Press Releases
Congressman Don Young Announces $1.4 Million in Grant Funding Awarded to the Alaska Department of Corrections to Strengthen Reentry Strategies and Reduce Recidivism
Washington,
October 2, 2020
Washington, D.C. – Today, Alaska Congressman Don Young announced that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has awarded $500,000 to the Alaska Department of Corrections (DOC) as part of the Second Chance Act Statewide Adult Recidivism Reduction Strategic Plan Implementation Program. The DOC also received $900,000 through the Correctional Adult Reentry Education, Employment, and Recidivism Reduction Strategies (CAREERRS) Program. These grant programs award funding to correctional facilities to deliver high-quality education and programming to reduce recidivism among newly released individuals. "The hardworking men and women of the Alaska Department of Corrections are committed to promoting justice. One of the most important things we can do to assist them is to ensure that individuals who are released from prison have the support they need to reenter society, and live productive and dignified lives," said Congressman Don Young. "This grant funding from the DOJ is welcome news not only for our correctional officers and the individuals they serve, but for the communities across Alaska that will benefit from an increase in public safety. Empowering former inmates to find growth and opportunity after serving their sentences requires smart strategies and a committed support system. I am confident that this funding will go a long way toward reducing crowded prisons and providing the formerly incarcerated with the support needed to change their lives for the better. I am grateful to the DOJ for making these crucial investments in the great State of Alaska." “This funding gives DOC an opportunity to further improve our reentry efforts, generate statewide reductions in crime and recidivism and enhance overall public safety. As a supplement to the initial Second Chance Grant received last spring, we look forward to advancing and expanding the reentry initiatives already in place while taking steps to re-evaluate procurements, training, resources, and practices related to recidivism reduction,” said Commissioner Nancy Dahlstrom of the Alaska Department of Corrections. ### |