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Mission Statement: To protect and define the rights, responsibilities, and privileges of the incarcerated. We support genuine efforts at rehabilitation of criminal offenders, which, in turn, fully restores them to our communities, promotes family stability, authentic long-term public safety, and reduces the numbers of crime victims in our society. We engage in efforts to hold government agencies and their agents accountable for the tax dollars used to support prisons, jails, and other criminal justice activities. We perform this work via public education, legislative advocacy, litigation, and referral to existing social services. We serve as a clearinghouse for relevant information affecting the incarcerated and their supporters.

The Committee on Homeland Security was established in 2002 to provide Congressional oversight for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and better protect the American people against a possible terrorist attack. In 2005, the House of Representatives granted the Committee on Homeland Security permanent status; that same year, U.S. Rep. Peter T. King (NY), was named Chairman of the Committee. Under Chairman King's leadership, Committee Republicans passed several landmark pieces of bipartisan homeland security legislation, including the SAFE Port Act, Chemical Plant Security legislation, and FEMA reform. King served as Ranking Member during the 110th and 111th Congresses before returning as Chairman for the 112th Congress.