President Barack Obama, who has made criminal justice reform a top priority of his last years in office, introduced a series of federal initiatives Monday aimed at helping offenders re-enter the society.

The new measures include a rule preventing more federal agencies from quickly screening out job applicants for having criminal records and new guidance clarifying the “one strike” rule that prevents many people with one arrest record from living in public housing.

The president made the announcement during his trip to Newark, New Jersey, where he visited a drug treatment center to highlight the challenges offenders face once they’re set free.

“I believe we can help those who have served their time and earned a second chance get the support they need to become productive members of society,” Obama said in his weekly address on Saturday.

The Newark visit came as about 6,000 drug offenders nationwide are being released under reduced penalties for drug offenses. The releases, which started Saturday, are the first wave of what will be tens of thousands of drug offenders who will trickle out in coming years.