The Honorable Joseph Biden

201 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Senator Biden:

On behalf of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) and our 3,800 members, I strongly urge you to pass the bi-partisan Second Chance Act of 2007 (S.1060) which was considered by the Senate Judiciary Committee last year.   The Second Chance Act ensures that state and local governments develop comprehensive plans to promote successful reentry into society for the more than 600,000 people that are released from state and local prisons every year.  

NOBLE is an organization that consists of black law enforcement CEO’s and command level officials in local, state, and federal government.   It has 57 chapters in the United States, and is headquartered in Washington, DC.   NOBLE serves as the conscience of law enforcement by being committed to justice by action and strives to be recognized as a highly competent, public service organization at the forefront of providing solutions to law enforcement issues and concerns, as well as to the ever-changing needs of our communities.   Passage of The Second Chance Act would do much to meet these needs.

Currently, over two million people are incarcerated in federal or state prisons or in local jails, and ninety-five percent of them will be released into communities nationwide.   Moreover, seven million people, or one out of every 32 American adults, are in prison, jail, probation or are on parole.   These are record numbers, and they continue to increase.   Additionally, jail and prison costs are rising, putting an even larger strain on state and local budgets.    Once a prisoner reenters society, they face significant barriers on many fronts.   For example, there are state laws that prohibit former prisoners from obtaining certain jobs, landlords who refuse to rent to ex-offenders, and many released offenders who face an inability to obtain continuing substance abuse treatment.   For these reasons and others, two-thirds of those released from prison will be re-arrested within three years.

The Second Chance Act is a bill that would assist state and local governments in developing plans to strengthen reentry programs and fund services for ex-offenders, such as mentoring, education, job training, and substance abuse treatment.   Specifically, S.1060 enhances state and local government reentry demonstration projects, promotes employment programs for prisoners, creates new drug treatment programs as alternatives to incarceration for non-violent offenders provides mentoring grants to non-profit faith and community based organizations, and requires the creation of a comprehensive reentry program for federal prisoners.