Grantee Information

News Releases

Current Pilot Programs

  • Pathway Home - These projects aim to eliminate the gap occurring between release from incarceration and enrollment into a reentry program leading to employment. Pathway Home grants begin serving adults pre-release and are designed to support state and local governments, as well as non-government organizations, in their work to reduce recidivism and improve employment outcomes for individuals returning to the community from incarceration. In 2020, $64m in grant funds were awarded to 20 recipients to serve over 7,000 individuals across 15 states. In 2021, approximately $61m in additional grant funds, were awarded to 22 recipients for the Pathway Home 2 grants
  • Growth Opportunities - is designed to support local governments, as well as non-government organizations, in their work to prepare justice-involved youth and young adults for the world of work through education and training, paid work experiences, mentorship, and leadership development.  This program contributes to the Biden-Harris Administration’s comprehensive strategy to combat gun violence and other violent crime, in part, with preventative measures proven to reduce violent crime.  Model based, in part, on growth-focused youth case management principles developed for youth whose growth stalled due to traumatic experiences.  The grant funds will support training and paid work experiences coordinated by workforce development organizations, as well as partnerships with experienced violence prevention organizations and justice system partners.  DOL awarded $43,268,819 in grants to organizations in 11 states in the initial round of grant funding (June 2022); and a second round of funding, with the same FOA, will occur in PY 2022.  The second round promotes equitable access to funding opportunities for organizations new to REO.
  • Partners for Reentry Opportunities in Workforce Development (PROWD) – This is a collaborative initiative of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Labor (DOL) that provides targeted employment services to federally incarcerated individuals as they approach community reentry. The initiative seeks to better align job training and skills development services provided to program participants to the specific labor market needs of the communities where they will live. In September 2022, DOL awarded over $42 million in First Step Act funding to seven state agencies to partner with community organizations and minimum- and low-security federal correctional institutions to provide coordinated services across three stages:  during incarceration in federal prisons, during time spent in residential reentry centers, and after release into the community. 
  • Young Adult Reentry Partnership (YARP) - This initiative focuses on helping reentry serving intermediary organizations establish partnerships with community colleges. YARP connects justice-involved young adults ages 18 to 24 with community colleges who will support training and educational programs leading to industry-recognized credentials, employment, apprenticeships and other opportunities in growth industries. These programs aim to meet the needs of local area industries and employers. YARP programs provide employment-focused services, education, case management, job placement services, legal services, assistance with securing identification and other needs-related services. In 2020 and 2021 ETA awarded grants of up to $4,500,000 million to six intermediary organizations each year.
  • Federal Bonding Program - Federal Bonding Demonstration Grants enable states to expand their use of fidelity bonds to help persons with criminal records and/or opioid and other addictions with employment opportunities. In 2019 $2.3m in grant funds were awarded to 23 states and outlining areas and in 2021 $725k in grant funds were awarded to 8 states. Federal Bonding Demonstration Grants are the latest of several efforts to mitigate some of the employment challenges and barriers formerly incarcerated individuals experience upon their return to the community.

Recent Pilot Programs

  • Training to Work Grants - Provide training in high demand industries that lead to industry recognized credentials for adults residing in residential reentry centers (halfway houses). (ended September 2019)
  • Pathways to Justice Careers for Youth Grants - Provide career exploration in the field of justice and emergency services careers such as police officers, firefighters, and paramedics. Participants must be enrolled in the 11th and 12th in public or alternative high schools; and between the ages of 16 to 21. Youth must be at risk of dropping out of school and at risk of becoming involved in the juvenile or adult justice systems or already involved in the juvenile or adult justice system. (ended March 2019)
  • Job ChalleNGe Grants - Expand existing National Guard Youth ChalleNGe programs under the Department of Defense to court-involved youth. The program provides educational, vocational, and technical skills to high school dropouts ages 16 to 18. (ended November 2018)
  • Linking Employment Activities Pre-Release Demonstration - Link incarcerated individuals in local jails to American Job Centers in their communities upon release. These projects prepare individuals for employment while they are incarcerated to increase their opportunities for successful reentry into their communities. (ended September 2018)
  • Face Forward Intermediary and Community Grants - Offer youth a second chance to succeed in the workforce by removing the stigma of having a juvenile record through diversion and/or expungement and other strategies that mitigate juvenile records. Additionally, these projects provide participants the opportunity to develop job skills and training in high-demand sectors that lead to industry-recognized credentials and employment opportunities. Face Forward also offers connections to supportive services and the opportunity for youth to give back to their communities. (ended September 2018) 
  • Reentry Projects - These grants seek to enhance both adult (25+) and young adult (18-24) reentry strategies through collaboration with the field to identify and respond to emerging or chronic reentry challenges. Reentry Project grants provide the opportunity for organizations to build customized projects using evidence-based and evidence-informed interventions, new interventions that theory or research suggests are promising (i.e. promising practices), or a combination of both that lead to increased employment outcomes. The Department awarded over $243 million to fund 118 non-intermediary and intermediary grants between 2017 – 2019 to serve adults and young adults in high-crime, high-poverty communities located in a combination of rural- and urban-serving areas for three generations of Reentry Project initiatives

View the National Reentry Resource Center map to locate programs in your area.