The Council of State Governments (CSG) reports that the U.S. Senate has passed the Second Chance Act. According to the CSG, "the legislation passed the Senate by unanimous consent and now proceeds to the President's desk for signature." Information on the Second Chance Act can be found here.
Additionally, the Consensus Project reports that the Senate Judiciary Committee passed the Reauthorization of the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act. The bill would "help provide states and counties with the resources needed to design and implement collaborative efforts between the criminal justice and mental health systems."
3/17/08 Second Chance Act update: According to Yahoo News, "The President is expected to sign the bill soon."
Additional information about the Second Chance Act can be found in the articles below.
PR Newswire: Tubbs Jones Applauds Passage of Second Chance Act in Senate
Wall Street Journal: Senate Clears Prisoner Bill
Standard Newswire: Brownback Applauds Senate Passage of Second Chance Act
Cleveland Plain Dealer: Senate passes bill to help ex-prisoners
Social Science Research Analyst for NIC's Offender Workforce Development Division