Back to Your Future: An Evidence-Based Revocator Program

The Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative Discretionary Grant Program was developed through a federal partnership by the Departments of Justice, Labor, Health and Human Service, Education, Housing and Urban Development, Commerce, Veterans Affairs and Agriculture. The federal partners' goal is to help state and local agencies navigate the complex field of existing state formula and block grants and to assist them in accessing, redeploying and leveraging those resources to support the components of a comprehensive reentry program. In addition to the new funding, the federal partners are identifying funds from their respective agencies that are already available to state and local agencies to provide the necessary services to implement a reentry program.

The Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative Grant Program is designed to provide funding to state and local units of government to develop and implement institutional and community corrections-based offender reentry programs through collaborative partnerships with government, social service, faith-based, and community organizations, in order to reduce recidivism, increase public safety, and successfully reintegrate serious and violent offenders back into the community. Reentry programs must be sustained for a 36-month period and are required to partner with a state adult or juvenile correctional agency.

The New York Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) will use grant funds to develop and implement a Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Project. The New York's OCFS "Back to Your Future" Reentry Project will focus efforts on increasing public safety by preventing youth reoffenses among 60 male juvenile offenders annually that are released to the New York City Boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx . Through the Back to Your Future Project, the OCFS will partner with various service agencies to address the challenges of recidivism, substance abuse, physical and mental health, as well as to provide support in the area of workforce participation, housing, family reunification, faith based support and mentoring.

The OCFS Back to Your Future Project is designed to provide 36 months of services for offenders reentering society in a three phase process which includes 1) institutionally-based programs; 2) community-based transition; and 3) community-based long term support.

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