BJA FY 26 Second Chance Act Notice of Funding Opportunities

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) announced the following notice of funding opportunities.

FY 26 Second Chance Act Improving Reentry Education and Employment Outcomes

Grants.gov Deadline September 24, 2026 11:59 pm Eastern
Application JustGrants Deadline October 1, 2026, 8:59 pm Eastern

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The Office of Justice Programs (OJP) is committed to advancing work that furthers the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) mission to keep our country safe and secure and uphold the rule of law and protect the rights of American citizens. OJP provides federal leadership, funding, and other critical resources to directly support law enforcement, combat violent crime, protect American children, provide services to American crime victims, and address public safety challenges, including human trafficking and the opioid crisis. This is a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for BJA FY 2026 Second Chance Act (SCA) Improving Reentry Education and Employment Outcomes. This opportunity supports state, local, and tribal governments and community-based organizations to provide education and employment programs for adults and youth leaving prison and jail. The goal of the program is to improve academic and vocational/trade programs available to adults and youth in prisons and jails and expand workforce development and career pathways that result in improved job readiness, employment attainment, and retention, thereby improving employment prospects and reducing recidivism. Applicants may consider proposing projects that develop marketable skills, leverage technology, and build capacity to align with their local job market and engage in the digital economy. 

This NOFO includes two categories: 

  • Category 1: Improving Reentry Education Outcomes

Category 1 will provide support for prison educational programming and vocational/trade education and training that serve adults or youth currently incarcerated with 2 years or less before release into the community.

  • Category 2: Improving Reentry Employment Outcomes

Category 2 will provide support for employment programs, such as a career pathway system or workforce development network, informed by labor market needs and local demand for employees that serve adults currently incarcerated with 2 years or less before release into the community. Note: Applicants must commit to ensuring public safety by restricting internet access within incarcerated settings as deemed appropriate by the respective correctional agency. 

See the Eligible Applicants section for eligibility details.

FY 26 Second Chance Act Family-Based Substance Use Disorder Treatment Program

Grants.gov Deadline September 24, 2026 11:59 pm Eastern
Application JustGrants Deadline October 1, 2026, 8:59 pm Eastern

PDF Download

The Office of Justice Programs (OJP) is committed to advancing work that furthers the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) mission to keep our country safe and secure and uphold the rule of law and protect the rights of American citizens. OJP provides federal leadership, funding, and other critical resources to directly support law enforcement, combat violent crime, protect American children, provide services to American crime victims, and address public safety challenges, including human trafficking and the opioid crisis.

This is a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for the BJA FY 2026 Second Chance Act Family-Based Substance Use Disorder Treatment Program. This opportunity will provide treatment and recovery support services to parents with substance use disorders (SUD) who have minor children or are pregnant and are under correctional control in a facility or community-based setting. State, local, and tribal governments and nonprofit organizations may apply for funding to provide family-based SUD treatment programs in jail, in prison, or as part of an alternative to incarceration to reduce recidivism and improve reentry and other related outcomes for the parent and for their children. State, local, and tribal governments must apply for funding under Category 1 and nonprofit organizations and faith-based organizations must apply for funding under Category 2.

Applicants must propose to:

  • Offer family-focused treatment that is clinically appropriate and includes the parent,
  • their child, and other appropriate family members.
  • Use validated tools to assess the strengths and needs of the participant and their
  • family and use results to inform an individualized case plan.
  • Offer a wide range of services based on assessed needs, including SUD treatment,
  • as well as early child intervention services, family counseling, legal services, medical
  • and mental health care, nursery and preschool, parenting skills, transportation, and/or
  • vocational or GED training.
  • Implement a system of incentives and sanctions based on participant progress to
  • encourage accountability.
  • Track whether each participant successfully completes the SUD treatment program.
  • Conduct a process and outcome evaluation of the intervention.

Applicants proposing SUD treatment in correctional settings must also:

  • Operate in an area separate from the general population of the prison.
  • Provide continued care if a participant transfers to a different facility within the jurisdiction/operating area.

Applicants proposing SUD treatment in an alternative to incarceration setting must also:

  • Plan to serve people charged with a nonviolent drug offense (drug or drug-related crimes that do not include an element of physical force against person or property, their child, and other appropriate family members). 
  • Ensure all treatment providers are approved by the state or tribe and are licensed, if necessary, to provide medical and other health services
  • Coordinate with the Single State Authority for Substance Abuse in the applicable state.
  • Provide treatment in a residential setting (this does not include hospital or intensive outpatient settings)
  • Ensure that those who do not successfully complete the program serve an appropriate sentence of imprisonment for their original offense. 

Examples of allowable uses of funds include:

  • Hiring personnel.
  • Paying for mental health, substance use, and/or overdose prevention medication.
  • Contracting to support service delivery (e.g., case management, peer support, or clinically-appropriate treatment) and/or training and evaluation services.

See the Eligible Applicants section for eligibility details.

The Second Chance Act of 2007 and the First Step Act of 2018 authorize federal grants to facilitate reentry services and programs for people leaving incarceration. In FY26, BJA is releasing six NOFOs to support adults reentering the community and enhance public safety in different ways. Applicants are welcome to seek funding through more than one NOFO. 

FY 26 Smart Reentry Demonstration Program

Grants.gov Deadline September 24, 2026 11:59 pm Eastern
Application JustGrants Deadline October 1, 2026, 8:59 pm Eastern

PDF Download

The Office of Justice Programs (OJP) is committed to advancing work that furthers the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) mission to keep our country safe and secure and uphold the rule of law and protect the rights of American citizens. OJP provides federal leadership, funding, and other critical resources to directly support law enforcement, combat violent crime, protect American children, provide services to American crime victims, and address public safety challenges, including human trafficking and the opioid crisis.

This is a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for the BJA FY 2026 Smart Reentry Demonstration Program. This opportunity supports state, local, and tribal governments to implement comprehensive and collaborative reentry strategies to increase the likelihood of successful reentry for people returning to communities from adult correctional facilities, and to establish or expand a program or service (“intervention”) to reduce recidivism. Interventions may address a variety of needs related to reentry as outlined in section 101, subsection (b) of the Second Chance Act (34 USC §10631 – Adult and juvenile offender state and local reentry demonstration projects).

The Second Chance Act (SCA) of 2007 and the First Step Act of 2018 authorize federal grants to facilitate reentry services and programs for people leaving incarceration. In FY 2026, BJA is releasing six NOFOs to support adults reentering the community and enhance public safety in different ways. Applicants are welcome to seek funding through more than one NOFO. https://bja.ojp.gov/program/sca-programs/overview.

See the Eligible Applicants section for eligibility details. 

Agency Contact Information

  • NOFO Contact
    • OJP Response Center
      • Phone: 800-851-3420 or 202-353-5556 (TTY for hearing impaired callers only)
      • Email: OJPResponseCenter@usdoj.gov
  • For assistance with SAM.gov:
  • For assistance with Grants.gov:
  • For assistance with JustGrants:
    • JustGrants Help Desk
      • Phone: 833-872-5175
      • Email: JustGrants.Support@usdoj.gov
      • Hours of operation: 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. ET Monday–Friday and 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sunday, and federal holidays.
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