No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section establishes a grant program administered by the Attorney General to eligible entities for creating community reentry centers that provide trauma-informed, gender-responsive intake, needs assessments, and reentry services (e.g., employment, housing, education, vocational training) to individuals after conviction or release from incarceration, in collaboration with community stakeholders and families. Grant applications must include (1) strategies developed via needs assessments and focus groups; (2) transportation plans from release institutions; (3) public notice of services; (4) continuous referrals based on reevaluated needs; (5) specified reentry services; (6) case management for individuals relocating; (7) performance metrics targeting reduced recidivism, increased employment and housing stability, educational attainment, and self-reported community success; and (8) supplemental funding sources. The Attorney General must prioritize applicants employing formerly incarcerated individuals in responsible positions and contract with a nonprofit for program evaluation, with annual reports to Congress detailing grants awarded, participants served, service outcomes, and pre- and post-grant metrics on recidivism, employment, housing, and education.
This section authorizes the Attorney General to make grants to states (including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and U.S. territories), Indian tribes, and units of local government to operate toll-free reentry services assistance hotlines that function 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for periods of up to 5 years. Grant-funded hotlines must direct callers to local reentry services (as defined in section 2(e)), protect personally identifiable information absent individual consent, employ staff trained on federal, state, tribal, and local reentry services and reentry barriers, ensure accessibility for individuals with limited English proficiency or disabilities, and support text messaging; the Attorney General must issue best-practices guidance and prioritize applicants planning to hire formerly convicted or incarcerated individuals who have completed supervision. This section authorizes $1,500,000 annually for FY2027 through FY2031.