Second Chance Act Grantee Success Stories
Around the country, state, tribal, and local government agencies and non-governmental organizations are harnessing funding from the federal Second Chance Act (SCA) to improve reentry outcomes, reduce recidivism, and build and maintain safe, thriving communities.
Reentry is not simply a program or practice, but rather a coordinated commitment across law enforcement, courts, corrections, probation and parole, community service providers, communities, families, and individuals to ensure that the transition from incarceration leads to full reintegration and restoration.
Working with the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) SCA training and technical assistance providers, and the hundreds of SCA grantees they serve, the NRRC is spotlighting grantee accomplishments. The stories below highlight some key successes and explore the lessons learned along the way, what worked and what did not, and what is next for the grantee.
Lancaster County, Nebraska Community Corrections
FY 2019 Second Chance Act Innovations in Reentry Program
Lancaster County Community Corrections built upon the success of their Sentence Conversion Reentry Program working with young men to create The Women’s Reentry Program, which uses a gender-specific risk and needs tool and a trauma-informed, gender-specific treatment for substance use services and transitional housing. (March 2023)
Hawai'i Department of Health, Adult Mental Health Division
FY 2019 Second Chance Act Improving Reentry for Adults with Co-Occurring Substance Use and Mental Illness
The Hawai’i Department of Health’s New Directions Jail Diversion Program employs Forensic Peer Specialists with lived experiences with mental health disorders to provide stabilization and other supports to individuals with psychiatric and/or co-occurring challenges who are involved in the criminal justice system to immediately begin case management and treatment without ever going to jail. (March 2023)
Freedom Life Ministries Reentry Intensive Program
FY 2018 Second Chance Act Comprehensive Community-Based Adult Reentry Program
Freedom Life Ministries (FLM)—a faith-based, rural organization in Marion, North Carolina—is supporting reentry initiatives and helping individuals who are involved with the justice system successfully reintegrate into their communities by providing basic necessities, support services, mentorship, and life skills to prevent recidivism. (March 2023)
District of Columbia Department of Corrections
FY 2017 Statewide Recidivism Reduction
Working from a strategic plan focused on identifying ways to prepare individuals who were incarcerated to reenter District neighborhoods, improve reentry outcomes, and reduce recidivism, the District of Columbia Department of Corrections (DC DOC) implemented tablet-based cognitive behavioral interventions that allow its clinicians and case managers to work more effectively with residents preparing for reentry into their communities. (March 2023)
Toledo-Lucas County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council
FY 2019 Second Chance Act Innovations in Reentry Program
The Toledo, Ohio Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC) started a pilot project to reduce barriers for people who were formerly incarcerated in securing affordable housing. The project piloted dedicated LMH housing choice vouchers for participants who had been involved in the justice system, coupled with application assistance over and above the case management assistance already provided. (October 2023)
Arizona Department of Corrections Rehabilitation and Reentry
FY 2016 Statewide Recidivism Reduction
The Arizona Department of Corrections Rehabilitation and Reentry (ADCRR) used a two-pronged approach to improve reentry and reduce recidivism among people involved in the justice system. The approach included providing training to improve officers’ capacity to support individuals while incarcerated and under community supervision, and engaging community-based partners in strategic planning and coalition building to support reentry. (October 2023)
Hope Network of West MichiganFY 2021 Second Chance Act Adult Reentry Education, Employment, Treatment, and Recovery Program
The Hope Network of West Michigan began implementing its “Turn the Page” initiative to reduce recidivism among adult men housed at the Kent County Correctional Facility in Grand Rapids, Michigan who have 90 or fewer days remaining on their sentences. The initiative offers comprehensive pre- and postrelease support services to increase employment, secure consistent post-release engagement, and provide connections to community resources and services. (October 2023)
The Eleventh Judicial Circuit Criminal Mental Health Project (CMHP) in Miami-Dade, Florida
FY 2019 Improving Reentry for Adults with Co-Occurring Substance Abuse and Mental Illness
The Eleventh Judicial Circuit Criminal Mental Health Project (CMHP) in Miami-Dade, Florida is coordinating a continuum of care for adults involved in the justice system who have cooccurring substance use and mental health disorders. The CMHP uses case management and supportive services to divert individuals from the criminal justice system into community-based treatments that enhance and promote successful recovery and community integration for individuals who have been arrested, are in custody, or are reentering the community. (October 2023)
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