Reentry Employment Opportunities

 

This program includes both reentry grants focused on serving returning adults and youth focused grants aimed at youth involved or at risk of involvement in crime and violence. The objectives of the youth reentry grants include increasing the employment, employment retention, and earnings rate of released individuals while also decreasing their rate of recidivism. The objectives of youth reentry grants include preventing in-school youth from dropping out of school, increasing the employment rate of out-of-school youth, improving the reading and math skills of youth, reducing the involvement of youth in crime and violence, and reducing the recidivism rate of youth. The REO program facilitates a smoother reentry for justice-involved individuals and helps them reintegrate into their communities. The goal is to develop strategies and partnerships that facilitate successful workforce outcomes for participants.

Active 17.270 Employment and Training Administration, Department of Labor B - Project Grants Fiscal Year 2020 Reentry Employment Opportunities Program awarded funds to 26 grants this year to service adult and young adult participants.
Fiscal Year 2021 The Reentry Employment Opportunities Unit comprised of 32 grant programs from 2010 to 2021. There were 410 grants awarded in the amount of $765M. Currently there are seven active initiatives comprising of 174 grantees throughout the country. The Federal Bonding Program provides bonds to cover six months of employment for justice-involved individuals. There are currently 31 states with federal bonding grants totaling approximately $3M.
Fiscal Year 2022 The Department is committed to using its REO funding to build the evidence base on workforce development interventions serving justice-involved adults and youth. To support job placement, the Department maintains the Federal Bonding Program, which provides fidelity insurance to employers that hire persons with criminal records, as well as other at-risk job candidates. Employer relationships are critical to the success of reentry grants. Grantee feedback indicates that the majority of Reentry Employment Opportunities grants have long-established relationships with employers in their communities. REO grantees tend to work most with medium-sized employers (50 - 249 employees). The vast majority partner with warehouse and logistics companies, followed closely by construction and manufacturing, and culinary and food service companies. About half of the grantees reported working with the health care industry. These employer partnerships and contributions have led to improved outcomes for participants. The most recent adult data indicate that median earnings in the 2nd quarter after exit have increased from $5,720 to $6,400 - a 10% increase from January 2022. Similarly, the employment rate in the 2nd quarter after exit has increased for both adults and youth to 68% and 66%, respectively. For comparison, the employment rates in the 2nd quarter after exit were 40% and 46%, respectively, in December of 2020. Credential attainment remained relatively steady at 89% for adults and 70% for youth when compared with employment outcomes. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) was signed into law on July 22, 2014. It supersedes the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, and amends the Wagner-Peyser Act and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Only the version published in the Federal Register is the official regulation., Title Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014, Section 169 (a)(2)(A)-(G), The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), Section 169, Public Law 117-328, codified at 29 U.S.C. 3224 authorizes this program, Public Law 117-328 Eligible applicants for Reentry Employment Opportunities (REO) grants are community-based organizations (CBOs) that are located in, or have a staff presence in the community being served. Eligible applicants for youth focused grants vary depending on the solicitation. Examples of possible eligible applicants include community-based organizations, school districts, state and local government juvenile justice agencies, tribal entities, and entities carrying out activities under WIOA, such as local Workforce Investment Boards or American Job Centers. Eligible applicants for adult focused grants vary depending on the solicitation. Reentry Employment Opportunities (REO) Adult grants serve individuals, 18 years old and older, who have been convicted as an adult and have been imprisoned for violating a state or federal law, and who have never been convicted of a sex-related offense. Depending on the solicitation, enrollment may be limited based on whether the presenting offense was violent or whether the individual has previously committed a violent crime. Eligible applicants for youth focused grants vary depending on the solicitation. Non-governmental entities ordinarily must furnish documentary evidence of adequate financial controls. Grantees must demonstrate adequate organizational capacity to implement a Reentry Employment Opportunities program which includes a description of the occupational skills credential(s) that will be gained through participating in the program. Additionally, grantees must provide evidence of the capacity to track and report required performance outcomes. 2 CFR 200, Subpart E - Cost Principles applies to this program. Preapplication coordination is not applicable. 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. Grants for projects are awarded on a competitive basis, announced in Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs), in Grants.gov and also on ETA's Web site at http://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/grants. Notices of the availability of FOAs may be published in the Federal Register. To compete for a grant, organizations develop a proposal and budget that demonstrate how the organization will provide services to a targeted population. The FOA provides all of the necessary information for applying for Federal assistance. Procedures for each project are specified in the applicable request for proposals. The general procedure is as follows: A technical review panel composed of staff from ETA program offices as well as peer reviewers evaluate submitted and eligible applications. The panel prepares a report for the ETA Grant Officer identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the application and the cumulative rating. Once recommendations are made by the Grant Officer and approved by the Secretary of Labor an Award Notification is sent through the appropriate congressional channels for notification. After awardees are notified, the list of awardees is posted on the ETA Web site at www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/grants. If an application is rejected, a letter is sent to the applicant as notification that they were not selected as a recipient of the grant. Contact the headquarters or regional location, as appropriate for application deadlines From 60 to 90 days. From 60 to 90 days. Procedures for each project are specified in the applicable request for proposals. More than 180 days. ETA may provide no-cost extensions at its own discretion based on the success of the project and other relevant factors. Criteria for each proposal are specified in the applicable request for proposals. Services under the adult reentry grants include assistance in finding employment, mentoring, job training, remedial education, and other comprehensive transitional services. Services under the youth focused grants include a wide array of educational, employment, mentoring, case management, violence reduction, diversion, and record expungement services. Performance Reports: Regional Federal Project Officers are responsible for monitoring performance. Varies Recipients are required to maintain books, records, documents, and other evidence of accounting procedures and practices sufficient to reflect properly all direct and indirect costs of whatever nature claimed to have been incurred for the performance of the grant. Records are to be retained for three years from the date of final payment unless the Grant Officer authorizes earlier disposal. Statutory formula is not applicable to this assistance listing.

Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. The period of performance varies by grant announcement. The possibility of additional years of funding varies by grant announcement. Payments to grantees are usually made by Letter of Credit draw-down procedures. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: Letter. None/Not specified. Andrea L. Bizzell
200 Constitution Ave, NW, Room N-4511
Washington, DC 20210 US
bizzell.andrea.l@dol.gov
Phone: (202) 693-3931
Fax: (202) 693-3113 http://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/reentry 16-0174-0-1-504 (Project Grants) FY 22$94,000,000.00; FY 23 est $94,000,000.00; FY 24 est $106,000,000.00; FY 21$88,000,000.00; FY 20$91,000,000.00; FY 19$88,000,000.00; FY 18$87,000,000.00; FY 17$78,000,000.00; - The range and average of financial assistance varies by grant announcement. Adult focused grants have recently varied from $1 million to $4 million for two years of operation and 12 months of follow-up. Youth offender grants have recently varied from $1.3 million to $4 million for two years of operation and 12 months of follow-up. Specified in Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOA). Fiscal Year 2023 REO program provides pre-release and comprehensive post-release services targeted in communities where high rates of poverty and crime exist. REO services include career assistance, occupational skills training, work-based learning, mentoring, transportation assistance, community violence intervention, trauma informed care approaches, mental health and substance abuse support, and preparation for post-secondary education. REO grantees also provide or connect participants with additional supportive services such as housing, childcare, identification assistance, family unification services, and legal assistance. REO grants have employer partners involved in the program design, so participants are prepared with skills and credentials that are in-demand. Grantees connect with employers to educate them on the benefits of hiring persons with criminal records and assist them in connecting with an often overlooked labor supply. REO programs include Pathway Home (PH), an adult focused program operating in local jails and state prisons, and Growth Opportunities (GO), a youth/young adult focused program. In 2022, REO partnered with the Department of Justice to establish Partners for Reentry Opportunities in Workforce Development (PROWD), an adult focused program similar to Pathway Home which operates in the federal corrections system.