Pay for Success is one of the Second Chance Act (SCA) programs supported through the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA).

This program provides funding and technical assistance to state, local, and tribal governments to convert or enter into performance- and outcomes-based contracts for reentry services. Services that may be purchased include permanent supportive housing (PSH) and other types of reentry services that are tailored to individuals leaving incarceration, particularly those with substance use and/or mental health disorders. The program ties payment for services to reaching agreed-upon goals, which are to enhance public safety, lower recidivism, and improve the lives of those leaving incarceration and who are in reentry.

The objectives of this program are to:

• Enhance already established performance- and outcomes-based contracts to provide individualized reentry services or PSH for people leaving incarceration who are identified through a validated risk tool as being at moderate to high risk to reoffend in the community.
• Manage the performance-based or outcomes-based reentry service or PSH contract, including data and report collection, regular performance and outcome reviews between the governments and service provider, on- and off-site monitoring, outcomes validation, and incentive payment approvals.
• Ensure government staff and service providers have adequate training on performance- or outcomes-based procurement, reentry services, PSH, data collection, and outcomes validation.

Learn more about Pay for Success in this fact sheet.

Program Funding

The deadlines for the FY24 opportunity associated with this program have expired. See the Past Funding section of our site for access to previous opportunities and awards made through this and other BJA programs.

Training and Technical Assistance

In support of SCA grantees around the country, the BJA-supported National Reentry Resource Center works collaboratively with SCA technical assistance providers. These agencies provide on- and off-site training and technical assistance (TTA) to the government agencies and nonprofit organizations that receive grants under the provisions of the SCA.

Additionally, BJA’s National Training and Technical Assistance Center provides no-cost TTA on a variety of criminal justice topics to improve the knowledge and skills of criminal justice professionals. Agencies interested in receiving TTA can submit a request through an online application.