Bill Text: GA HR498 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Introduced

Georgia House Resolution 498 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Georgia Second Chance Reintegration Initiative; bipartisan change; recognize

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-03-08 - House Second Readers [HR498 Detail]

Download: Georgia-2011-HR498-Introduced.html

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House Resolution 498

By: Representatives Abdul-Salaam of the 74th, Brooks of the 63rd, Beasley-Teague of the 65th, Fludd of the 66th, Williams of the 89th, and others

A RESOLUTION

Recognizing the initiative known as the "Georgia Second Chance Reintegrating Initiative" and expressing a sincere interest in working in a bipartisan manner to bring about change in this state to reduce the rate of offender recidivism; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, the federal Second Chance Act of 2007, which bears the short title "Community Safety Through Recidivism Prevention," is federal legislation designed to ensure the safe and successful return of prisoners to the community which provides for the expansion of state and local reentry demonstration projects to provide expanded services to offenders and their families for reentry into society, as well as the necessary services to remain productive members of society, and that federal Act serves as a model for states to follow; and

WHEREAS, the General Assembly recognizes the hard fact that the rate of offender recidivism is unacceptable in this state and that recidivism exacts a heavy toll in human suffering on the part of the crime victims, the offender's families and the offenders themselves; and

WHEREAS, the high rate of recidivism comes with a high economic cost in terms of money spent on public safety, jails, and penal institutions, losses as a result of crime, and, perhaps the greatest loss of all, the wasted potential of the repeat offender who could have been rehabilitated into a productive citizen; and

WHEREAS, the Governor is working on alternatives to incarceration, which leaves offenders in the community and offers the opportunity for rehabilitation, but without a network of support those offenders and offenders released from incarceration face nearly insurmountable obstacles in trying to reintegrate into society, including substandard levels of education, lack of job training, substance abuse, alienation from families and loved ones, and the inability to achieve acceptance by the community at large; and

WHEREAS, the only hope these offenders have to rise above their condition as "ex-offender" and achieve the status of "citizen" is through second chance reintegration programs provided by the state and local communities and nonprofit organizations which provide the services needed for men and women to readjust to society after their period of incarceration and avoid the very conditions that lead inexorably back to criminal activity; and

WHEREAS, a holistic, coordinated, state-wide second chance initiative will pay dividends in reducing the impact of recidivism in terms of economic cost and human suffering.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body recognize the initiative known as the "Georgia Second Chance Reintegrating Initiative" and express a sincere interest in working in a bipartisan manner to bring about change in this state to reduce the rate of offender recidivism.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of House of Representatives is authorized and directed to transmit appropriate copies of this resolution to the public and the press.