On the legislative front...

From thecrimereport.org comes news  that Sen. Jim Webb's bill to set  up a  national commission on criminal justice reform has been redrafted.  It could be taken up again by the Senate Judiciary Committee as early as tomorrow.  Apparently, there had been complaints the measure didn't have enough state and local representation on the panel.  That's been corrected as noted here.

Meanwhile, the folks at the Legal Action Center tell me that work is afoot to ensure that the The Second Chance Act of 2008  is definitely renewed after it's three-year authorization runs out.  Attorneys, advocates, legislators and other interested parties are evaluating what, if any, changes need to be made to make the bill more effective.  The Second Chance Act provides $165 million to fund education, treatment and  re-entry services for ex-offenders.  Awards have been announced throughout the country, but local agencies and non-profits must wait until Congress has authorized the budget before the monies will be released.

As to other legislation:  Sen. Charles Rangel's two bills on expungement and returning voting rights to former offenders are again unlikely to see any activity in this year's session.