The Second Chance Act (SCA) is federal legislation designed to improve outcomes for people returning to the community from prisons and jails. This is Part II of a four-part blog series. (
Read Part I) I was working in an office that is now called the Justice Center of the Council of State Governments (a national membership organization of elected and appointed officials) when I first began hearing from administrators of these diverse organizations. They were meeting as members of a "Reentry Policy Council" convened by CSG to hammer out consensus-based recommendations to address post-incarceration challenges at a community level. These committed men and women from very different walks of life and points on the political spectrum discussed hundreds of ideas and examples to identify the most
Some of the most innovative and inspiring work to end homelessness in Washington State has been made possible through the landmark
Housing and Homeless Assistance Act of 2005, which among other things, created the statewide
Homeless Grant Assistance Program (HGAP). The HGAP program has provided flexible, three-year grants to counties to create new, innovative programs that address the needs of the local community.
Since 2006, the State Department of Community, Trade, and Economic Development (CTED) has awarded 24 HGAP grants to a total of 20 counties, through a competitive application process. Building Changes has been providing technical assistance and the grantees since the initial round of funding, and it has been a rewarding and eye-opening experience for all of us. It gives us the
The U.S. Department of Justice plans to release a solicitation for Second Chance Act (SCA) grants to state and local government on March 23, 2009, with applications due by May 21, 2009. A solicitation for grants to nonprofit organizations is expected to be released early in 2009 as well. Additional information about the SCA, including fact sheets about the sections authorizing both types of grants, are available from the Justice Center of the Council of State Governments.
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If you're in Washington State and are considering applying for SCA funding,
we'd like to hear from you! Please contact Katherine Cortes, Community Planner, at Building
According to a recent report released by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Seattle food assistance programs have seen an 11 percent increase in new participants over the past year, and some programs have reported increases as high as 55 percent. These statistics mark an alarming trend: in Seattle--and throughout countless other cities, towns, and rural areas across the nation--more and more individuals need help to avoid going hungry.
The staff members of Seattle's OPERATION: Sack Lunch (OSL) are some of the people who know the faces behind these numbers, and they have some statistics of their own that deserve serious attention. Nearly two million meals have been served by OSL since 1989. In 2008 alone, 178,941 meals were served, and with an average of 490 meals served per day. OPERATION:
A few of months ago I had the opportunity to visit with several homeless employment programs in New York City. Although Seattle and NYC are very different places, I want to share a few tips I gleaned for local providers working with the homeless.
One effective strategy I saw over and over again was to start the discussion around employment and income supports on day one with clients, even if in reality they may be several months or even years away from earning their first pay check. This builds a client's interest and comfort level with the idea of employment and the long term trade-offs of being employed in lieu of receiving assistance. Talking about employment often triggers fear for homeless people that they will lose their income supports, like SSI, when they become employed. By
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