During the 109th Congressional Legislative Session, Senator Arlen Specter (D-PA) introduced S.1934 [5] and Representative Robert Portman (R-OH2) reintroduced the Second Chance Act (2007) S 1934 [6] without success.

[10] In 2011, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) introduced S.1231[11] requesting reauthorization of the Second Chance Act during the 112th Congressional Legislative Session.

[15] The National Institute of Justice Reports that 60 percent of former inmates remain jobless a year after their release because of their criminal records and the low literacy levels that hamper them in their search for employment.

[16] Employment rates and earnings histories of people in prisons and jails are often low before incarceration as a result of limited education experiences, low skill levels, and the prevalence of physical and mental health problems; incarceration only exacerbates these challenges.

A report by Human Rights Watch, No Second Chance,[18] focuses on the unfairness of the one-strike policy in public housing.

[21] The Second Chance Act legislation authorizes federal grants to government agencies and nonprofit organizations to provide employment assistance, housing, substance abuse treatment, family programming, mentoring, victim's support and other related services that help reduce recidivism.