Corrections_Today_Fall_2025_Vol.87_No.3

First published in Corrections Today magazine, August 2005

offenders. His recitation that “America is the land of sec ond chance” will resonate with corrections professionals for years to come. In mid-September 2004, Cleveland was the site of the first National Conference on Offender Reentry spon sored by the U.S. Department of Justice and the other federal agencies involved in the Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative. More than I,400 attendees participated in the conference. The Re-Entry Policy Council recently released the Report of the Re-Entry Policy Council: Charting the Safe and Successful Return of Prisoners to the Community , a land mark report that offers a comprehensive set of bipartisan, consensus-based recommendations for policy-makers and practitioners interested in improving the likelihood that adults released from prison or jail will avoid crime and become productive and healthy members of both their families and communities. The Council of State Govern ments partnered with 10 other national organizations to compile this report, which comprises hundreds of recom mendations and research findings related to employment, public safety, housing, health, families, faith-based initia tives and victims. These recommendations are consistent with the provisions proposed in landmark legislation known as the Second Chance Act of 2005. Confronting recidivism The Second Chance Act of 2005: Community Safety Through Recidivism Prevention, recognizes the many complex issues affecting individuals released from pris on or jail that must be addressed to ensure that they are not re-arrested after their return to the community. The legislation which encourages state and local governments to craft solutions that span agencies and engage com munity-based partners, was introduced in the House of Representatives by Reps. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, Danny Davis, D-111., Howard Coble, R-N.C., Stephanie Tubbs Jones, D-Ohio, Steve Chabot, R-Ohio, Chris Canno, R- Utah, and Katherine Harris, R-Fla. This bill, if adopted, will exert a substantial impact on reducing offender recidivism, save precious taxpayer

Article summary: The article explores national efforts to reduce recidivism through holistic reentry strategies, emphasizing community col laboration, policy reform, and the Second Chance Act. Why this is still relevant today: Recidivism remains a pressing issue as millions reenter society from incarceration. The challenges — ranging from employ ment barriers to family reintegration — persist today. Holistic, community based reentry strategies and supportive legislation like the Second Chance Act are still essential to improving public safety, reducing repeat offenses, and fostering successful reintegration into society.

Evergreen wisdom:

“America is the land of second chance, and when the gates of the prison open, the path ahead should lead to a better life.” — President George W. Bush, 2004 State of the Union Address

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Background: Adobe Stock/Shariq.B; Microphone: Adobe Stock/Сергей Тарасюк; Card Catalog: Adobe Stock/Andrey Kuzmin

Fall 2025 | Corrections Today

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