Alaska Department of Corrections Rural Reentry CAREERRS Program

The Correctional Adult Reentry Education, Employment, and Recidivism Strategies (CAREERRS) Program, a Second Chance Act initiative, is designed to support communities in building education, vocational, and job training programs within correctional systems to address employment challenges faced by incarcerated individuals reentering their communities and the workforce. The primary objectives of the CAREERRS Program are:

To implement or expand educational, vocational, and employment programs for incarcerated juvenile and adult offenders, resulting in improved educational and employment outcomes, as measured by certifications, credentials, diplomas, and job placements.
To increase collaboration between educational and workforce service providers, corrections, community supervision, and other reentry stakeholders.

The Alaska Department of Corrections will use award funds to implement the CAREERRS Rural Reentry Program, with goals to expand and introduce sustainable educational, vocational, and employment services for incarcerated adult offenders reentering the rural workforce. The program aims to improve educational and employment outcomes by increasing credentials and certifications and facilitating job placements for reentrants. Proposed services will focus on preparing 300 reentrants prior to release, during the grant's life, with continued follow-up services after reentry. Additionally, program assessment outcomes will guide the development of vocational and job training opportunities for reentrants.

This program incorporates a sustainability planning and funding component to ensure that the education and vocational initiatives established through federal funding will continue beyond the grant period. This expansion is designed to support not only the immediate grant beneficiaries but also reentrants who will release to the community after the grant's conclusion, ensuring that essential services are in place to assist in their successful reintegration.