Offender Employment : Grants

Offender Workforce Development Announcements: Conferences, Grants

Scott — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:43:00 GMT

NCDA Global Conference: July 9-11, 2008
The National Career Development Association is excited to announce the 2008 NCDA Global Conference. The conference will be held at the wonderful Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill, Washington D.C., July 9-11, 2008. You won't want to miss this great opportunity to attend this conference! NCDA is expecting 1,000+ attendees at the premiere conference for career development professionals across all areas of career development and in all settings. For more information, click here.

White House To Host Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Conferences

The White House is hosting a series of 2008 conferences designed to connect effective social service organizations with resources that can strengthen and expand the services they offer. The conferences will provide an understanding of the President's Faith-Based and Community Initiative and information about the Federal grants process, funding opportunities, and the responsibilities that come with Federal funding.

The conferences are scheduled as follows:

May 29-30, in New Orleans, LA
June 26-27, in Washington, DC
August 5, in Sacramento, CA
August 29, in Dallas, TX.

Go to http://www.dtiassociates.com/fbci/index.cfm for more informatino.

U.S. Department of Labor awards nearly $3 million to advance President's Prisoner Re-entry Initiative

The U.S. Department of Labor has announced grants totaling almost $3 million to advance the President's Prisoner Re-entry Initiative. Through a partnership operated with the U.S. Department of Justice, grants of $130,434 each will go to 23 criminal justice agencies across the country. They, in turn, will fund faith-based and community organizations to deliver employment services to prisoners returning to civilian life. For more information, click here.

The Performance Benchmarking Project

The Performance Benchmarking Project is seeking prisoner reentry/employment organizations to participate in the next round of data collection. P/PV is developing a tool that allows similar organizations to anonymously compare their job placement and retention outcomes. A long-term goal of the project is to identify meaningful outcome benchmarks for the workforce development field, so that practitioners, funders and policymakers can be better informed about what constitutes "good" performance when working with diverse populations and service delivery strategies.

To be eligible, organizations must directly provide workforce development services to individuals 18 or older and be able to submit aggregate data on job placement and retention results, services and participant characteristics for a recent one-year cohort of enrollees. For a summary of the requested data, please click here.

Presidents 2008 Community Based Job Training Grant Awardees

Click here for the list of awardees.

President Signs Second Chance Act

Scott — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 12:11:00 GMT

The President signed H.R. 1593, the Second Chance Act, on April 9th at 10:30 a.m. Read the transcript of his comments here and the White House fact sheet here.

Click here to read the full text of the Second Chance Act.

Click here for an overview of the Second Chance Act.

Click here, here, and here to read NY Times articles about the Second Chance Act.

Read Chris Uggen's blog entry about the Second Chance Act here.

U.S. Senate Passes Second Chance Act

Scott — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 12:21:00 GMT

The Council of State Governments (CSG) reports that the U.S. Senate has passed the Second Chance Act. According to the CSG, "the legislation passed the Senate by unanimous consent and now proceeds to the President's desk for signature." Information on the Second Chance Act can be found here.

Additionally, the Consensus Project reports that the Senate Judiciary Committee passed the Reauthorization of the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act. The bill would "help provide states and counties with the resources needed to design and implement collaborative efforts between the criminal justice and mental health systems."

3/17/08 Second Chance Act update: According to Yahoo News, "The President is expected to sign the bill soon."

Additional information about the Second Chance Act can be found in the articles below.

PR Newswire: Tubbs Jones Applauds Passage of Second Chance Act in Senate

Wall Street Journal: Senate Clears Prisoner Bill

Standard Newswire: Brownback Applauds Senate Passage of Second Chance Act

Cleveland Plain Dealer: Senate passes bill to help ex-prisoners

Grant Opportunity: Evidence Based Decision Making for Local Criminal Justice Systems

Scott — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 19:49:00 GMT

United States Department of Justice

Federal Bureau of Prisons

National Institute of Corrections

Evidence Based Decision Making for Local Criminal Justice Systems

The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) is soliciting proposals from organizations, groups or individuals who would like to enter into a cooperative agreement with NIC for the eighteen month development phase of a new initiative, "Evidence Based Decision Making for Local Criminal Justice Systems" (justice systems).The overall goal of the initiative is to establish and test articulated linkages (information tools and protocols) between local criminal justice decisions and the application of human and organizational change principles (evidence based practices) to achieve measurable reduction of pretrial misconduct and post-conviction risk of re-offending. The unique focus of the initiative is locally developed strategies of criminal justice officials (defined in the full announcement) that guide practice within existing sentencing statutes and rules.

Closing date for applications: April 4^th, 2008

Funding Instrument Type: Cooperative Agreement

Expected Number of Awards: 1

Award Ceiling: $450,000

For more information, please visit: http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=VIEW&oppId=40719

Competitive Grant Announcement: Prisoner Reentry Initiative (PRI)

Scott — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 16:43:00 GMT

Note: Applications are due January 8th, 2008.

For details of this grant and instructions on how to apply, please visit the Bureau of Justice Assistance.

House of Representatives passes the Second Chance Act

Scott — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 13:07:00 GMT

On November 13, 2007, The Second Chance Act (H.R. 1593) passed in the House of Representatives. The vote totals were 347 Ayes, 62 Nays, 23 Present/Not Voting. The bill still requires passage by the Senate.

If the Second Chance Act becomes law in it's current form, the bill requires the Attorney General to:

Make grants to establish state and local reentry courts to monitor offenders and provide them with access to comprehensive reentry services and programs;
Carry out a grant program to evaluate methods to improve academic and vocational education and educational services for offenders in prisons, jails, and juvenile facilities;
Make grants to states, local governments, territories, and Indian tribes to provide technology career training to prisoners;
Make grants to nonprofit organizations for providing mentoring and other transitional services for reintegrating offenders into the community;
Implement a program to educate employers about incentives for the hiring of former federal, state, or local prisoners, including the federal bonding program and tax credits.

The bill also has an extensive substance abuse component. A summary of the Second Chance Act can be found here.

Updated on 11/19/07: According to chicagopublicradio.org, the bill is being reviewed by the Senate Judiciary Committee but is not scheduled for a vote.

Updated on 12/14/07: An article about the Second Chance Act from the Austin Weekly News can be read here.

Second Chance Act update

Scott — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 12:57:00 GMT

According to the Modesto Bee, "The Second Chance Act passed the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee in August with praise from both sides of the political aisle." However, there is no word on when a vote on the bill will occur.

According to the Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate, The Second Chance Act "would authorize the appropriation of $181 million for each of fiscal years 2008 and 2009 for Department of Justice (DOJ) grant programs to improve the treatment of inmates and to help offenders reenter communities after they have served their prison sentences. H.R. 1593 also would authorize the appropriation of $10 million a year for 2008 and 2009 for Bureau of Prisons (BOP) activities to prepare prisoners for successful reentry into the community."

Currently, it is proposed that between $50 million and $65 million will be allocated for Department of Justice grants. Read the HIRE Network's summary of the bill for more specific information on the grants.

U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao announces third competition for the President’s community-based job training grants

Scott — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 13:43:00 GMT

WASHINGTON - U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao today announced the launch of a third competition for President Bush's Community-Based Job Training Grants. Public and tribal community and technical colleges, community college districts, state community college systems and One-Stop Career Centers will compete for awards totaling approximately $125 million.

Read the full announcement here.

In the News: ARCHS grant, FORGE program, Transitions fair at Lino Lakes, and the Second Chance Act

Scott — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 18:38:00 GMT

U.S. Department of Labor awards a 1.9 million dollar grant to Area Resources for Community and Human Services (ARCHS). The grant will help ARCHS reach out to former prisoners with job skill development, job placement, job retention and increased earnings.

Read about the Female Reentry Group Effort (FORGE) in Camden, NJ right here.

On July 31, 2007, the Lino Lakes Minnesota Correctional Facility will be hosting its annual Transitions Resource Fair. The event runs from 7:30am – 3:30pm (if anybody has more information please leave a comment!)

The Sentencing Project has sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in support of the Second Chance Act. Read the letter here.

Read about the other Second Chance Act sponsored by Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y.

Finally, Washington Governor signs a bill that requires each offender to have an employment and treatment plan prior to release from prison. Read about the bill here.

New Department of Justice Grant Opportunities

Scott — Tue, 29 May 2007 16:09:00 GMT

The information below has been provided by Scott Shortenhouse of the U.S. Department of Labor.

The U. S. Department of Justice has recently made available a number of grant opportunities to faith-based and community organizations involved in different areas of prisoner reentry. The various programs open to faith-based and community organizations are listed below, along with the date applications are due. All of these funding opportunities can be found at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/funding/.

Support for Mentoring Initiatives

Deadline: June 8, 2007

Summary: This solicitation invites applicants to propose the implementation of initiatives that will assist in the development and maturity of community programs to provide mentoring services to populations that are underserved due to locations, shortage of mentors, special, physical or mental challenges of the targeted population, or other such situations identified by the community in need of mentoring services.

Substance Abuse Prevention and Intervention Programs

Deadline: June 8, 2007

Summary: The purpose of this grant is to foster innovations and advancements in juvenile justice and child protection-related practice at the local, state, and tribal government levels. OJJDP is particularly interested in programs or strategies that address substance abuse problems in an integrated, comprehensive, communitywide approach that focuses on change not only at the individual level, but also at the family and community levels.

Prevention and Intervention Programs

Deadline: June 8, 2007

Summary: The purpose of this grant is to foster innovations and advancements in juvenile justice and child protection-related practice at the community level. OJJDP is interested in programs that focus on reducing risk factors and enhancing protective factors to prevent youth from becoming victims or from entering the juvenile justice system. Special consideration will be given to intermediary organizations that provide mini grants to encourage community organizations, including faith-based organizations, to support juvenile delinquency prevention and/or intervention efforts.

National Juvenile Justice Programs

Deadline: June 8, 2007

Summary: The purpose of the grant is to provide support to programs that focus on combating juvenile delinquency, reducing the victimization of children, and improving the juvenile justice system. They also must support OJJDP's mission to provide national leadership, coordination, and resources to prevent and respond to juvenile delinquency and victimization.

High-Risk Youth Offender Reentry and Family Strengthening Initiatives

Deadline: June 8, 2007

Summary: Under this initiative, OJJDP will fund (1) high risk youth offender reentry strategies and programs designed to promote collaboration among Departments of Juvenile Corrections, faith-based and community-based organizations and providers committed to providing services for youth offenders upon release and (2) family strengthening strategies and programs. OJJDP will give priority to family strengthening programs that focus on families of at-risk youth; it is particularly interested in programs that address family strengths and needs in an integrated, comprehensive manner.

Edward Byrne Memorial Discretionary Grants Program

Deadline: June 25, 2007

Summary: This grant program helps local communities improve the capacity of local justice systems and provides for national support efforts including training and technical assistance programs strategically targeted to address local needs.

Weed and Seed Communities Competitive Program

Deadlines: Notice of Intent-May 31, 2007

Draft-August 9, 2007

Application (only on grants.gov)-11:59 pm ET, August 30, 2007

Summary: The Weed and Seed strategy aims to prevent, control, and reduce violent crime, criminal drug-related activity, and gang activity. The Weed and Seed strategy is a community-based, comprehensive multi-agency approach.

Expansion and Maintenance of the Model Programs Guide

Deadline: June 8, 2007; 8:00 pm ET, February 28, 2007

Summary: This grant seeks applicants to maintain and further develop the Model Programs Guide, an online database of evidence-based juvenile justice programs.

Helping Outreach Programs to Expand

Deadline: No deadline; available as funds are available

Summary: This funding program is available to support those organizations that directly provide services for crime victims.

Department of Labor grant opportunities

Scott — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 13:24:00 GMT

New Department of Labor Grant to Aid Ex-Prisoners Preparing Ex-Offenders for the Workplace Through Beneficiary-Choice

Contracting; Solicitation for Grant Applications

Background: The U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training

Administration is pleased to announce a competition for grants totaling approximately $5 million for faith-based and community organizations and government agencies to address the specific workforce challenges of ex-offenders and produce positive outcomes with a particular focus on employment and reduced recidivism.

Description: Grant funds awarded under this competition will be used to implement a program of services for ex-offenders (ages 18 to 29) under a beneficiary-choice contracting model. The beneficiary choice contracting model involves providing program participants with an independent choice among multiple service providers for specific services. Participants will receive case management services from the grantee, but will choose among contracted specialized service providers for more in-depth services.

ETA intends to fund grants for five projects, to serve 225 individuals (age 18 to 29) through the adult criminal justice system, per year, at an average annual grant amount of $1,000,000 per site. Applicants may submit proposals within the range of $800,000 to $1,200,000.

Eligibility: Applicants must be either a faith-based or community organization that is exempt from taxation pursuant to 26 U.S.C.

501(c)(3) at the time of application submission, or a government agency

(such as a Workforce Investment Board, One-Stop Career Center, corrections agency, State or local government, housing authority). The applicant will be the lead organization that will represent a partnership system that consists of the public workforce system, the local corrections agency and other social services providers (including faith-based and community organizations). At least one of the contracted specialized service providers offered to participants must offer a program that contains no religious content.

Informational Webinar: There will be an informational webinar held for

this grant competition. Information on the date/time of this webinar and

a recording for applicants who cannot attend will be available on

http://www.dol.gov/cfbci.

Deadline: Applications for this solicitation must be submitted by May 25, 2007.

For the grant application please visit www.grants.gov or http://www.doleta.gov/sga/sga.cfm.

"Grassroots Grant" Announced:

Workforce Investment Act-Small Grassroots Organizations Connecting with the One-Stop Delivery System Solicitation for Grant Applications

Background: The U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training

Administration is pleased to announce two competitions for grants totaling $3.6 million for faith-based and community organizations to help members of hard-to-serve populations prepare for and succeed in employment.

Description: The Grassroots Grant should provide services that focus on people who face major hurdles to employment, including welfare recipients, homeless individuals and ex-offenders. Grantees will provide personalized care and supportive services, such as mentoring or life skills coaching, to enable individuals to fully use the services of local One-Stop Career Centers. The Employment and Training Administration expects to award 50 new Grassroots grants at $60,000 each for a total of $3 million.

Eligibility: a) Applicants may be public, private for-profit, and private non-profit organizations including faith-based and community organizations. b) The application must clearly identify the applicant and describe its capacity to administer the services highlighted under this grant. c) Applications for supplementation of distinct on-going projects, regardless of funding source, are eligible for consideration under this Solicitation for Grant Applications (SGA); however, applications for renewal of existing projects will not be considered.

Please note that the applicant and fiscal agent must be the same organization.

Deadline: Applications for the Grassroots Grant must be submitted by May 8, 2007.

For the grant application please visit www.grants.gov or

http://www.doleta.gov/sga/sga/DOL-SGA-DFA-PY-06-11.pdf.