Recidivism refers to a person’s relapse into criminal behavior after their release from prison. A 2019 U.S. Sentencing Commission report on recidivism among federal prisoners showed that nearly 64% of prisoners who had been convicted of violent offenses were arrested within eight years compared with about 40% of those convicted of nonviolent offenses. Our prison population is aging due to an increase in admissions of older people and longer sentences. Although research shows recidivism substantially declines with age, released prisoners face many difficulties in avoiding reincarceration. Advocates claim inmates, subjected to coercive and violent prison environments, often emerge with psychological problems. Once released, it is difficult for them to get jobs and find housing - putting them back in an environment where there’s a lot of temptations without much support. They say most correctional facilities are not equipped with the types of psychological or substance abuse treatment programs many inmates need to avoid recidivism.

Pending Legislation: Reintroduction of H.R.981 - One Stop Shop Community Reentry Program Act of 2023
Proposed Sponsor: Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA)

• I oppose reforming current recidivism policy and wish to donate resources to the campaign committee of Speaker Mike Johnson (LA).
• I support authorizing grants to support community-based reentry resources for previously incarcerated individuals who return to their communities by:
  
  1.) Authorizing the Department of Justice (DOJ) to make grants for community-based nonprofit organizations to create community reentry centers.
  
  2.) Authorizing DOJ to make grants for states, Indian tribes, and local governments to operate reentry services assistance hotlines.
  
  And wish to donate resources to the campaign committee of Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA) and/or to an advocate group currently working with this issue.