United States Attorney General Eric Holder recently announced that President Obama’s 2015 budget would call for $173 million to go toward criminal justice reform efforts, including funding for state and local prisoner reentry programs.
“Each dollar spent on prevention and reentry has the potential to save several dollars in incarceration costs,” Holder said. “These wise investments can help make our criminal justice system more effective and efficient. Overall, this budget request shows our strong commitment to building upon the record of progress we have established in fulfilling the Justice Department’s most critical missions.”
The requested funding is part of Holder’s “Smart on Crime” initiative, announced in August 2013.
The budget additionally requests:
- $15 million for U.S. Attorneys, including prosecution prioritization, prevention and reentry work and promoting alternatives to incarceration such as the establishment of drug courts and veteran courts
- $15 million for the Bureau of Prisons to expand the Residential Drug Abuse Program at the federal level and $14 million provided in the FY 2014 appropriation to assist inmates with reentering society and reducing the population of individuals who return to prison after being released
- $14 million in the Office of Justice Programs to expand the Residential Substance Abuse Treatment program at the state and local level
- $115 million for the Second Chance Act Grant program, through state and local assistance programs, to reduce recidivism and help ex-offenders return to productive lives.
GEO Reentry Services works with corrections officials around the nation to provide evidence-based reentry programming aimed at lowering incarceration costs, reducing recidivism and keeping the public safe.
Our programs target changing criminal behavior through therapy, alcohol and drug treatment and education, including life skills classes and GED prep, preparing offenders for life after prison. Learn more here.