Second Chance Act
Signed into law on April 9, 2008, the Second Chance Act (P.L. 110-199) was designed to improve outcomes for people returning to communities after incarceration. This first-of-its-kind legislation authorizes federal grants to government agencies and nonprofit organizations to provide support strategies and services designed to reduce recidivism by improving outcomes for people returning from prisons, jails, and juvenile facilities.
The Second Chance Act’s grant programs are funded and administered by the Office of Justice Programs in the U.S. Department of Justice. Within the Office of Justice Programs, the Bureau of Justice Assistance awards Second Chance Act grants serving adults, and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention awards grants serving youth returning from the juvenile correction facilities.
For more information about specific Second Chance Act grant programs, click on the links below:
- Demonstration grants provide funding to state and local government agencies and federally recognized Indian tribes to plan and implement comprehensive strategies that address the challenges faced by adults and youth returning to their communities after incarceration. Click here to learn more about the demonstration grant program.
- Mentoring grants support nonprofit organizations and federally recognized Indian tribes that provide mentoring, case management, and other transitional services. Click here to learn more about the mentoring grant program.
- Co-occurring treatment grants provide funding to state and local government agencies and federally recognized Indian tribes to implement or expand integrated treatment programs for individuals with co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorders. Click here to learn more about the co-occurring treatment grant program.
- Family-based substance abuse treatment grants support state and local government agencies and federally recognized Indian tribes in establishing or enhancing family-based residential substance abuse treatment programs in correctional facilities that include recovery and family supportive services. Click here to learn more about the family-based substance abuse treatment grant program.
- Reentry court grants help state and local government agencies and federally recognized Indian tribes establish state, local, and tribal reentry courts that monitor offenders and provide them with the treatment services necessary to establish a self-sustaining and law-abiding life. Click here to learn more about the reentry court grant program.
- Technology career training grants help state and local government agencies and federally recognized Indian tribes to establish programs to train individuals in prisons, jails, or juvenile residential facilities for technology-based jobs and careers during the three-year period before their release. Click here to learn more about the technology career training grant program.
- Recidivism reduction grants provide funding to state departments of correction to achieve reductions in recidivism rates through planning, capacity-building, and implementation of effective and evidence-based interventions. Click here to learn more about the recidivism reduction grant program.
- Smart Probation grants provide funding to state and local government agencies and federally recognized Indian tribes to implement evidence-based supervision strategies to improve outcomes for probationers. Click here to learn more about the smart probation grant program.
PAY FOR SUCCESS
Beginning in 2012, Second Chance Act grant programs began providing priority consideration to agencies that propose a Pay for Success model. For more information about the Pay for Success concept, please visit the Pay for Success Learning Hub developed by the Nonprofit Finance Fund.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
If you would like to receive an email alert when new Second Chance Act funding opportunities become available, please sign up for the National Reentry Resource Center newsletter.
If you are interested in identifying the Second Chance Act grant recipients in your state, please visit the National Criminal Justice Initiatives Map.
If you are a Second Chance Act grantee looking for information about grant management requirements and resources, please here.
Second Chance Act Program Examples and Success Stories
- Click here to read about Wade, who participated in a mentoring program run by the Amity Foundation in Los Angeles, CA, funded by the Second Chance Act in 2009.
- Click here to read about Frankie, who participated in a mentoring program run by PB&J Family Services in Albuquerque, NM, funded by the Second Chance Act in 2009. Click here to learn more about the PB&J mentoring program funded by the Second Chance Act.
- Click here to read about Kim, who participated in a mentoring program run by Family Pathfinders of Tarrant County (TX) funded by the Second Chance Act in 2010.
- Click here to read about Janelle, who participated in a co-occurring disorder treatment program run by the Ohio Department of Youth Services funded by the Second Chance Act in 2010.
- Click here to read about Eddie, who participated in a mentoring program run by Amicus, a nonprofit organization in Minneapolis, MN, which received a Second Chance Act grant in 2010.
- Click here to learn about the mentoring program launched by the Pennsylvania Prison Society, which received a Second Chance Act grant in 2009.
- Click here to learn about the mentoring program launched by Roca, Inc., a nonprofit organization in Springfield, MA, which received a Second Chance Act grant in 2011.
Second Chance Act News Clips
12/28/12 — Encouraged by the federal Second Chance Act of 2008, which aims to promote correctional reform, several states have cut recidivism by giving newly released inmates access to drug treatment or mental health care, focusing parole supervision on the riskiest offenders, and developing a system of community-based sanctions that sends only troubled or repeat offenders back to prison.
12/13/12 — This is the season to give and a business is giving a man a second chance. Matt Jones repairs computers at Commonwealth Computer Solutions in Roanoke. Jones is an intern here. He not only repairs computers, he also goes out on service calls. But it took a lot to get here. He recently served 20 months in jail for embezzlement. Jones is part of a new program called 'Second Chance Act'. The program starts in jail. Inmates are screened and then selected for the program. Then they take a 36 week computer class while in jail. They also get certified in jail. The goal is to find internships after they're released.
12/5/12 — The revolving door of ex-offenders going in and out of prison remains a major problem in Chicago. U.S. Rep. Danny Davis (D-Chicago), who represents more former offenders than any other member of the Illinois Congressional delegation, authored legislation that aims to help former inmates transition to life after incarceration. The Second Chance Act, passed by Congress in 2008, has already channeled hundreds of millions of federal dollars to programs nationwide. President George W. Bush signed the bipartisan bill, and advocates emphasize apparent early successes. But some local observers offer a nuanced picture of the act’s impact: While the legislation has promise, its long-term impact will be limited without more funding from Congress.
12/1/12 — From 1988 to 2008, state corrections spending nationwide grew from $12 billion a year to $55 billion, according to the National Association of State Budget Officers, making it among the fastest-growing state budget items. Scrambling to control costs, policymakers have found that the financial fix lies in helping people like Dave Dahl. Fiscal hawks have, almost inadvertently, recognized that sometimes taking care of people saves money. Both top down and bottom up, public officials are now aggressively innovating to help keep people out of prison. How that gets done is still a work in progress, but it is a work now widely embraced across the political spectrum.