RAW
REENTRY. ACTIVITY. WATCH.
Reentry Activity Watch (RAW) is designed to give a brief synopsis of laws, policies, events, and stories that directly impact returning citizens. The goal of RAW is to educate, inform, and mobilize the community.
In Local News: DC Housing
Recently DCHA (District of Columbia Housing Authority) revised the housing voucher application also known as Local Rent Supplement Program (LRSP) in the nutshell “Voucher”. The new application is supposed to be simplified to make it easy to apply for a voucher. Use the following link to get the application and a detailed understanding of how to use it.
Meantime, In Congress:Medicare and Continuing Coverage
BIPARTISAN SECOND CHANCE TASK FORCE
(118th Congress Legislation to Support)
Congress has convened a Bipartisan Second Chance Task Force introducing several bills centered around medical coverage for returning citizens H.R. 1201 - Increasing Behavioral Health Treatment Act & H.R. 3074 – Due Process Continuity of Care Act - “To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act, removing and the exclusion from medical assistance under the Medicaid Program of items and services for patients in an institution for mental disease, and for other purposes.”
S. 971 – Due Process Continuity of Care Act – “To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act, removing the Medicaid coverage exclusion for inmates in custody pending disposition of charges, and for other purposes.”
Go to Congress.Gov to get the entire bill. In summary, your medical coverage will continue no matter where you are in your case or sentence, i.e., pretrial, pre-release, or release.
EDUCATION
H.R.2825 – Prison Libraries Act of 2023
“To establish a program to make grants for the establishment of prison libraries.”
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT.
“Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall establish a program to make grants to eligible applicants for the purpose of providing library services to incarcerated individuals in order to advance reintegration efforts, reduce recidivism, and increase educational opportunities.”
Go to Congress.Gov to get the full bill. In a nutshell the library services in prisons will be brought into the twenty-first century.