The purpose of this program is to improve employment outcomes of adults ages 25 and older that were formerly incarcerated in the adult criminal justice system and released within 180 days, or young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 who have been involved in the juvenile or adult justice system. Funding will provide the opportunity for organizations to build customized service delivery approaches from evidence-based and informed interventions or from promising practices. Applicants must choose to apply as either an intermediary organization or as a community-based organization (CBO). For the purposes of this program, intermediary organizations are defined as organizations that have an affiliate network or offices in at least three communities and across at least two states, and CBOs are defined as organizations with single sites or multiple sites within one state.
The intent of this program is to protect community safety by ensuring that individuals who exit the correctional system:
- Become productive, responsible, and law-abiding members of society
- Are provided with positive opportunities to engage in pro-social activities such as employment and/or education
- Maintain long-term employment
- Sustain a stable residence
- Successfully address their substance abuse issues and mental health needs, as applicable, through partnerships with local programs
Projects supported through this program must be located in high-poverty, high-crime communities. Applicants targeting adults must provide services in an urbanized area or urban cluster, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau. Applicants targeting young adults may be rural- or urban-serving organizations.
Award recipients may use funding to pay for the wages of participants where the objective assessment and Individual Career Plan indicate that work experiences are appropriate. Funding may also be used for the provision of stipends to training enrollees for the purposes of wage replacement. In general, participants may receive stipends for participating in classes and training, and wages are compensation for services performed for an employer. In addition, award recipients may provide incentive payments to young adults for recognition and achievement tied to training activities and work experiences.