The United States leads the rest of the world in its incarceration rates, due to the converging factors of recent zero-tolerance approaches toward crime, mandatory minimum sentencing laws, and three-strikes legislation. The article outlines the problems faced by ex-offenders as they attempt re-integration into their communities. Problems involve the acquisition of appropriate housing, employment, and education. Felony offenders are denied entry into many governmental programs, including welfare benefits and Federal Pell Grants for college. They are also denied licenses in some States to earn a living as a barber, nail technician, or mortician. Comprehensive re-entry solutions are imperative to reduce the recidivism rate, which the author attributes to differential access to housing, employment, and education faced by ex-offenders. The Public Safety Ex-offender Self-Sufficiency Act of 2003, which is being re-introduced by Congressman Mark Souder (R-IN) and the author, Danny K. Davis, amends the IRS code of 1986 to offer tax credits through a competitive basis to States, local jurisdictions, developers, and non-profits that develop transitional housing for ex-offenders. The act is an example of “supportive housing,” in which all of the ex-offenders needs are considered in conjunction with their housing needs. The author calls for action in order to reduce the significant economic and human suffering costs of ex-offender re-integration into community life.