Expand Supports for Justice-Impacted Individuals (US0145)

Research suggests that individuals re- entering society after time in the criminal justice system often lack the support they need to find and maintain stable housing, employment, and social connections—entrenching social, economic, and civic disparities and contributing to recidivism. In April 2022, more than a dozen Federal agencies took over 20 actions designed to help returning citizens get back on their feet. The U.S. Bureau of Prisons continues to provide robust program- ming designed to prepare adults in custody for re-entry. That programming is being supplemented through a first-of-its-kind partnership between the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Labor to invest in additional job training and intensive reentry supports for justice-impacted individuals—in Federal prisons, res- idential reentry centers, and in communities as part of implementation of the First Step Act (Public Law 115-391). Additionally, the U.S. Department of Education expanded the Second Chance Pell program—which provides Pell Grants to incarcerated students—to 73 more schools that will educate thousands more students, and is partnering with the U.S. Department of Justice to prepare for the full reinstatement of Pell Grant eligibility within correc- tional facilities in June 2023. The Small Business Administration (SBA) expanded access to SBA loan programs to people with non-financial related crimes. Further, the Administration has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in registered apprenticeships and other job training programs through the U.S. Department of Labor that train people for high-quality, in-demand jobs. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is also comprehensively reviewing its existing regulations and guidance to identify how the agency’s housing programs can increase inclusivity for people with arrest and conviction records. And the Administration is accounting for the digital economy by ensuring that incarcerated and formerly incarcerated persons are included in programs to expand high-speed internet access, technology, and digital education and access programs to close the digital divide. The Federal Government commits to continue this work to ensure that reentering citizens have the sup- ports and resources necessary for successful participation in social, economic, and civic life.