Addiction Policy Forum Calls on Congress to Continue Funding for Critical Second Chance Act Programs and Reentry Services

Addiction Policy Forum joined 330 national, state, and local organizations in support of continued funding of the Second Chance Act in the Fiscal Year 2027 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. 

The sign-on letter urges Congress to continue funding for Second Chance Act recidivism reduction and reentry programs. Second Chance Act programs provide individuals reentering the community with services, including housing, job training, education, substance use, and mental health treatment.

The Second Chance Act has proven to make communities safer and stronger. Research shows that three-year reincarceration rates have decreased by 23% nationally since the passage of the Second Chance Act in 2008. During the Second Chance Act tenure, over 442,000 people have received services that help address factors that impact reentry outcomes. Second Chance Act grants have been administered in 49 states and the District of Columbia, and U.S. Territories to  871 state, local, and tribal government agencies and reentry-focused nonprofit organizations.

Second Chance Act programs aid individuals with substance use and mental health disorders. The Second Chance Act supports the Crisis Stabilization and Community Reentry Program, which provides funding to state, local, and Tribal governments and community-based nonprofits to implement or expand evidence-based clinical services that address the treatment and recovery needs of justice-involved individuals with mental health, substance use, or co-occurring disorders. Research shows that when people receive treatment for substance use disorders, they are less likely to recidivate.