One Stop Shop Community Reentry Program Act of 2021

II 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. 1733 To authorize implementation grants to community-based nonprofits to operate one-stop reentry centers. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES MAY 20, 2021 Ms. KLOBUCHAR (for herself and Mr. CORNYN) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To authorize implementation grants to community-based nonprofits to operate one-stop reentry centers. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘One Stop Shop Com- 4 munity Reentry Program Act of 2021’’. 5 SEC. 2. COMMUNITY REENTRY CENTER GRANT PROGRAM. 6 (a) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—The Attorney General 7 is authorized to carry out a grant program to make grants 8 to eligible entities for the purpose of creating community 9 reentry centers. 10 VerDate Sep 11 2014 17:29 Jun 10, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1733.IS S1733 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •S 1733 IS (b) APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS.—Each applica- 1 tion for a grant under this section shall— 2 (1) demonstrate a plan to work with community 3 leaders who interact with formerly incarcerated peo- 4 ple and their families to— 5 (A) identify specific strategies and ap- 6 proaches to providing reentry services; 7 (B) develop a needs assessment tool to sur- 8 vey or conduct focus groups with community 9 members in order to identify— 10 (i) the needs of individuals returning 11 to the community after conviction or incar- 12 ceration, and the barriers such individuals 13 face; and 14 (ii) the needs of the families and com- 15 munities to which such individuals are re- 16 turning; and 17 (C) use the information gathered pursuant 18 to subparagraph (B) to determine the reentry 19 services to be provided by the community re- 20 entry center; 21 (2) identify the correctional institutions from 22 which individuals who are released from incarcer- 23 ation are likely to reenter the community served by 24 the community reentry center, and develop a plan, if 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 17:29 Jun 10, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1733.IS S1733 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •S 1733 IS feasible, to provide transportation for such released 1 individuals to the community reentry center, to the 2 individual’s residence, or to a location where the in- 3 dividual is ordered by a court to report; 4 (3) demonstrate a plan to provide accessible no- 5 tice of the location of the reentry intake and coordi- 6 nation center and the services that it will provide 7 (either directly or on a referral basis), including, 8 where feasible, within and outside of correctional in- 9 stitutions identified under paragraph (1); 10 (4) demonstrate a plan to provide intake and 11 reentry needs assessment that is trauma-informed 12 and gender-responsive after an individual is released 13 from a correctional institution, or, in the case of an 14 individual who is convicted of an offense and not 15 sentenced to a term of imprisonment, after such con- 16 viction, and where feasible, before release, to ensure 17 that the individuals served by the center are referred 18 to appropriate reentry services based on the individ- 19 ual’s needs immediately upon release from a correc- 20 tional institution or after conviction, and continu- 21 ously thereafter as needed; 22 (5) demonstrate a plan to provide the reentry 23 services identified in paragraph (1)(C); 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 17:29 Jun 10, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1733.IS S1733 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •S 1733 IS (6) demonstrate a plan to continue to provide 1 services (including through referral) for individuals 2 served by the center who move to a different geo- 3 graphic area to ensure appropriate case manage- 4 ment, case planning, and access to continuous or 5 new services, where necessary, and based on con- 6 sistent reevaluation of needs; 7 (7) identify specific methods that the commu- 8 nity reentry center will employ to achieve perform- 9 ance objectives among the individuals served by the 10 center, including— 11 (A) increased access to and participation 12 in reentry services; 13 (B) reduction in recidivism rates; 14 (C) increased numbers of individuals ob- 15 taining and retaining employment; 16 (D) increased enrollment in and degrees 17 earned from educational programs, including 18 high school, GED, and institutions of higher 19 education; 20 (E) increased numbers of individuals ob- 21 taining and maintaining housing; and 22 (F) increased self-reports of successful 23 community living, including stability of living 24 situation and positive family relationships; and 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 17:29 Jun 10, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1733.IS S1733 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 5 •S 1733 IS (8) to the extent practicable, identify State, 1 local, and private funds available to supplement the 2 funds received under this section. 3 (c) PREFERENCE.—The Attorney General shall give 4 preference to applicants that demonstrate that they seek 5 to employ individuals who have been convicted of an of- 6 fense, or served a term of imprisonment and have com- 7 pleted any court-ordered supervision, or that, to the extent 8 allowable by law, employ such formerly incarcerated indi- 9 viduals in positions of responsibility. 10 (d) EVALUATION AND REPORT.— 11 (1) EVALUATION.—The Attorney General shall 12 enter into a contract with a nonprofit organization 13 with expertise in analyzing data related to reentry 14 services and recidivism to monitor and evaluate each 15 recipient of a grant and each community reentry 16 center receiving funds under this section on an ongo- 17 ing basis. 18 (2) ADMINISTRATIVE BURDEN.—The nonprofit 19 organization described in paragraph (1) shall provide 20 administrative support to assist recipients of grants 21 authorized by this Act to comply with the conditions 22 associated with the receipt of funding from the De- 23 partment of Justice. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 17:29 Jun 10, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1733.IS S1733 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 6 •S 1733 IS (3) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the 1 date on which grants are initially made under this 2 section, and annually thereafter, the Attorney Gen- 3 eral shall submit to Congress a report on the pro- 4 gram, which shall include— 5 (A) the number of grants made, the num- 6 ber of eligible entities receiving such grants, 7 and the amount of funding distributed to each 8 eligible entity pursuant to this section; 9 (B) the location of each eligible entity re- 10 ceiving such a grant, and the population served 11 by the community reentry center; 12 (C) the number of persons who have par- 13 ticipated in reentry services offered by a com- 14 munity reentry center, disaggregated by type of 15 services, and success rates of participants in 16 each service to the extent possible; 17 (D) the number of persons who have par- 18 ticipated in reentry services for which they re- 19 ceived a referral from a community reentry cen- 20 ter, disaggregated by type of services, and suc- 21 cess rates of participants in each service; 22 (E) recidivism rates within the population 23 served by each community reentry center, both 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 17:29 Jun 10, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1733.IS S1733 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 7 •S 1733 IS before and after receiving a grant under this 1 section; 2 (F) the numbers of individuals obtaining 3 and retaining employment within the population 4 served by each community reentry center, both 5 before and after receiving a grant under this 6 section; and 7 (G) the number of individuals obtaining 8 and maintaining housing within the population 9 served by each community reentry center, both 10 before and after receiving a grant under this 11 section. 12 (e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 13 (1) COMMUNITY LEADER.—The term ‘‘commu- 14 nity leader’’— 15 (A) means an individual who serves the 16 community in a leadership role; and 17 (B) includes— 18 (i) a school official; 19 (ii) a faith leader; 20 (iii) a social service provider; 21 (iv) a member of a neighborhood asso- 22 ciation; 23 (v) a public safety representative; 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 17:29 Jun 10, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1733.IS S1733 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 8 •S 1733 IS (vi) an employee of an organization 1 that provides reentry services; 2 (vii) a member of a civic or volunteer 3 group related to the provision of reentry 4 services; 5 (viii) a health care professional; and 6 (ix) an employee of a State, local, or 7 tribal government agency with expertise in 8 the provision of reentry services. 9 (2) COMMUNITY REENTRY CENTER.—The term 10 ‘‘community reentry center’’ means a center that— 11 (A) offers intake, reentry needs assess- 12 ments, case management, and case planning for 13 reentry services for individuals returning to the 14 community after conviction or incarceration; 15 (B) provides the reentry services identified 16 under subsection (b)(1)(C) at a single location; 17 and 18 (C) provides referrals to appropriate serv- 19 ice providers based on the assessment of needs 20 of the individuals. 21 (3) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti- 22 ty’’ means a community-based nonprofit organiza- 23 tion that— 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 17:29 Jun 10, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1733.IS S1733 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 9 •S 1733 IS (A) has expertise in the provision of re- 1 entry services; and 2 (B) is located in a geographic area that 3 has disproportionately high numbers of resi- 4 dents, when compared to the local community, 5 who— 6 (i) have been arrested; 7 (ii) have been convicted of a criminal 8 offense; and 9 (iii) return to such geographic area 10 after incarceration. 11 (4) REENTRY SERVICES.—The term ‘‘reentry 12 services’’— 13 (A) means comprehensive and holistic serv- 14 ices that improve outcomes for individuals re- 15 turning to the community after conviction or in- 16 carceration; and 17 (B) includes— 18 (i) seeking and maintaining employ- 19 ment, including through assistance with 20 drafting resumes, establishing emails ac- 21 counts, locating job solicitations, submit- 22 ting of job applications, and preparing for 23 interviews; 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 17:29 Jun 10, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1733.IS S1733 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 10 •S 1733 IS (ii) placement in job placement pro- 1 grams that partner with private employers; 2 (iii) obtaining free and low-cost job 3 skills classes, including computer skills, 4 technical skills, vocational skills, and any 5 other job-related skills; 6 (iv) locating and maintaining housing, 7 which may include counseling on public 8 housing opportunities, assisting with appli- 9 cations for public housing benefits, locating 10 and securing temporary or long-term shel- 11 ter, and applying for home energy and util- 12 ity assistance programs; 13 (v) obtaining identification cards and 14 driver’s licenses; 15 (vi) registering to vote, and applying 16 for voting rights to be restored, where per- 17 mitted by law; 18 (vii) applying for or accessing GED 19 courses; 20 (viii) applying for loans for and ad- 21 mission to institutions of higher education; 22 (ix) financial counseling; 23 (x) legal assistance or referrals for 24 record expungement, forfeiture of property 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 17:29 Jun 10, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1733.IS S1733 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 11 •S 1733 IS or assets, family law and custody matters, 1 legal aid services (including other civil 2 legal aid services), and relevant civil mat- 3 ters including housing and other issues; 4 (xi) retrieving property or funds re- 5 tained by the arresting agency or facility of 6 incarceration, or retrieving property or 7 funds obtained while incarcerated; 8 (xii) transportation, including through 9 provision of transit fare; 10 (xiii) familial counseling; 11 (xiv) problem-solving, in coordination 12 with counsel where necessary, any difficul- 13 ties in compliance with court-ordered su- 14 pervision requirements, including restric- 15 tions on living with certain family mem- 16 bers, contact with certain friends, bond re- 17 quirements, location and residency restric- 18 tions, electronic monitoring compliance, 19 court-ordered substance abuse, and other 20 court-ordered requirements; 21 (xv) communication needs, including 22 providing a mobile phone, mobile phone 23 service or access, or internet access; 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 17:29 Jun 10, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1733.IS S1733 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 12 •S 1733 IS (xvi) applying for State or Federal 1 government benefits, where eligible, and 2 assisting in locating free or reduced cost 3 food and sustenance benefits; 4 (xvii) life skills assistance; 5 (xviii) mentorship; 6 (xix) medical and mental health serv- 7 ices, and cognitive-behavioral program- 8 ming; 9 (xx) substance abuse treatment; 10 (xxi) reactivation, application for, and 11 maintenance of professional or other li- 12 censes; and 13 (xxii) providing case management 14 services, in connection with court-orders 15 terms of release, or other local publicly 16 supported social work case management. 17 (5) SUCCESS RATE.—The term ‘‘success rate’’ 18 means the rate of recidivism (as measured by a sub- 19 sequent conviction or return to prison), job place- 20 ment, permanent housing placement, or completion 21 of certification, trade, or other education program. 22 (f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 17:29 Jun 10, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1733.IS S1733 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 13 •S 1733 IS (1) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be 1 appropriated $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2 2022 through 2026 to carry out this section. 3 (2) EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION.—The Attorney 4 General shall ensure that grants awarded under this 5 section are equitably distributed among the geo- 6 graphical regions and between urban and rural pop- 7 ulations, including Indian Tribes, consistent with the 8 objective of reducing recidivism. 9 SEC. 3. GRANTS FOR REENTRY SERVICES ASSISTANCE HOT- 10 LINES. 11 (a) GRANTS AUTHORIZED.— 12 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Attorney General is au- 13 thorized to make grants to States, In [Text truncated for display. Full text available on Congress.gov.]