Reentry Employment Opportunities (17.270)
Reentry Employment Opportunities (Assistance Listing 17.270) is run by the Employment and Training Administration, part of the Department of Labor. It awarded $578 million in 196 grants from fiscal 2021 to 2025, about $3.0 million per award on average. No funding opportunity is open on Grants.gov right now.
The typical award was $3.1 million. Half of the 196 awards fell between $2.0 million and $4.0 million, and they ranged from $25,000 to $10.0 million.
- Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$578 million
- Grant awards196
- Typical award$3.1 million
- Awarded in FY 2025$102 million
- Size rank342 of 1,823
- Type of assistanceProject grants
Key findings
- Annual funding rose from $85.2 million in fiscal 2021 to $102 million in fiscal 2025.
- It is the 342nd largest of 1,823 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
- The 20 largest recipients received 40% of the money.
- Awards went to recipients in 44 states and territories.
What the program funds
The Reentry Employment Opportunities (REO) program encompasses two distinct grant categories: adult reentry grants and youth/young adult-focused grants. Adult reentry grants are designed to enhance workforce reintegration for individuals returning from incarceration by increasing employment opportunities, improving job retention, and raising earnings, while simultaneously reducing recidivism rates. Youth-focused grants address the needs of young individuals involved in or at risk of involvement in crime and violence. The objectives include preventing school dropout among in-school youth, improving literacy and numeracy skills, increasing employment rates for out-of-school youth, and mitigating both criminal activity and recidivism among youth populations. Collectively, the REO program seeks to facilitate successful community reintegration for justice-involved individuals through the development of evidence-based strategies and collaborative partnerships that promote sustainable workforce outcomes.
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
Who can apply
Eligible youth, young adult and adult applicants for Reentry Employment Opportunities (REO) grants vary depending on the solicitation. Applicants are generally located in or have a staff presence in the community being served. Examples of possible eligible applicants include community-based organizations, school districts, state and local government juvenile justice agencies, tribal entities, and entities carrying out activities under WIOA, such as local Workforce Investment Boards or American Job Centers.
What the money can and cannot pay for
Services under the adult reentry grants include assistance in finding employment, mentoring, job training, work-based learning remedial education, and other comprehensive transitional services. Services under the youth focused grants include a wide array of education, employment, mentoring, case management, violence and crime reduction and diversion. Restrictions for specific projects are listed in grant funding announcements.;
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
The range and average of financial assistance varies by grant announcement. Adult focused grants have recently varied from $1 million to $4 million for two years of operation and 12 months of follow-up. Youth offender grants have recently varied from $1.3 million to $4 million for two years of operation and 12 months of follow-up.
Examples of funded projects
Fiscal Year2025: REO program provides pre-release and comprehensive post-release services targeted in communities where high rates of poverty and crime exist. REO services include career assistance, occupational skills training, work-based learning, mentoring, trauma informed care approaches, mental health and substance abuse support, and for youth and young adults, community violence intervention and preparation for post-secondary education. REO grantees also provide or connect participants with additional supportive services such as housing, transportation assistance, childcare, identification assistance and legal assistance. REO grants have employer partners involved in the program design, so participants are prepared with skills and credentials that are in-demand. Grantees connect with employers to educate them on the benefits of hiring individuals with criminal records and assist them in connecting with an often-overlooked labor supply. REO programs include Pathway Home (PH), an adult focused program operating in local jails and state prisons, and Growth Opportunities (GO), a youth/young adult focused program. In 2022, REO partnered with the Department of Justice to establish Partners for Reentry Opportunities in Workforce Development (PROWD), an adult-focused program similar to Pathway Home which operates in the federal corrections system.
Funding history and past recipients
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Reentry Employment Opportunities (17.270) awarded $578 million across 196 grant awards, an average of $3.0 million per award.
Who usually wins
Nonprofits received 57% of the money, state and local governments 26% and colleges and universities 0.7%.
| Recipient type | Awards | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonprofits | 106 | $329 million | 57% |
| State and local governments | 48 | $150 million | 26% |
| Other | 39 | $95.8 million | 17% |
| Colleges and universities | 2 | $3.9 million | 0.7% |
| Businesses | 1 | $192,761 | less than 0.1% |
By state
41 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards.
| State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 21 | $67.6 million |
| Pennsylvania | 10 | $32.3 million |
| Wisconsin | 8 | $28.4 million |
| California | 11 | $27.1 million |
| Michigan | 10 | $27.0 million |
| North Carolina | 6 | $26.8 million |
| Maryland | 6 | $25.3 million |
| Arizona | 9 | $25.3 million |
| District of Columbia | 7 | $20.9 million |
| Missouri | 6 | $19.8 million |
| Ohio | 6 | $18.8 million |
| Washington | 5 | $18.0 million |
| Florida | 7 | $17.3 million |
| Indiana | 6 | $16.6 million |
| Minnesota | 7 | $16.1 million |
| Massachusetts | 4 | $16.0 million |
| Georgia | 5 | $14.4 million |
| Illinois | 3 | $14.3 million |
| Alabama | 4 | $13.4 million |
| Kansas | 4 | $13.1 million |
| Tennessee | 5 | $12.5 million |
| Mississippi | 3 | $12.1 million |
| Texas | 4 | $11.8 million |
| Arkansas | 4 | $11.4 million |
| Virginia | 3 | $11.0 million |
| Connecticut | 4 | $8.8 million |
| Kentucky | 3 | $7.2 million |
| Louisiana | 3 | $6.9 million |
| Iowa | 3 | $6.2 million |
| New Mexico | 2 | $4.0 million |
| Colorado | 1 | $3.9 million |
| Wyoming | 1 | $3.9 million |
| Oregon | 1 | $3.8 million |
| West Virginia | 2 | $3.4 million |
| New Jersey | 2 | $2.9 million |
| Montana | 2 | $2.8 million |
| Nevada | 1 | $1.8 million |
| Rhode Island | 1 | $1.5 million |
| Oklahoma | 1 | $1.4 million |
| South Carolina | 1 | $1.3 million |
| Vermont | 1 | $1.3 million |
| Puerto Rico | 1 | $100,000 |
| South Dakota | 1 | $100,000 |
| Hawaii | 1 | $25,000 |