Award Information
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2010, $704,948)
The Second Chance Act of 2007 (Pub. L. 110-199) provides a comprehensive response to the increasing number of people who are released from prison and jail into communities and the subsequent challenges communities face as offenders attempt to reintegrate into society. The Second Chance Act Prisoner Reentry Initiative provides funding to state and local governments and federally recognized Indian tribes for demonstration projects to promote the safe and successful reintegration into the community of individuals who have been incarcerated. Funded demonstration projects will use validated and dynamic assessment tools to determine the risks and needs of offenders. Projects will provide offenders in prisons or jails with all necessary services to facilitate reentry into the community. In addition, the projects will develop procedures to ensure that dangerous felons are not released from prison prematurely and provide services that address treatment needs and protect communities against dangerous offenders. Allowable uses of funds to enhance a successful transition include: pre-release assessment and case planning, mentoring, housing, education, substance abuse treatment, mental health treatment, services to enhance family reunification, job training and readiness, and post-release case management and supervision.
New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services will use grant funds to establish the Onondaga Supportive Jobs Program for high risk offenders returning to Onondaga County, New York. State policymakers and community providers, through County Task Forces, have been working to provide coordinated reentry services contemporaneous with an offender's return to the community. The Center for Employment Opportunities has a tremendous track record of providing immediate transitional work for people returning from incarceration and having placed more than 10,000 into permanent employment over the course of the past decade. Grant funds will support the establishment of CEO in Onondaga County, New York, a jurisdiction with a large number of returning offender and a recidivism rate significantly greater than the state average. The funding will use an existing community provider to provide case management, evidence based programming and other wrap-around services. The overall goal of this initiative will be to create the Onondaga Supportive Jobs Program for returning offenders and fill existing gaps in offender programming and reentry services.
CA/NCF