S. 1843: Second Chance Reauthorization Act of 2025 (119th Congress) Bill Summary

This bill, known as the Second Chance Reauthorization Act of 2025, aims to reauthorize and improve programs that help individuals who are reentering society after incarceration. The bill updates several sections of existing law to extend funding and support for various initiatives that assist in the reintegration of former offenders into their communities. Below are the key components of the bill:

Improvements to Existing Programs

State and Local Reentry Projects: The bill proposes to enhance support for reentry programs, including those that provide services for substance use disorders. This includes offering peer recovery services, case management, as well as access to education on overdose and medications for reversing overdoses. Additionally, it emphasizes providing reentry housing services.
Family-Based Substance Abuse Treatment Grants: It extends the timeframe for grants to support family-based treatment programs for substance abuse from the previous years (2019-2023) to a new period (2026-2030).
Educational Method Evaluation Grants: The grant program aimed at evaluating and improving education in prisons, jails, and juvenile facilities will also see its funding period extended to 2026-2030.
Career Training Demonstration Grants: These grants will continue to be available for careers training programs aimed at helping former offenders with job readiness and skills development, also extending the funding period to 2026-2030.
Collaborative Programs for Substance Abuse and Criminal Justice: Funding for this program, which encourages collaboration between substance abuse services and the criminal justice system, will similarly be extended to 2026-2030.
Community-Based Mentoring and Transitional Service Grants: Grants to nonprofit organizations that provide mentoring and transitional services to former offenders will have their funding period extended to match the new timeline of 2026-2030.

Overall, this bill seeks to enhance the effectiveness of programs designed to support the successful reintegration of individuals who have been incarcerated, thereby addressing their unique challenges, particularly in relation to substance use and education.