DOJ and Labor Department Announce $155 Million for Reentry Programs as New Data Shows They Work

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Justice and the Department of Labor have announced $155.5 million in federal funding opportunities for reentry programs, community supervision improvements, behavioral health services, and support for incarcerated parents and at-risk youth. Applications are due between March 19 and April 6, 2026.

The funding announcement comes as a growing body of evidence demonstrates that well-designed reentry programs significantly reduce recidivism. Data released by the California Governor's Office in August 2025 showed that more than 80 percent of women and 74 percent of men who participated in community reentry programs did not reoffend after release — rates 15 and 14 percentage points higher, respectively, than for non-participants.

25 Reentry Wins in 2025

A January 2026 report from the Council of State Governments Justice Center catalogued 25 significant reentry policy wins achieved by states in 2025, documenting a nationwide trend of removing barriers to successful reintegration. The wins ranged from new laws expanding access to occupational licenses for people with criminal records to the creation of statewide reentry councils and increased state funding for housing and employment assistance.

The CSG Justice Center's Reentry 2030 initiative — a multi-state effort to drive systemic reforms in how states support people after incarceration — has focused on addressing barriers to employment, education, and housing that research consistently identifies as the strongest predictors of successful reentry.

Kentucky Model Shows 30 Percent Reduction

Among the most compelling evidence for the effectiveness of structured reentry comes from Kentucky, where mandatory reentry supervision resulted in a 30 percent reduction in returns to prison for new crimes and an 11 percent reduction in supervision violations compared to pre-policy cohorts. The Kentucky model requires all people released from state prison to receive a period of community supervision with access to housing support, employment assistance, and substance abuse treatment.

An Illinois study of the state's prison work release program, published in early 2025, found similarly positive outcomes, with participants showing lower recidivism rates and higher employment rates post-release compared to control groups.

Beyond Recidivism as a Metric

Researchers are also pushing to expand how reentry success is measured. A CSG Justice Center publication argued that recidivism alone offers a limited view of the complex challenges faced by people leaving prison. The report recommended that states track additional outcomes including employment and financial stability, housing security, health and wellbeing, and social reintegration.

The shift reflects a growing consensus among criminal justice researchers that a narrow focus on whether someone is re-arrested within a specific time frame misses much of what determines long-term success. Someone who maintains stable housing, holds a job, and manages a chronic health condition but is arrested for a technical violation may be classified as a "failure" under traditional recidivism metrics despite making substantial progress.

Second Chance Reauthorization

The federal funding announcement builds on the Senate's October 2025 passage of the Second Chance Reauthorization Act, which renewed and expanded the primary federal grant program supporting state and local reentry initiatives. The reauthorized law increases funding caps, adds new eligible program categories including housing assistance and digital literacy training, and strengthens reporting requirements to track participant outcomes.

Despite the bipartisan support for reentry programming at both the federal and state levels, advocates caution that overall funding remains inadequate relative to the scale of the challenge. More than 600,000 people are released from state and federal prisons each year, and millions more cycle through local jails. Only a fraction currently have access to the kind of comprehensive reentry support that research shows makes a measurable difference.

Applications for the DOJ and DOL funding opportunities are available at the agencies' respective grant portals, with awards expected to be announced by summer 2026.

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