Opportunity Information: Apply for O BJA 2026 172717
Apply for O BJA 2026 172717
- The Bureau of Justice Assistance in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BJA FY 2026 Second Chance Act Community-based Reentry Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.036.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2026-09-21.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-10-30. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,000,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.
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Opportunity Summary:
The BJA FY 2026 Second Chance Act Community-based Reentry Program is a discretionary federal grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), focused on improving reentry outcomes for adults leaving correctional facilities and returning to their communities. The program is designed to support community-based organizations and federally recognized tribal governments that can deliver practical, wraparound reentry supports aimed at reducing recidivism, especially for individuals assessed as having a moderate to high risk of reoffending. The core idea behind this funding is to strengthen community-led capacity to stabilize people during the high-risk transition period from incarceration to community living through consistent mentoring and targeted transitional services.
Under this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), funded projects may provide services before release, after release, or both, giving applicants flexibility to design continuity-of-care models that begin inside an adult correctional facility and continue once participants are back in the community. The emphasis on mentoring suggests BJA is looking for programs that pair participants with credible, trained mentors who can provide ongoing guidance, accountability, and support as individuals navigate employment, housing, treatment needs, family reunification, supervision requirements, and other reentry challenges. Transitional services can reasonably include structured reentry planning, warm handoffs to community providers, cognitive-behavioral or other evidence-informed interventions, and practical stabilization supports that reduce the likelihood of returning to custody.
The opportunity is categorized under Law, Justice and Legal Services and is associated with CFDA number 16.036. The funding instrument is a grant, and the maximum award amount (award ceiling) is $1,000,000 per award. The NOFO indicates an expected number of awards, but that figure is not provided in the source data excerpt, so applicants should expect that BJA will specify the final number of anticipated awards and total available funding in the full NOFO document. The opportunity was created on September 21, 2026, and the application deadline is October 30, 2026, which sets a relatively defined window for eligible entities to prepare and submit applications.
Eligibility is limited to federally recognized Native American tribal governments and nonprofit organizations that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS (and are not institutions of higher education). That eligibility detail is important because it narrows the applicant pool to certain organizational types, and it signals that BJA intends to fund direct community and tribal practitioners rather than colleges or universities as primary applicants. Organizations considering applying should be prepared to demonstrate experience and capacity in reentry service delivery, risk/needs responsiveness (including serving moderate-to-high risk individuals), and partnerships with corrections agencies and community providers to coordinate pre-release access and post-release continuity.
In practical terms, a competitive application will likely need to show how the program will identify and enroll participants who meet the risk criteria, how mentoring will be structured and supervised, what transitional services will be provided and when, and how the project will track outcomes tied to recidivism reduction and successful community reintegration. Since the stated target population includes individuals returning from adult correctional facilities, applicants should be ready to describe how they will coordinate with prisons or other adult facilities for pre-release engagement when applicable, and how they will maintain service engagement immediately following release, when needs are typically most acute. The full NOFO should be consulted for the specific program requirements, allowable costs, performance measures, and application components, but the summary purpose is clear: fund community-based and tribal efforts that combine mentoring and transitional reentry supports to reduce repeat involvement in the justice system for higher-risk returning adults.
Key identifiers for the opportunity include the title "BJA FY 2026 Second Chance Act Community-based Reentry Program," the funding opportunity number "O-BJA-2026-172717," the administering agency "Bureau of Justice Assistance," the closing date of October 30, 2026, and a maximum award amount of $1,000,000.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the BJA FY 2026 Second Chance Act Community-based Reentry Program?
It is a discretionary federal grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) focused on improving reentry outcomes for adults leaving correctional facilities and returning to their communities.
What is the main purpose of this funding opportunity?
The purpose is to strengthen community-led capacity to stabilize people during the high-risk transition from incarceration to community living by providing consistent mentoring and targeted transitional services designed to reduce recidivism.
Who is the target population for the program?
The program targets adults returning from adult correctional facilities, with a particular emphasis on individuals assessed as having a moderate to high risk of reoffending.
What types of organizations are eligible to apply?
Eligibility is limited to federally recognized Native American tribal governments and nonprofit organizations that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS (and are not institutions of higher education).
Are colleges and universities eligible applicants?
No. Institutions of higher education are not eligible as primary applicants under the eligibility description provided.
Are 501(c)(3) nonprofits eligible?
No. The eligibility description provided limits eligibility to nonprofit organizations that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS.
What agency is administering this grant?
The administering agency is the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA).
What is the funding instrument for this opportunity?
The funding instrument is a grant.
What is the maximum award amount?
The maximum award amount (award ceiling) is $1,000,000 per award.
How many awards will BJA make?
The NOFO indicates an expected number of awards, but the number is not provided in the information excerpt. Applicants should consult the full NOFO for the final anticipated number of awards and total available funding.
When was this funding opportunity created?
The opportunity was created on September 21, 2026.
What is the application deadline?
The application deadline is October 30, 2026.
What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number is O-BJA-2026-172717.
What is the official title of the opportunity?
The official title is "BJA FY 2026 Second Chance Act Community-based Reentry Program."
What category does this opportunity fall under?
The opportunity is categorized under Law, Justice and Legal Services.
What is the CFDA number associated with this program?
The CFDA number associated with this program is 16.036.
What kinds of services can a funded project provide?
Funded projects may provide services before release, after release, or both. Programs may include mentoring and transitional reentry services that support stabilization and reduce the likelihood of returning to custody.
Can a project start working with participants before they are released?
Yes. The NOFO allows services to be provided before release, which supports continuity-of-care models that begin inside an adult correctional facility.
Can a project provide services only after release?
Yes. Projects may provide services after release only, or they may combine pre-release and post-release services.
What does BJA mean by "community-based" reentry in this program?
Based on the description provided, "community-based" refers to reentry supports delivered by community-based organizations and tribal governments to help people returning from incarceration stabilize and connect to services in the community.
What role does mentoring play in this program?
Mentoring is emphasized as a key approach. BJA appears to be looking for programs that pair participants with credible, trained mentors who provide ongoing guidance, accountability, and support during reentry.
What are examples of transitional services that may be included?
The description indicates transitional services can reasonably include structured reentry planning, warm handoffs to community providers, cognitive-behavioral or other evidence-informed interventions, and practical stabilization supports.
What reentry challenges are programs expected to help participants navigate?
Programs are expected to help participants navigate issues such as employment, housing, treatment needs, family reunification, supervision requirements, and other common reentry barriers.
Does the program require serving people with a specific risk level?
The program emphasizes reducing recidivism especially for individuals assessed as having a moderate to high risk of reoffending. Applicants should be prepared to describe how they will identify and enroll participants who meet the risk criteria.
What partnerships or coordination are likely important for a strong application?
Applicants should be prepared to demonstrate partnerships with corrections agencies and community providers to coordinate pre-release access (when applicable) and post-release continuity of services.
What should an applicant be ready to explain about program design?
A competitive application will likely need to explain how participants will be identified and enrolled, how mentoring will be structured and supervised, what transitional services will be provided and when, and how outcomes will be tracked.
What outcomes is the program trying to improve?
The program aims to reduce recidivism and support successful community reintegration for higher-risk returning adults.
Does the summary include specific allowable costs or performance measures?
No. The summary notes that the full NOFO should be consulted for specific program requirements, allowable costs, performance measures, and application components.
Where should applicants look for the most detailed requirements?
Applicants should consult the full Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the detailed requirements, including allowable costs, performance measures, application components, and final funding details.
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| OJJDP FY 2026 Community and Schools Youth Drug Prevention Program Apply for O OJJDP 2026 172734 Funding Number: O OJJDP 2026 172734 Agency: Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $750,000 |
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| BJA FY 2026 Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement- Competitive Grants Program Apply for O BJA 2026 172711 Funding Number: O BJA 2026 172711 Agency: Bureau of Justice Assistance Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $500,000 |
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| OJJDP FY 2026 Multistate Mentoring Programs Apply for O OJJDP 2026 172745 Funding Number: O OJJDP 2026 172745 Agency: Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $4,000,000 |
| OJJDP FY 2026 Strengthening Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Technological Investigative Capacity Apply for O OJJDP 2026 172753 Funding Number: O OJJDP 2026 172753 Agency: Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $675,000 |
| OJJDP FY 2026 Victims of Child Abuse Act Training and Technical Assistance for Child Abuse Professionals Apply for O OJJDP 2026 172755 Funding Number: O OJJDP 2026 172755 Agency: Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $2,850,000 |
| BJA FY 2026 Rural Violent Crime Reduction Initiative Apply for O BJA 2026 172761 Funding Number: O BJA 2026 172761 Agency: Bureau of Justice Assistance Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $2,637,041 |
| OJJDP FY 2026 Invited To Apply - Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Forces Apply for O OJJDP 2026 172767 Funding Number: O OJJDP 2026 172767 Agency: Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Category: Law, Justice and Legal Services Funding Amount: $1,060,081 |
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