Joe Biden

Statement of Administration Policy: H.R. 3372 - One Stop Shop Community Reentry Program Act of 2021

December 01, 2022

STATEMENT OF ADMINISTRATION POLICY

(House)
(Rep. Bass, D-CA, and 19 cosponsors)

The Administration strongly supports passage of H.R. 3372, the One Stop Shop Community Reentry Program Act of 2021. President Biden has repeatedly described America as a Nation of second chances, underscoring the need for our criminal and juvenile justice systems to provide meaningful opportunities for rehabilitation and redemption.

This bipartisan legislation would authorize $50 million for a new Department of Justice (DOJ) grant program to create community reentry centers that would meet the needs of people returning home after conviction or incarceration, their families, and the communities to which they return, with a focus on areas that have disproportionately high numbers of residents who have been convicted of a criminal offense. To be eligible for this funding, H.R. 3372 would require centers and community leaders to develop a plan to provide comprehensive, individualized, and accessible reentry planning, support, and referral services, including for trauma therapy, transportation, job training, education, housing, healthcare, financial counseling, legal assistance or referrals, and access to State and Federal government benefits. H.R. 3372 would require the centers to identify available State and local funding and to report on the centers' impact on recidivism; attainment of housing, employment, and education; and other outcomes.

To enhance accountability and transparency, H.R. 3372 would require DOJ to contract for an evaluation of each grantee on an ongoing basis and submit an annual report to Congress with detailed information on grants awarded, including success rates for program participants.

By facilitating the successful reentry of returning citizens, these one stop community centers can support them in their commitment to, charting a better future, making meaningful contributions to their communities, and building a safer and more equitable society.

Joseph R. Biden, Statement of Administration Policy: H.R. 3372 - One Stop Shop Community Reentry Program Act of 2021 Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/359223

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