Statewide Recidivism Reduction

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) designed this program in direct response to the challenges that leaders from all 50 states articulated during a 2011 national forum on reentry and recidivism. The program was created to help executive-branch policymakers and state corrections departments plan and implement systemwide reforms aimed at reducing recidivism.

Objectives and Deliverables

Among the most critical priorities for statewide recidivism reduction (SRR) grant recipients is to implement evidence-based practices and core correctional practices across corrections, probation, and parole. States that receive SRR grants utilize the funds to pursue an intensive, collaborative process that brings the governor’s office, state policymakers, and corrections leaders together to set measurable recidivism-reduction goals and develop practical, data-driven plans to achieve them.

There are two phases to the SRR grant program:

In Phase I, states receive planning grants to bring together stakeholders, set recidivism reduction goals, and develop comprehensive, data-driven plans to achieve those goals. In FY17, five sites were selected for Phase I and will be invited to apply for Phase II funds for implementation in 2018: Alaska, the District of Columbia, Delaware, Louisiana, and Utah.
In Phase II, states that put forward the strongest plans are awarded additional grants of $3 million over three years for implementation. In FY14, five states that completed the planning process were selected to implement their recidivism-reduction plans based on their potential to reduce the statewide recidivism rate: Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, and Vermont. In FY16, four states were selected: Arizona, Connecticut, Indiana, and Nevada.

The program is designed to create state centers of excellence that can stand as national models for reducing statewide recidivism and increasing public safety. All awardees are provided with technical assistance to help them follow the SRR process.

For more information, see the most recent BJA grant solicitation and a related webinar.