Statement of American Bar Association President William H. Neukom on Signing of Second Chance Act

WASHINGTON, April 9, 2008—President Bush’s signing into law of the Second Chance Act is great news for our nation.

Each year, more than 700,000 people are freed from America’s prisons, and hundreds of thousands more are released from jails, all of them returning to live among us. It is essential that they be able to support themselves and their families and make positive contributions to society.

The Second Chance Act is a sensible, bipartisan approach to crime prevention, because it helps ex-offenders find productive, law-abiding roles in our communities. The Second Chance Act provides funding to state and local government programs in such areas as family reunification, job training, education, housing, substance abuse and mental health.

The goal of the Second Chance Act is to break the chain of repeat criminal activity. This law represents a wise investment in a positive future for ex-offenders, their families and our communities.