NYS DOCCS Comprehensive Recidivism Reduction Demonstration Project

The Second Chance Act of 2007 (Pub. L. 110-199) provides a comprehensive response to the increasing number of incarcerated adults and juveniles who are released from prison, jail, and juvenile residential facilities and returning to communities. The Second Chance Act will help ensure that the transition individuals make from prison, jail, or juvenile residential facilities to the community is successful and promotes public safety.

Section 101 of the Second Chance Act authorizes federal awards to states that may be used for demonstration projects to promote the safe and successful reintegration into the community of individuals who have been incarcerated or detained and reduce overall recidivism rates. The goal of Section 101 of the Second Chance Act is to provide support to eligible applicants, in this case specifically state departments of corrections, for the development and implementation of comprehensive and collaborative strategies that address the challenges posed by reentry to increase public safety and reduce recidivism. Objectives for the Second Chance Act Adult Offender Comprehensive Statewide Recidivism Reduction Demonstration Program are to fund, at the state level, effective strategies for reducing recidivism and enhancing public safety which incorporate the following principles: (1) focus on the people most likely to commit more crimes; (2) use evidenced-based programs proven to work and ensure the delivery of services is high quality; (3) deploy supervision policies and practices that balance sanctions and treatment; and (4) target places where crime and recidivism rates are the highest.

The grantee will utilize FY 2012 Second Chance Act funds to reduce statewide recidivism by: 1) expanding the capacity of vocational services to better prepare offenders for work in the accommodations and food service sector; and 2) creating three regionalized residential work treatment programs in geographically diverse and high need areas designed to divert and stabilize offenders whose behavior in the community places them at risk of being returned to prison as a parole violator.

CA/NCF