The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) FY25 Second Chance Act grant focuses on addressing the needs of incarcerated parents and their minor children. This funding opportunity aims to provide support for states, local governments, tribal communities, and community-based organizations to develop or expand programs within detention and correctional facilities. The program is specifically designed to improve outcomes for incarcerated parents and their children under 18 by fostering positive family engagement, reducing recidivism, and supporting healthy child development.

The total amount to be awarded is $4,000,000, with an anticipated award ceiling of $750,000 per project. The period of performance is up to 36 months, starting on October 1, 2025. Eligible applicants include state, county, and city governments; federally and non-federally recognized tribal governments and organizations; and nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status. There is no cost-sharing or match requirement for this opportunity. Applications must be submitted through a two-step process: the initial SF-424 application through Grants.gov by February 6, 2025, and the full application in JustGrants by February 20, 2025.

The program’s goals are to strengthen relationships between incarcerated parents and their children, develop visitation policies, implement programs to reduce recidivism, and provide support for caregivers. Objectives include offering services like family counseling, educational support, reentry services, trauma-informed training for correctional staff, and creating child-friendly spaces within facilities. Programs must focus on enhancing child-parent communication through innovative approaches like video conferencing, electronic messaging, and transportation assistance for in-person visits. Partnerships to provide mental health services, housing support, and caregiver engagement are encouraged.

Applicants must submit a proposal narrative that includes a description of the issue, project goals, implementation strategies, and evidence of organizational capacity to execute the project. A budget detail form and memorandum of understanding (MOU) with correctional facility partners are required for nongovernmental applicants. The program prioritizes projects with measurable outcomes, including data collection on services offered, parental reentry progress, and youth development indicators.

Applications will be evaluated on a 100-point scale based on problem description (10%), project goals and objectives (10%), project design and implementation (45%), organizational capacity (25%), and budget feasibility (10%). Peer reviewers will assess applications, followed by programmatic and financial reviews. Awards are anticipated to be announced by September 30, 2025.

Award recipients must comply with reporting requirements, including quarterly financial and semi-annual performance reports. OJJDP emphasizes youth and family partnerships, encouraging applicants to involve individuals with lived experience in program planning and execution. Technical assistance is available through the OJP Response Center and related support services.