Opportunity Information: Apply for O BJA 2022 171284
The BJA FY 22 Improving Reentry Education and Employment Outcomes grant is a discretionary funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs (OJP), administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). It sits within the FY 2022 Second Chance Act (SCA) suite of reentry-related solicitations, which collectively focus on helping people transition successfully from incarceration back into the community. In plain terms, this program targets one of the most persistent drivers of reentry failure: limited access to education and stable employment. The core aim is to strengthen or expand correctional education and employment efforts that begin during incarceration and continue through the reentry period, with the broader public-safety goal of reducing unemployment-related recidivism and improving long-term community stability.
The solicitation reflects OJP priorities around civil rights and racial equity, access to justice, support for victims and justice-involved individuals, community safety, and trust-building between law enforcement and communities. Within that framing, the grant emphasizes improving the quality and effectiveness of educational and workforce programming for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated adults. The program encourages applicants to use evidence-based practices and data-informed decision-making, meaning proposals should draw on approaches that have demonstrated results (or have a strong rationale supported by research) and should rely on measurable data to guide program design, delivery, and improvement over time. The expected outcome is that participants leave custody with stronger foundational skills, recognized credentials, and clearer pathways to employment, and then receive continued support after release to help them secure and retain jobs.
Funding is provided through a grant instrument under CFDA number 16.812. The opportunity number is O-BJA-2022-171284. The maximum award amount (ceiling) is $900,000, and BJA anticipated making approximately 24 awards under this solicitation. The opportunity opened on April 20, 2022, and the original application closing date was June 7, 2022. Because this is a competitive, discretionary program, applicants generally need to make a strong case that their proposed activities are feasible, grounded in evidence, and structured to produce measurable improvements in education and employment outcomes for the target population.
Eligible applicants include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, federally recognized Native American tribal governments, and nonprofit organizations with IRS 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education). The listing also includes an "Others" category with additional eligibility details referenced in the full solicitation, which typically means there may be additional conditions or allowable applicant types depending on specific program rules. The solicitation also notes that not every entity is eligible for every program across the broader Second Chance Act suite, so applicants were encouraged to closely review each related solicitation to confirm eligibility and ensure alignment between their proposed project and the particular grant’s goals.
Programmatically, the focus is on improving "correctional educational and employment programs" that operate both inside facilities and during reentry. That can reasonably include strengthening career and technical education, adult basic education, literacy and numeracy supports, high school equivalency preparation, employability skills, job readiness training, sector-based training aligned with local labor market demand, credential attainment, and connections to employers willing to hire returning citizens. The solicitation’s language about interrupting the cycle of unemployment signals a strong emphasis on practical pathways to work, not only training for training’s sake. It also implies coordination between corrections, community supervision, workforce systems, community-based service providers, and employers so that progress made during incarceration is not lost at the point of release.
Finally, this opportunity is presented as one piece of a broader FY 2022 Second Chance Act lineup that also included related competitions such as community-based reentry, reentry substance use disorder treatment outcomes, Pay for Success initiatives, swift/certain/fair supervision and the HOPE model, smart reentry and smart supervision with technical assistance, and new tools to facilitate change. BJA’s overall message is that applicants should choose the specific SCA solicitation that best fits their target population, organizational role, and proposed intervention strategy, and should anchor proposals in data, demonstrated need, and clear outcome measures tied to reentry success.Apply for O BJA 2022 171284
- The Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance in the humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BJA FY 22 Improving Reentry Education and Employment Outcomes" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.812.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 20, 2022.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 07, 2022. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $900,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 24 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the BJA FY 22 Improving Reentry Education and Employment Outcomes grant?
This is a discretionary (competitive) funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs (OJP), administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). It is part of the FY 2022 Second Chance Act (SCA) suite of reentry-focused solicitations and is designed to help improve education and employment outcomes for people transitioning from incarceration back to the community.
What problem is this grant trying to address?
The solicitation targets a common driver of unsuccessful reentry: limited access to education and stable employment. The program aims to strengthen or expand correctional education and employment efforts so participants can build skills, earn credentials, and connect to real job pathways, with the broader public-safety goal of reducing unemployment-related recidivism and improving community stability.
What are the main goals of the program?
The core aim is to improve the quality and effectiveness of education and workforce programming that begins during incarceration and continues through the reentry period. The intended result is that participants leave custody with stronger foundational skills, recognized credentials, and clearer pathways to employment, plus continued post-release support to help them secure and retain jobs.
Who is the administering agency for this opportunity?
The opportunity is administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), within the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), U.S. Department of Justice.
Is this a formula grant or a competitive grant?
This is a discretionary opportunity, meaning it is competitive and applicants generally must present a strong, well-supported proposal to be selected.
What is the CFDA number for this grant?
The CFDA number listed for this funding opportunity is 16.812.
What is the opportunity number?
The opportunity number is O-BJA-2022-171284.
How much funding is available per award?
The maximum award amount (ceiling) is $900,000.
How many awards did BJA expect to make?
BJA anticipated making approximately 24 awards under this solicitation.
When did the opportunity open and when was it due?
The opportunity opened on April 20, 2022, and the original application closing date was June 7, 2022.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants include state governments, county governments, city or township governments, federally recognized Native American tribal governments, and nonprofit organizations with IRS 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education). The listing also includes an "Others" category with additional eligibility details referenced in the full solicitation.
Are institutions of higher education eligible if they are nonprofits?
Nonprofit organizations with IRS 501(c)(3) status are listed as eligible, but institutions of higher education are explicitly excluded under that category in the information provided.
What does the "Others" eligibility category mean?
The "Others" category indicates there are additional eligibility details in the full solicitation. In practice, this can mean extra conditions or additional allowable applicant types depending on program-specific rules, but the specific details are not included in the summary provided here.
Is this grant part of the Second Chance Act (SCA)?
Yes. This solicitation sits within the FY 2022 Second Chance Act (SCA) suite of reentry-related funding opportunities, which are focused on successful transitions from incarceration to the community.
How does this solicitation fit within the broader FY 2022 Second Chance Act lineup?
This opportunity is one piece of a broader FY 2022 SCA lineup that also included competitions such as community-based reentry, reentry substance use disorder treatment outcomes, Pay for Success initiatives, swift/certain/fair supervision and the HOPE model, smart reentry and smart supervision with technical assistance, and new tools to facilitate change. Applicants are expected to select the solicitation that best matches their target population and proposed intervention strategy.
What kinds of programs or activities does the solicitation emphasize?
The focus is on improving correctional education and employment programs that operate both inside facilities and during reentry. Examples that align with the solicitation description include career and technical education, adult basic education, literacy and numeracy supports, high school equivalency preparation, employability skills, job readiness training, sector-based training aligned with local labor market demand, credential attainment, and connections to employers willing to hire returning citizens.
Does the program focus only on in-custody services, or also post-release services?
It emphasizes both. The grant is framed around efforts that begin during incarceration and continue through the reentry period, with continued support after release to help participants secure and retain jobs.
What does "interrupting the cycle of unemployment" mean in this context?
Based on the solicitation summary, it signals an emphasis on practical pathways to work. The intent is not just to provide training, but to connect participants to real employment opportunities and help reduce unemployment that can contribute to recidivism.
What partnerships or coordination does the solicitation suggest?
The summary implies coordination between corrections, community supervision, workforce systems, community-based service providers, and employers so that educational and workforce gains made during incarceration are not lost at release.
What does BJA mean by evidence-based practices in this solicitation?
The solicitation encourages applicants to use evidence-based practices and data-informed decision-making. That means proposals should be grounded in approaches that have demonstrated results (or have a strong research-supported rationale) and should use measurable data to guide program design, delivery, and continuous improvement.
What kinds of outcomes is the program trying to achieve for participants?
Expected outcomes described include stronger foundational skills, recognized credentials, clearer pathways to employment prior to release, and post-release support that helps participants obtain and keep jobs.
What broader priorities does this solicitation align with?
The solicitation reflects OJP priorities around civil rights and racial equity, access to justice, support for victims and justice-involved individuals, community safety, and trust-building between law enforcement and communities.
What is the overall public-safety rationale for this funding?
The program is designed to reduce unemployment-related recidivism and improve long-term community stability by increasing access to effective education and employment programming for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated adults.
What does it mean that applicants should choose the SCA solicitation that best fits their project?
The FY 2022 Second Chance Act suite included multiple related competitions. The summary indicates applicants should select the specific solicitation that matches their target population, organizational role, and intervention strategy, and ensure the proposed project aligns with that solicitation's goals and requirements.
What does BJA expect from competitive applicants based on the summary provided?
Because it is a competitive, discretionary program, applicants generally need to show that their activities are feasible, grounded in evidence, responsive to demonstrated need, and designed to produce measurable improvements in education and employment outcomes for the target population.
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