DOJ – Second Chance Act – Technology – Based Career Training Program (2015)

By NLADA on May 7, 2015 • ( 0 )

Applications Due: May 19, 2015, 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time

Description:

The Second Chance Act of 2007 (Pub. L. 110-199) provides a comprehensive response to the increasing number of incarcerated adults and juveniles who are released from prison, jail, and juvenile residential facilities and returning to communities.

Securing employment can facilitate successful reentry for people leaving correctional facilities. However, there are many barriers people with criminal records encounter as they attempt to re-enter both the community and the workforce. Improving employment outcomes for this population can contribute to recidivism reductions and increased public safety.

Section 115 of the Second Chance Act authorizes federal awards to states, units of local government, territories, and federally recognized Indian tribes to provide technology career training to persons confined in state prisons, local jails, and juvenile residential facilities. This program supports the education, training, mentoring, support services, and job placement for incarcerated/detained adults and juveniles in a technology field.

The goal of this program is to increase the post-release employability of the incarcerated population in technology-based jobs. The objective of the program is to establish and provide career training programs for incarcerated adults and juveniles during the 6-24 month period before release from a prison, jail, or juvenile facility with connections to follow-up services after release in the community.

Funding Title: Second Chance Act Technology-Based Career Training Program for Incarcerated Adults and Juveniles – FY 2015 Competitive Grant Announcement

Agency Name: Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance

Funding Instrument Type: Grant

Express Language for Legal Aid: Yes. Allowable use of funds includes:

“Resources for Civil Legal Aid: Civil legal assistance can often play a critical role in addressing barriers to successful reintegration. An allowable use of Second Chance Act funds for reentry services includes referral to and payment of legal services related to the purpose of the grant, such as: securing a driver’s license, expunging criminal records, litigating inappropriate denials of housing or employment and violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, creating and/or modifying child support orders, and other family law services that help stabilize individuals and families. This excludes the payment of fines or penalties associated with a driver’s license suspension or the payment of child support. For more information, go to www.bja.gov/Programs/SecondChanceLegalServicesGuidance.pdf ”

Target Population: Incarcerated adults and juveniles during the 6-24 month period before release from a prison, jail, or juvenile facility

Expected Number of Awards: Up to 5 grant awards of up to $750,000 each

Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: No. This solicitation does not require a match. However, if a successful application proposes a voluntary match amount, and OJP approves the budget, the total match amount incorporated into the approved budget becomes mandatory and subject to audit. Once incorporated into the budget, the match may not be removed.

How to Apply: First acquire a DUNS number and register with SAM. Applicants must register in, and submit applications through Grants.gov, a “one-stop storefront” to find federal funding opportunities and apply for funding. Find complete instructions on how to register and submit an application at http://www.Grants.gov. Applicants that experience technical difficulties during this process should call the Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 800-518- 4726 or 606–545–5035, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except federal holidays. Registering with Grants.gov is a one-time process; however, processing delays may occur, and it can take several weeks for first-time registrants to receive confirmation and a user password. OJP encourages applicants to register several weeks before the application submission deadline. In addition, OJP urges applicants to submit applications 72 hours prior to the application due date to allow time to receive validation messages or rejection notifications from Grants.gov, and to correct in a timely fashion any problems that may have caused a rejection notification.

Current Closing Date for Applications: May 19, 2015, 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time

Estimated Total Program Funding: $3,750,000, for a 36-month project period

Award Ceiling: $750,000

Award Floor: $0

Eligible Applicants: Eligible applicants are limited to states, units of local government, territories, and federally recognized Indian tribes (as determined by the Secretary of the Interior).

Priority Consideration. Priority consideration will be given to applicants who propose projects that:

Apply evidence-based practices provided in What Works In Job Training: A Synthesis of the Evidence, released by the U.S. Department of Labor. Implement a Job-Driven Checklist that includes essential parts of job-driven training. More information about the Checklist can be found in Ready to Work: Job-Driven Training and American Opportunity, released by the White House, including:

Working with employers to determine local hiring needs and designing training programs that are responsive to those needs.

Offering work-based learning opportunities including on-the-job training and Registered Apprenticeship.
Making better use of data to drive accountability and inform what programs are offered and what is taught.
Measuring and evaluating employment and earnings outcomes.
Ensuring a seamless progression from one educational stepping stone to another, breaking down barriers to participation in training.

Include reentry career planning as intensive post-release services provided by the grantee or subcontractors focusing on job placement and employment retention services. Demonstrate formal partnerships with employers in in-demand job sectors and with local Workforce Investment Boards and/or other external employment assistance programs.

Demonstrate formal partnership with local educational institutions that may provide instructors, accredited programming, and or a direct path to continuing education.

Through which participants receive industry-recognized certificates which demonstrate successful completion of a training program to better prepare participants for job attainment upon release.

Provide ongoing training to employers and potential employers on successful approaches to working with trainees/employees engaged through the program.

Demonstrate the leveraging of private, local, state, tribal, or federal resources (cash or in-kind) to support and/or sustain the proposed project.

Current/Past Funding Recipients: 2013 2014

Link to Full Announcement: https://www.bja.gov/Funding/15SCATechCareersSol.pdf

Contact Information: For technical assistance with submitting an application, contact the Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 800-518-4726 or 606-545-5035, or via e-mail to support@grants.gov. The Grants.gov Support Hotline hours of operation are 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except federal holidays.

For technical assistance with submitting an application, contact the Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 800-518-4726 or 606-545-5035, or via e-mail to support@grants.gov. The Grants.gov Support Hotline hours of operation are 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except federal holidays.

Applicants that experience unforeseen Grants.gov technical issues beyond their control that prevent them from submitting their application by the deadline must e-mail the BJA contact identified below within 24 hours after the application deadline and request approval to submit their application. Additional information on reporting technical issues is found under “Experiencing Unforeseen Grants.gov Technical Issues” in the How to Apply section.

For assistance with any other requirement of this solicitation, contact the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) Response Center: toll-free at 1-800-851-3420; via TTY at 301-240- 6310 (hearing impaired only); email responsecenter@ncjrs.gov; fax to 301-240-5830; or web chat at https://webcontact.ncjrs.gov/ncjchat/chat.jsp. The NCJRS Response Center hours of operation are 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. eastern time, Monday through Friday, and 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. eastern time on the solicitation close date.