On March 30, 2018, President Donald J. Trump issued a proclamation designating April 2018 as Second Chance Month. “Affording those who have been held accountable for their crimes an opportunity to become contributing members of society is a critical element of criminal justice that can reduce our crime rates and prison populations, decrease burdens to the American taxpayer, and make America safer,” President Trump said.

According to OJJDP’s Juvenile Residential Facility Census, 45,567 juvenile offenders were held in juvenile residential placement facilities on the census date in 2016. Bureau of Justice Statistics data show that in 2016 an additional 3,700 juvenile (those age 17 or younger) inmates were held in local jails and 956 juveniles were held in adult prisons. OJJDP’s Second Chance Act programs support state efforts to reduce recidivism and improve outcomes for youth returning to their communities after out-of-home placement.

In fiscal year (FY) 2017, OJJDP awarded more than $9 million in reentry mentoring grants for young parents. The programs work to enhance parenting skills and parent-child engagement, while providing services that are proven to reduce recidivism. To support the implementation of county and statewide plans to improve outcomes for youth in the juvenile justice system, the Office awarded grants to California, Georgia, Massachusetts, and Utah in FY 2017. The state plans will better align juvenile justice policy, practice, and resource allocation with what research shows works. The ultimate goal of these plans is to reduce recidivism and improve outcomes for juvenile offenders.

OJJDP believes in second chances for juvenile offenders. After holding them accountable, we must help rehabilitate young people and empower them to move forward building skills, forming healthy relationships, and engaging in prosocial activities.

—OJJDP Administrator Caren Harp

Through its Second Chance Act Juvenile Reentry Legal Services program, OJJDP is helping community-based service providers deliver reentry services to youth following secure confinement or out-of-home placement. The program provides legal services to assist youth with securing drivers’ licenses, expunging criminal records, creating and/or modifying child support orders, finding and maintaining employment and adequate housing, and correcting credit reports.

OJJDP’s Initiative To Develop Juvenile Reentry Measurement Standards continues to help jurisdictions measure and assess juvenile reentry services more consistently and effectively—especially their impact on public safety and outcomes for youth. The Office is also working with the Performance-based Standards Learning Institute, Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators, and Vera Institute of Justice to develop, test, and disseminate standards for measuring juvenile justice reentry practices and youth outcomes.

OJJDP is also providing Connecticut, Georgia, Guam, Indiana, Massachusetts, and New York with planning grants for training and technical assistance and policy support through its Smart on Juvenile Justice: Community Supervision Training and Technical Assistance Program. The grants were designed to help reduce recidivism and improve outcomes for juveniles by improving community supervision strategies. Connecticut, Georgia, Guam, Massachusetts, and New York have also received subsequent implementation grants.

“This month, we celebrate those who have exited the prison system and successfully reentered society,” President Trump said. “We encourage expanded opportunities for those who have worked to overcome bad decisions earlier in life and emphasize our belief in second chances for all who are willing to work hard to turn their lives around.”

Resources:

OJJDP recently released several research solicitations related to corrections and reentry. Applications must be made through Grants.gov, and are due at 11:59 p.m. ET on May 29, 30, and 31, respectively:

• Improving Juvenile Reentry Programs' Data Collection, Analysis, and Reporting
• Redesign Study of OJJDP's Juveniles in Corrections Data Collections
• Juvenile Reentry Research and Evaluation Program

Reentry Starts Here: A Guide for Youth in Long-Term Juvenile Corrections and Treatment Programs is a soon-to-be-released publication that OJJDP developed to help youth in juvenile corrections and treatment programs prepare for reentry and success in the community. Access other OJJDP aftercare and reentry publications online.