Each year, more than 600,000 individuals return to their communities after serving time in federal and state prisons, and another 11.4 million cycle through local jails. And, nearly one in four Americans has an arrest record—mostly for relatively minor, nonviolent offenses. To encourage and highlight federal efforts to improve reentry services and outcomes, the Department of Justice has designated April 24–30, 2016, as National Reentry Week.
—Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch
According to OJJDP’s Statistical Briefing Book, on any given day, approximately 54,000 youth are held in residential placement—almost all of whom will return to their communities someday. OJJDP’s ongoing work to increase positive youth outcomes includes developing and testing new models of juvenile reentry and aftercare services. The Office’s current reentry efforts include
The Juvenile Reentry Assistance Program. A partnership between OJJDP and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the approximately $1.7 million allocated to this program supports collaborations between HUD-funded organizations, civil legal aid programs, and public defender offices. The collaborations focus primarily on expunging and sealing juvenile records, helping to obtain certificates of rehabilitation, and restoring driver’s licenses to improve the ability of reentering youth to pursue their education, find work, and secure housing. The National Bar Association has committed to supplementing this program with 4,000 hours of pro bono legal services.
The Reentry Toolkit. OJJDP is partnering with the Departments of Education, HUD, Labor, and Health and Human Services to develop and implement a reentry toolkit for youth and families. Scheduled for release by winter 2016, the toolkit will facilitate effective reentry planning for youth and will address multiple barriers to reentry, such as housing, employment and training, education, access to social and legal services, and family and youth engagement.
Second Chance Act Grants. OJJDP is helping to strengthen the relationships between young parents and their children as they transition from correctional facilities back into their families and communities. The Office's Second Chance Act grants will fund programs that incorporate mentoring and reentry services proven to reduce recidivism, teach effective parenting skills, promote public safety, and support positive outcomes for young parents and their children.
Resources:
More information about OJJDP’s reentry and aftercare efforts is available online.