(a) Authority to make grants
From amounts made available to carry out this section, the Attorney General shall make grants to nonprofit organizations and Indian Tribes for the purpose of providing transitional services essential to reintegrating offenders into the community.
(b) Use of funds
A grant awarded under subsection (a) may be used for—
(1) mentoring adult and juvenile offenders during incarceration, through transition back to the community, and post-release;
(2) transitional services to assist in the reintegration of offenders into the community, including—
(A) educational, literacy, and vocational, services and the Transitional Jobs strategy;
(B) substance abuse treatment and services;
(C) coordinated supervision and services for offenders, including physical health care and comprehensive housing and mental health care;
(D) family services; and
(E) validated assessment tools to assess the risk factors of returning inmates; and
(3) training regarding offender and victims issues.
(c) Application; priority consideration
(1) In general
To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, a nonprofit organization or Indian Tribe shall submit an application to the Attorney General at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such information as the Attorney General may require.
(2) Priority consideration
Priority consideration shall be given to any application under this section that—
(A) includes a plan to implement activities that have been demonstrated effective in facilitating the successful reentry of offenders; and
(B) provides for an independent evaluation that includes, to the maximum extent feasible, random assignment of offenders to program delivery and control groups.
(d) Strategic performance outcomes
The Attorney General shall require each applicant under this section to identify specific performance outcomes related to the long-term goal of stabilizing communities by reducing recidivism (using a measure that is consistent with the research undertaken by the Bureau of Justice Statistics under section 60551(b)(6) of this title), and reintegrating offenders into the community.
(e) Reports
An entity that receives a grant under subsection (a) during a fiscal year shall, not later than the last day of the following fiscal year, submit to the Attorney General a report that describes and assesses the uses of that grant during that fiscal year and that identifies the progress of the grantee toward achieving its strategic performance outcomes.
(f) Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Attorney General to carry out this section $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023.
Codification
Section was formerly classified to section 17531 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.
Amendments
2018—Pub. L. 115–391, §502(f)(1)(A), substituted "Community-based mentoring and transitional service grants to nonprofit organizations" for "Mentoring grants to nonprofit organizations" in section catchline.
Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 115–391, §502(f)(1)(B), struck out "mentoring and other" before "transitional services".
Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 115–391, §502(f)(1)(C), added par. (2) and struck out former par. (2) which read as follows: "transitional services to assist in the reintegration of offenders into the community, including mental health care; and".
Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 115–391, §502(f)(1)(D), substituted "this section $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023." for "this section $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2009 and 2010."
2016—Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 114–255 inserted ", including mental health care" after "community".