This fact sheet reviews the provisions of the Federal Second Chance Act, the grant awards it has enabled, and some examples of grant-funded juvenile reentry initiatives under the grant program.
In April 2008, Congress passed the Second Chance Act, which authorized Federal investment in strategies to reduce recidivism. The bill authorized up to $165 million in Federal grants to State, local, and Tribal government agencies and nonprofit organizations. Since 2008, just over 700 Second Chance Act grant awards have been made to government agencies and nonprofit organizations in 48 States. Approximately 20 percent of these grants have been awarded to agencies and organizations serving juvenile justice populations. Grantees provide vital services, including case management, education, substance use and mental health treatment, family therapy, housing, mentoring, and victim support. Two projects, one in San Francisco and one in Texas, are provided as examples of Second Chance Act grant-funded juvenile reentry initiatives. A figure shows the number of eligible youth in need of services and enrolled in services through Second Chance Act funding, July 2009-June 2015.