Prisoner Reentry (17.270)
Program
17.270 Prisoner Reentry
Federal Agency
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Authorization
Workforce Investment Act of 1998, Title I, Subtitle D, Section 171, Public Law 105-220 .
Program Number
17.270
Last Known Status
Active
Objectives
This program which involves several federal agencies, seeks to reduce recidivism by helping inmates find work when they return to their communities. Four outcome measures are used to measure success in these grants: entered employment rate, employment retention rate, earnings change, and recidivism rate.
Types of Assistance
Project Grants.
Uses and Use Restrictions
Services under the grants for returning prisoners shall be through an employment-centered program that incorporates mentoring, job training, job placement, and other comprehensive transitional services.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicant Eligibility
Eligible applicants for the DOL PRI grants are faith-based and community organizations that are located in, or have a staff presence in, the urban community being served, and that have the capacity to serve as the lead agency under this initiative, which in some cases will mean providing technical assistance and oversight to other FBCOs. Urban communities are those that are located within Urbanized Areas or Urban Clusters, as designated by the Census Bureau in the 2000 Census.
Beneficiary Eligibility
Individuals 18 years old and older who have been convicted as an adult and imprisoned pursuant to an Act of Congress or a state law, and who have never been convicted of a violent or sex-related offense can be served with these grants. Individuals should be enrolled in the program within 180 days after their release from prison or a halfway house. Up to 10 percent of individuals served can be enrolled over 180 days from their prison release. Services may be provided to individuals who have been released from prison and are residing in a halfway house.
Credentials/Documentation
Non-governmental entities ordinarily must furnish documentary evidence of adequate financial controls.
Application and Award Process
Preapplication Coordination
None except as specified in solicitations. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.
Application Procedure
Grants for projects are awarded on a competitive basis, announced in Solicitation for Grant Applications (SGAs) in the Federal Register and also on ETA's Internet website at http://www.doleta.gov. To compete for a grant, organizations develop a proposal and budget that demonstrate how the organization will provide services to a targeted population. The SGA provides all of the necessary information for applying for federal assistance.
Award Procedure
Procedures for each project are specified in the applicable request for proposals. The general procedure is as follows: A technical review panel composed of staff from ETA program offices as well as peer reviewers evaluates eligible submitted applications. The panel prepares a report for the ETA Grant Officer identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the application and the cumulative rating. Once selections are made by the Grant Officer, an Award Notification is sent through the appropriate congressional channels for notification. After awardees are notified, the list of awardees is posted on the ETA website at www.doleta.gov. If an application is rejected, a letter is sent to the applicant as notification that they were not selected as a recipient of the grant.
Deadlines
Specified in the applicable request for proposals, but generally 45 to 60 days from announcement.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time
Appeals
Procedures for each project are specified in the applicable request for proposals.
Renewals
Extensions available upon approval; renewals are not automatic.
Assistance Considerations
Formula and Matching Requirements
There are no matching requirements.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
Grants have an initial period of performance of one year, with up to two years of additional funding pending satisfactory progress and availability of funds. Payments to grantees are usually made by Letter of Credit draw-down procedures.
Post Assistance Requirements
Reports
Quarterly progress and financial reports and final reports are required. Grantees must also participate in DOL's Management Information System data collection system.
Audits
In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A- 133 (Revised June 27, 2003) Audits of states, local governments, and non-profit organizations, non-federal entities that receive financial assistance of $500,000 or more in federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year.
Records
Recipients are required to maintain books, records, documents and other evidence of accounting procedures and practices sufficient to reflect properly all direct and indirect costs of whatever nature claimed to have been incurred for the performance of the grant. Records are to be retained for 3 years from the date of final payment unless the grant officer authorizes earlier disposal.
Program Accomplishments
DOL awarded 30 PRI grants in the fall of 2005, and grantees are now beginning to enroll participants.
Financial Information
Account Identification
16-0174-0-1-504.
Obligations
(Project Grants) FY 05 $0; FY 06 est $21,000,000; and FY 07 est $20,000,000.
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
Awards thus far have been for $660,000.
Regulations, Guidelines and Literature
Specified in SGA Announcement.
Related Programs
None .
Information Contacts
Regional or Local Office
Contact the nearest Employment and Training Administration regional office listed in Appendix IV of the Catalog.
Headquarters Office
Division of Youth Services, Office of Workforce Investment, Employment and Training Administration, U. S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Ave., NW., Room N-4511, Washington, DC 20210. Contact: Donna Kelly. Telephone: (202) 693-3934, e-mail kelly.donna@dol.gov.
Web Site Address
Examples of Funded Projects
Grants of $660,000 to community and faith-based organizations to support a project director, three job counselors, one job developer, a mentoring supervisor, an administrative assistant, tryout jobs for participants, and materials and supplies.
Criteria for Selecting Proposals
Criteria for each proposal are specified in the applicable request for proposals.
