April 15, 2021
President Biden declared April as Second Chance Month in support of reentry services. Reentry Week will also take place April 26–30, 2021. The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and the National Reentry Resource Center (NRRC) will host virtual events and resources related to reentry during that week. Learn more.
The U.S. Department of Justice has dedicated many resources to help reduce recidivism and support reentry:
- BJA supports reentry services through the Second Chance Act and is currently accepting applications to their FY 2021 Second Chance Act Community-Based Reentry Program.
- The Office of Justice Programs’ Reentry Resource Center is “a one-stop-shop for information and resources on crime prevention and reentry policies, programs, services, supports, and other related efforts for the public and professionals.”
- The Clean Slate Clearinghouse, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor and BJA, aims to help adults and juveniles with criminal record clearance to help improve their employment, schooling, housing, and other outcomes.
- The National Reentry Resource Center (NRRC), funded by BJA, works to “advance the knowledge base of the reentry field,” “facilitate information exchange,” “promote what works in reentry,” and “provide information for people returning to communities and their families.”
- Since January 1, 2017, BJA training and technical assistance (TTA) grantees have provided 730 TTAs and 429 deliverables under Second Chance Act–related grants, and 140 TTAs and 147 deliverables related to recidivism.