HR-2899 : Still Just a Bill

Second Chance Reauthorization Act of 2017

This bill amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to:

• revise and reauthorize grant programs for offender reentry demonstration projects; family-based substance abuse treatment; and evaluating and improving educational methods at prisons, jails, and juvenile facilities; and
• repeal grant programs for offender reentry courts and drug treatment alternatives to incarceration.

Additionally, the legislation amends the Second Chance Act of 2007 to:

• rename, revise, and reauthorize grant programs for technology career training demonstration projects and reentry mentoring services,
• reauthorize offender reentry research and the grant program for offender reentry substance abuse and criminal justice collaboration,
• reauthorize and modify eligibility for an elderly offender early release pilot program, and
• repeal grant programs for the responsible reintegration of offenders and the study of Depot Naltrexone to treat heroin addiction.

It amends the federal criminal code to establish partnerships between prisons and faith- or community-based nonprofit organizations to conduct activities to reduce recidivism.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Inspector General must conduct annual audits of selected grant recipients to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse of funds. The bill prohibits grants to nonprofit organizations that hold money in an offshore account to avoid tax liability. It also prohibits a grantee from using grant funds to lobby DOJ or a state, local, or tribal government regarding the award of grant funding.

DOJ, in collaboration with interested persons, providers, and organizations, and state, local, and tribal governments, must coordinate and report to Congress on federal reentry programs, policies, and practices.

The bill limits the use of grants for conferences that use more than $20,000 in DOJ funds.