Remembering Their Service: A Reinvestment in the Incarcerated Veterans

The purpose of the FY 2019 Innovative Reentry Initiatives (IRI): Building System Capacity and Testing Reentry Strategies to Reduce Recidivism is to provide state and local jurisdictions and Indian tribes with the resources and training and technical assistance (TTA) necessary to identify assets and gaps in their reentry systems and to develop capacity and partnerships to provide services that prevent recidivism, reduce crime, and improve public safety in their jurisdictions.

IRI is part of BJA’s Innovations in Public Safety portfolio, also known as the “Innovations Suite.” The Innovations Suite of programs invests in the development of practitioner-researcher partnerships that use data, evidence, and innovation to create strategies that are effective and economical. This data-driven approach enables jurisdictions to understand the full nature and extent of the crime challenges they face and to direct resources to the highest priorities. Successful partnerships between practitioners and researchers require investments of planning, time, communication, complementary skills, and adequate resources.

IRI seeks to improve the capacity and effectiveness of state, local, and tribal jurisdictions to increase the success of offenders returning to their communities from incarceration through a combination of system-level improvements and demonstration projects.

The New Jersey Department of Corrections (NJDOC) will use award funds to pilot a housing unit for incarcerated veterans through partnership between the NJDOC and the New Jersey Department of Military and Veteran Affairs. This program will serve 150 individuals.
CA/NCF