U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

Integrated Reentry and Employment Strategies in South Central Wisconsin

Award Information

Award #
2018-RQ-BX-0004
Funding Category
Competitive Discretionary
Location
Congressional District
Status
Open
Funding First Awarded
2018
Total funding (to date)
$2,789,462

Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2018, $200,000)

The Second Chance Act (Public Law 110–199) seeks a comprehensive response for incarcerated adults who are released from prison or jail, and returning to their communities. Over 2.1 million individuals are incarcerated in federal and state prisons, and millions of people cycle through local jails every year. Ninety-five percent of all offenders incarcerated in state prisons will eventually be released.

Securing meaningful employment can facilitate successful reentry for offenders leaving correctional facilities. However, there are many barriers that offenders with criminal records encounter as they attempt to re-enter both the community and the workforce. Improving employment outcomes for this population may contribute to recidivism reduction and increased public safety. However, some communities simply do not have enough resources for corrections, reentry, and workforce development to provide every adult offender leaving incarceration with services that may assist them in reentering the community.

The purpose of the Adult Reentry and Employment Strategic Planning Program is to fund the development of strategic plans that are comprehensive, collaborative, and multisystemic in their approach to increase public safety by reducing recidivism and improving employability in offenders returning to communities from incarceration. These plans should include an assessment of the current system and propose solutions to make assessment-driven referrals to ensure successful transition from correctional facilities to the community.

The recipient will use award funds to develop Integrated Reentry and Employment Strategies for individuals who are returning from incarceration to south central Wisconsin. The goal of the project is to develop a plan for integrating best practices from the corrections and workforce development fields to build capacity or establish new employment programs aimed at reduced recidivism and increased employment outcomes.

CA/NCF

Date Created: September 29, 2018