In Focus: Juvenile Reentry

• NCJ Number: 253049
• Date Published: April 2020
• Agencies: OJJDP
• Publication Series: OJJDP In Focus
• Publication Type: Fact Sheet

Annotation

This fact sheet summarizes the grant programs available from the U.S. Justice Department’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) under the federal Second Chance Act, which authorizes federal grants for reentry services and resources that will increase the likelihood that youth returning home after residential placement will become productive and law-abiding members of society.

Abstract

OJJDP’s grant programs under the Second Chance Act fund educational, vocational, and job placement services for youth both while in confinement and following their release. Youth can also receive support for substance abuse treatment, locating housing, and arranging mental and physical healthcare. OJJDP also supports programs in correctional facilities that encourage family engagement between incarcerated parents and their minor children; and after their release, OJJDP supports programs that encourage positive development in their children. As an example of an OJJDP grant program under the Second Chance Act, the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice’s transformation of its juvenile reentry programing is described. The department has partnered with community colleges to enable formerly confined youth to pursue higher education. Other Virginia services for youth after their confinement include transitional housing for those who need it and improved training and support for staff who work with formerly confined youth. Online access to information on OJJDP’s reentry programs is provided.