$24.94M in Adult and Youth Reentry Grants Open
Two federal Second Chance Act competitions anticipate a combined $24.94 million for adult and youth reentry. Here are the eligible applicants, match requirements, grant ceilings and two-stage submission deadlines.
Two open federal Second Chance Act competitions could award nearly $24.94 million for adult and youth reentry programs. The Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Assistance and Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention have different applicant rules, award ceilings and two-stage submission deadlines. Organizations should not treat the competitions as interchangeable.
Adult community-based reentry: up to $12.5 million
BJA's FY2026 Second Chance Act Community-based Reentry Program anticipates up to $12.5 million across approximately 13 grants, with individual awards up to $1 million. The anticipated award period is 36 months beginning January 1, 2027. These are planning figures in the notice, not disbursed awards.
The program supports mentoring and transitional services, before and/or after release, for people returning from adult correctional facilities who are assessed as moderate or high risk for recidivism. Eligible applicants are federally recognized Tribal governments and nonprofit organizations, including nonprofits with or without IRS 501(c)(3) status, excluding institutions of higher education. This specific notice does not require cost sharing.
The application requires a memorandum of understanding showing a partnership with the correctional agency responsible for the facilities from which the proposed program would recruit participants. Applicants also must complete recidivism data-reporting assurances and required application materials.
- October 30, 11:59 p.m. ETComplete SF-424 submission in Grants.gov.
- November 6, 8:59 p.m. ETFull application submission in JustGrants.
- O-BJA-2026-172717Official opportunity identifier for application tracking.
Youth reentry: $12.44 million split into two categories
OJJDP's FY2026 Second Chance Act Youth Reentry Program anticipates $12,440,720 for 16 awards in two categories. Individual anticipated awards are up to $750,000 for 36-month periods beginning January 1, 2027. The program targets moderate- to high-risk youth returning from juvenile residential or correctional settings and emphasizes continuity of reentry services.
- Category 1: Improving Youth ReentryFive anticipated awards. Eligible lead applicants are state, county, city/township, other local and federally recognized Tribal governments. A nonfederal match is required: 50 cents for each federal dollar awarded.
- Category 2: Community-Based Youth ReentryEleven anticipated awards. Nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status may apply, excluding institutions of higher education. No cost-sharing match is required. The application requires a draft or executed MOU with the relevant facility and community-supervision authorities.
Applicants to Category 2 need a documented relationship with correctional facilities and community corrections agencies responsible for the target youth population. OJJDP specifies a 90-day prerelease planning expectation under the required partnership structure. Category 1 government applicants should supply evidence of partnerships and plan for the match requirement.
- November 2, 11:59 p.m. ETSF-424 submission in Grants.gov.
- November 9, 8:59 p.m. ETFull application in JustGrants.
- O-OJJDP-2026-172751Official youth program opportunity identifier.
Which organizations can apply?
The main distinction is the identity of the eligible lead applicant. For the adult community-based competition, BJA lists federally recognized Tribal governments and nonprofit organizations. For OJJDP's youth competition, government entities lead Category 1 while nonprofits lead Category 2. A state or county agency should not assume it is eligible to be the adult community-based program's lead simply because it can participate in another Second Chance Act competition.
Organizations without 501(c)(3) tax exemption should also read carefully. Both notices explicitly allow certain nonprofit organizations without 501(c)(3) status, while excluding institutions of higher education in the relevant nonprofit categories. That is different from assuming that all commercial or for-profit entities can apply. Partners may participate as subrecipients under the applicable notice, but eligibility, procurement and subaward requirements remain controlling.
Application preparation hinges on partnerships and two deadlines
Applicants must complete the initial Grants.gov stage before the earlier deadline and submit required materials in JustGrants by the later deadline. The notices identify registration requirements, attachments, budgets, narratives and applicant assurances. Providers should start with the original solicitation PDFs and check for amendments; program fit and applicant eligibility must be established before a proposal is prepared.
For the adult notice, a correctional-agency MOU and a plan to track recidivism outcomes are substantive requirements. For youth Category 2, a draft or executed MOU must address both prerelease access to the target facilities and the relevant probation/parole or community corrections agency. For youth Category 1, the match requirement can materially affect a government applicant's project budget.
There is also a timing distinction: the adult initial Grants.gov stage closes on October 30, while youth applicants have until November 2. Both notices anticipate projects beginning January 2027, subject to award and administrative decisions.
What the programs mean for reentry service providers
The adult solicitation focuses on community-based organizations delivering mentoring and transitional support to adults at elevated risk of recidivism. The youth solicitation is structured around government-led systems coordination and nonprofit-led community programming. Both recognize the need for continuity between confinement, prerelease planning and services after release.
Housing, workforce, behavioral-health and case-management providers should distinguish eligibility to apply as a prime recipient from potential participation as a partner or subrecipient. An open grant notice is not an open vendor procurement, and the existence of grant funding does not imply that any particular service provider will receive a contract. OACRA will track award announcements and verified downstream implementation separately.
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Explore Find Services →Editorial note: The article compares two open notices of funding opportunity from BJA and OJJDP, reviewed October 14, 2026. Total funding and award counts are anticipated amounts and must not be mistaken for actual grant obligations or recipient selections. OACRA LLC is an independent private publisher, not a government agency. Information is presented for reporting and research; applicants must rely on the issuing agency's latest notices and instructions.
