencies, municipalities, public agen-
cies, nonprofit organizations, and tribes that have
agreements with courts to take the lead in estab-
lishing a re-entry court. 
‘‘(b) USE OF FUNDS.—Grant funds awarded under 
this section shall be administered in accordance with the 
guidelines, regulations, and procedures promulgated by 
the Attorney General, and may be used to—
‘‘(1) monitor offenders returning to the commu-
nity; 
‘‘(2) provide returning offenders with—
‘‘(A) drug and alcohol testing and treat-
ment; and 
‘‘(B) mental and medical health assess-
ment and services; 
‘‘(3) convene community impact panels, victim 
impact panels, or victim impact educational classes; 
‘‘(4) provide and coordinate the delivery of 
other community services to offenders, including—
‘‘(A) housing assistance; 
‘‘(B) education; 
‘‘(C) employment training; 
‘‘(D) conflict resolution skills training; 
‘‘(E) batterer intervention programs; and 
‘‘(F) other appropriate social services; and 
‘‘(5) establish and implement graduated sanc-
tions and incentives.
‘‘(c) APPLICATION.—Each eligible entity desiring a 
grant under this section shall, in addition to any other 
requirements required by the Attorney General, submit an 
application to the Attorney General that—
‘‘(1) describes a long-term strategy and detailed 
implementation plan, including how the entity plans 
to pay for the program after the Federal funding 
ends; 
‘‘(2) identifies the governmental and community 
agencies that will be coordinated by this project; 
‘‘(3) certifies that—
‘‘(A) there has been appropriate consulta-
tion with all affected agencies, including exist-
ing community corrections and parole entities; 
and 
‘‘(B) there will be appropriate coordination 
with all affected agencies in the implementation 
of the program; and 
‘‘(4) describes the methodology and outcome 
measures that will be used in evaluation of the pro-
gram. 
‘‘(d) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.—The Federal share 
of a grant received under this section may not exceed 75 
percent of the costs of the project funded under this sec-
tion unless the Attorney General—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 471(a)(15) of title 
IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 671(a)(15)) 
is amended—
(A) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘sub-
paragraph (D)’’ and inserting ‘‘subparagraph 
(E)’’; 
(B) by redesignating subparagraphs (C) 
through (F) as subparagraphs (D) through (G), 
respectively; 
(C) by inserting after subparagraph (B) 
the following new subparagraph (C): 
‘‘(C) when applied to parents incarcerated 
for crimes unrelated to the abuse of a child, 
‘reasonable efforts’ to preserve and unify fami-
lies includes—
‘‘(i) coordinating visitation between 
the child, unless such contact is found by 
a court to be contrary to the child’s best 
interest, including transporting the child to 
visits where other means of transportation 
are unavailable; 
‘‘(ii) giving preference to family mem-
bers when placing a child in foster care ab-
sent a finding of unfitness;