OJJ's Technology Initiative

The Second Chance Act of 2007 provides a comprehensive response to the increasing number of people who are released from prison, jail and returning to communities, including resources to address the myriad of needs of these offenders to achieve a successful return to their communities. Section 115 of the Second Chance Act authorizes federal awards to states, units of local government, territories, and federally recognized Indian tribes to provide technology-based career training to persons confined in state prisons, local jails, tribal jails, and juvenile residential facilities. This program supports training for technology-related jobs and the continuum of reentry transition planning including education, training, support services, and building connections to local employers that will enable participants to secure employment prerelease.

The goal of this program is to increase the post-release employability of the incarcerated population in technology-based jobs. The objective of the program is to establish and provide career training programs for incarcerated adults and juveniles during the 6-36 month period before release from a prison, jail, or juvenile facility with connections to follow-up services after release in the community.

The recipient will use award funds to implement a program that provides technology related vocational coursework and high-school electronic courses to 250 high to moderate risk males ages 15-21 in New Orleans and Monroe Louisiana. The main goals of this project are to increase job placement, while reducing recidivism.

CA/NCF