Second Chance Act Reentry Initiative (16.812)
Second Chance Act Reentry Initiative (Assistance Listing 16.812) is run by the Office of Justice Programs, part of the Department of Justice. It awarded $402 million in 447 grants from fiscal 2021 to 2025, about $898,947 per award on average. No funding opportunity is open on Grants.gov right now.
The typical award was $825,000. Half of the 447 awards fell between $750,000 and $900,000, and they ranged from $96,480 to $6.2 million.
- Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$402 million
- Grant awards447
- Typical award$825,000
- Awarded in FY 2025$28.4 million
- Size rank420 of 1,823
- Type of assistanceCooperative agreements, project grants
Key findings
- Annual funding fell from $55.6 million in fiscal 2021 to $28.4 million in fiscal 2025.
- It is the 420th largest of 1,823 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
- The 20 largest recipients received 25% of the money.
- Awards went to recipients in 49 states and territories.
What the program funds
Program goal(s) name: Support reentry from incarceration and enhance public safety. Program goal(s) description: Supports state, local, and tribal governments and non-profit organizations to reduce recidivism and improve outcomes for people returning from state and federal prisons, local jails, and juvenile facilities. Program objective(s) name: Promote public safety by providing a variety of services to help ensure that the transition individuals make from prison and jail to the community is successful. Program objective(s) description: Provide transitional services to help youth and adults reintegrate into the community; implement programs to improve vocational education and/or career training in correctional settings and upon reentry; implement substance use treatment programs in correctional settings and/or as an alternative to incarceration; support connections to housing; and improve probation and parole to reduce recidivism.
Open opportunities
No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.
Rules from the program listing
Matching requirements
This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.
Award range and average, in the agency's words
Varies, see NOFO guidelines posted on the Office of Justice Programs web site at https://www.ojp.gov/funding/explore/current-funding-opportunities or www.bja.gov.
Funding history and past recipients
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Second Chance Act Reentry Initiative (16.812) awarded $402 million across 447 grant awards, an average of $898,947 per award.
Who usually wins
Nonprofits received 59% of the money, state and local governments 33% and colleges and universities 3.8%.
| Recipient type | Awards | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonprofits | 240 | $239 million | 59% |
| State and local governments | 170 | $133 million | 33% |
| Colleges and universities | 19 | $15.1 million | 3.8% |
| Tribal governments and organizations | 13 | $10.9 million | 2.7% |
| Other | 4 | $3.2 million | 0.8% |
| Small businesses | 1 | $1.0 million | 0.3% |
By state
48 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards.
| State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| California | 26 | $31.7 million |
| Kentucky | 11 | $27.4 million |
| New York | 29 | $24.6 million |
| Virginia | 16 | $22.2 million |
| Pennsylvania | 23 | $20.4 million |
| Florida | 21 | $17.0 million |
| Texas | 23 | $15.7 million |
| Ohio | 22 | $15.7 million |
| Louisiana | 16 | $15.1 million |
| Tennessee | 17 | $13.8 million |
| Maryland | 12 | $11.8 million |
| Missouri | 11 | $11.3 million |
| Oklahoma | 11 | $10.9 million |
| Illinois | 11 | $10.8 million |
| Georgia | 13 | $10.5 million |
| Massachusetts | 12 | $10.0 million |
| North Carolina | 12 | $8.7 million |
| Washington | 12 | $8.6 million |
| Wisconsin | 10 | $8.5 million |
| Arizona | 9 | $7.2 million |
| Oregon | 9 | $6.9 million |
| Iowa | 9 | $6.4 million |
| Alaska | 8 | $6.1 million |
| Michigan | 7 | $5.5 million |
| Minnesota | 7 | $5.4 million |
| Connecticut | 8 | $5.0 million |
| District of Columbia | 6 | $4.8 million |
| Alabama | 6 | $4.8 million |
| Kansas | 6 | $4.8 million |
| Arkansas | 6 | $4.5 million |
| Maine | 5 | $4.2 million |
| New Jersey | 5 | $4.2 million |
| Utah | 5 | $4.1 million |
| Nevada | 6 | $3.7 million |
| Colorado | 4 | $3.4 million |
| Puerto Rico | 3 | $2.5 million |
| South Carolina | 3 | $2.4 million |
| Delaware | 3 | $2.2 million |
| Indiana | 3 | $2.2 million |
| West Virginia | 3 | $2.2 million |
| Guam | 3 | $2.2 million |
| Hawaii | 2 | $1.9 million |
| Vermont | 2 | $1.9 million |
| South Dakota | 2 | $1.7 million |
| Nebraska | 2 | $1.6 million |
| New Mexico | 2 | $1.6 million |
| Rhode Island | 2 | $1.6 million |
| Montana | 2 | $1.4 million |
| North Dakota | 1 | $696,500 |