Second Chance Act Grants 2026: Open Until November 6

Full answer: The BJA FY 2026 Second Chance Act Community-based Reentry Program is open now: submit the SF-424 in Grants.gov by October 30, 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET and the full application in JustGrants by November 6, 2026, 8:59 p.m. ET. It expects 13 awards of up to $1 million, needs no match, and is open to nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status, but not colleges) and federally recognized tribes. The three other FY2026 Second Chance Act competitions closed on October 1, 2026.

This guide is for nonprofit, tribal, state, county, and city teams deciding whether the open Community-based notice, or a later Second Chance Act notice, fits their lead entity and proposed work. It isn't personal financial assistance for someone returning from incarceration.

If you want every current reentry funding option, including adjacent housing, workforce, and youth routes, use Reentry Grants 2026. This guide answers a narrower question: how the Second Chance Act program family works and what an applicant can prepare before the next BJA notice.

Second Chance Act Grants 2026: Open Programs and Deadlines

Source review by Grantsights, October 8, 2026: We checked BJA's available-funding page, the FY2026 Community-based Reentry notice (O-BJA-2026-172717) and its PDF, the three FY2026 opportunity pages that closed October 1, BJA's current Second Chance Act program overview, the FY25 Community-based Reentry notice, the Pay for Success overview, and BJA's FY2009 through FY2023 fact sheet.

Data note: Dates, amounts, eligibility, match rules, attachments, and scoring weights on this page come from the linked OJP and BJA pages or the official FY2026 and FY25 Community-based notices. Historical figures are labeled by period. Grantsights doesn't estimate an application success rate or forecast the next notice.

Status rule: Each Second Chance Act notice has its own eligibility and application rules. The opportunity page and attached NOFO for the selected route control. A different Second Chance Act route cannot supply a missing eligibility rule or attachment.

Last updated: October 8, 2026.

Second Chance Act Grants Open on October 8, 2026

One adult Second Chance Act competition is open. According to BJA available funding, the FY 2026 Community-based Reentry Program closes November 6, 2026; three other FY2026 routes closed October 1.

The FY2026 Community-based notice expects up to $12.5 million across 13 awards of up to $1 million each, for 36 months starting January 1, 2027, with no cost share or match. It funds mentoring and transitional services for adults returning from correctional facilities who are assessed as moderate to high risk for recidivism, before and after release.

A common mistake is reusing an FY25 draft as-is. The FY2026 proposal narrative is limited to 10 pages, half the FY25 limit of 20, and tables and charts count toward it. The notice also requires an MOU with the correctional agency that oversees the facilities where you'll recruit, a timeline, and the Mandatory Chief Executive Assurance to Collect and Report Recidivism Indicator Data (Appendix A).

What to do now

1. Confirm the lead applicant is a nonprofit or federally recognized tribal government. Colleges and universities can't lead this notice.
2. Get the correctional-agency MOU drafted and signed early. It's a required attachment, not a support letter.
3. Assign owners for the Grants.gov step (October 30) and the JustGrants step (November 6).
4. Cut the narrative to the 10-page FY2026 limit.
5. Recheck BJA available funding and the opportunity page on submission day.

BJA says you may apply to more than one FY2026 Second Chance Act program, but you can't lead a route the notice doesn't list you for.

What the Second Chance Act Program Family Covers

According to DOJ's BJA program overview, OJP administers Second Chance Act funding, BJA handles programs serving adults, and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention handles programs serving youth. The adult side has 6 main routes.

The adult side is a family of programs, not one competition. Each route assigns a different public-safety problem to a different type of lead applicant:

• direct transitional services led by a community organization or tribe;
• family-based treatment led by a government, tribe, or community nonprofit;
• education and employment work led by an eligible government, tribe, or community nonprofit;
• outcomes-based contracting led by a government;
• a jurisdiction-level reentry demonstration led by a government; or
• probation and parole operating changes led by a government.

This structure explains why mission fit alone is not enough. A nonprofit may deliver excellent reentry services and still be ineligible to lead Pay for Success. A county may be an eligible government but still choose the wrong route if its proposed work is direct mentoring rather than an outcomes-based contract or jurisdiction-level system change.

Assistance Listing 16.812

The FY25 Community-based notice identifies Assistance Listing 16.812 for the Second Chance Act Reentry Initiative. Older pages and search queries may call this "CFDA 16.812." The number helps identify the assistance family, but it does not answer four application questions:

• Is a notice open?
• Is this entity eligible?
• Does the proposed work fit the notice?
• Can the team meet every required attachment and submission step?

Use the listing number to confirm identity. Use the current notice to make an application decision.

What BJA's Overview Doesn't Tell You

BJA's 6-route overview is the right eligibility starting point, but it doesn't combine the current closed status, latest two-system deadlines, track-specific match differences, or Community-based minimum requirements in one decision path.

Based on our review of the 6 latest adult routes, the strongest early filter isn't the service list. It is control of the proposed work. A nonprofit can control mentoring or treatment delivery, but it can't turn itself into the government buyer required for an outcomes-based contract. A support letter can't fix a wrong lead applicant.

Our analysis of the FY25 Community-based notice found an unusually important sequence:

1. eligibility, amount, scope, and named minimum attachments determine whether the application reaches merit review;
2. project design and capability then account for 60% of the published score; and
3. need accounts for 5%.

The common mistake is to spend most of the early planning period proving that reentry needs exist while leaving corrections access, referrals, partner duties, data, staffing, and the service handoff unresolved. That order is a weak bet because the largest review areas depend on the operating model.

The honest friction is that a mission-aligned organization can still be a bad fit. If the lead entity, control point, target population, or minimum attachment doesn't align, better prose won't rescue the application. Start with the route and stop rules, then write.

The Six Adult Second Chance Act Routes

The following 6-route map uses BJA's current overview for purpose and lead eligibility. It is a first screen, not a replacement for a current notice.

Route rule 1: Lead entity before program design

Start with the legal entity that will submit the application. If the route excludes that entity type, changing the narrative will not cure the problem.

A community nonprofit has three possible direct lanes in BJA's current map: Community-based Reentry, Family-based Substance Use Disorder Treatment, and Improving Adult Reentry Education and Employment Outcomes. It should not present itself as a direct lead for Pay for Success or Smart Reentry unless the current notice names that eligibility.

Route rule 2: Control before partnership

Ask which organization controls the central action.

• A nonprofit may control mentoring, case management, treatment, or employment services.
• A corrections agency controls facility access and release coordination.
• A government controls performance-based procurement.
• A probation or parole agency controls supervision policy and staff operations.

A partner letter cannot transfer government authority to a nonprofit. It can document how each party will perform its part of an eligible project.

Route rule 3: Population before service list

The latest Community-based Reentry notice focused on adults returning from prison or jail who were assessed as moderate to high risk for recidivism. A general workforce, housing, or behavioral-health program does not become a Second Chance Act project merely because some participants have justice-system histories.

Define:

• custody or supervision status;
• expected release window;
• assessment process;
• service geography;
• referral source;
• pre-release and post-release handoff; and
• outcome data available to the applicant.

Only then should the team map services and costs.

FY25 Community-based Reentry Terms

The closed FY25 Community-based Reentry opportunity page and official notice were the model the FY2026 notice follows; the FY2026 terms are in the table at the top of this guide. According to DOJ's BJA, it anticipated 13 awards with a $1 million ceiling and a 36-month period.

These are historical FY25 terms. They are not a next-cycle forecast.

Who could apply in FY25?

According to the official FY25 notice, 3 applicant categories were accepted:

• federally recognized Native American tribal governments;
• nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status, other than institutions of higher education; and
• nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status, other than institutions of higher education.

That is more precise than saying every nonprofit qualified. The applicant still had to meet the program scope, amount, and basic minimum requirements.

What could the grant support?

According to DOJ's BJA, the FY25 notice described mentoring and transitional services for adults returning after incarceration. It listed:

• risk and needs assessment;
• education, literacy, and vocational services;
• transitional jobs;
• substance use and mental health treatment;
• mentoring and peer support;
• family reunification and restoration;
• connections to health care and housing;
• continuity of treatment; and
• training on reentry and victim-related topics.

The presence of an allowable service does not establish project fit. The services had to connect to the notice's adult reentry purpose and target population.

The correctional-partner gate

The notice required an active partnership with the releasing corrections authority. A correctional-agency MOU or MOA was one of the basic minimum requirements.

For each named correctional partner, the agreement addressed:

• the organizations involved;
• which party would perform each service;
• the duration of the agreement;
• terms of facility access;
• pre-release programming and interventions; and
• data and performance measures the partner would provide.

The notice called for signed agreements from named correctional partners. It also allowed an unsigned draft with a cover page explaining why it was unsigned. That exception should not be read as permission to postpone the relationship itself. A future applicant still needs agreement on access, referrals, responsibilities, and data before it can write a credible operating plan.

The data gate

The FY25 notice required a chief executive assurance to collect and report recidivism indicator data. The project also had to report progress toward BJA goals and submit a final report or evaluation report on activity, people served, milestones, and outcomes.

Before the next notice, identify:

1. who owns corrections, supervision, service, and employment data;
2. which identifiers can connect records lawfully;
3. what baseline and follow-up periods are available;
4. who will produce reports; and
5. what agreements are needed before sharing begins.

If the corrections partner cannot provide release, supervision, or recidivism data, say so early. The problem is not solved by adding a generic evaluation paragraph at the deadline.

Two Submission Systems, Two Deadlines

The FY25 Community-based application used 2 submission systems and 2 deadlines:

1. Submit the SF-424 and SF-LLL in Grants.gov by the Grants.gov deadline.
2. Submit the full application and attachments in JustGrants by the later JustGrants deadline.

Finishing Grants.gov did not finish the application. Missing the JustGrants submission meant the full application was not submitted.

The FY25 notice also required an active SAM.gov registration and UEI. It advised applicants to begin or renew SAM.gov at least 30 days before the Grants.gov deadline. An applicant that waited until fewer than 10 business days before the deadline could lose access to the technical-waiver route for registration problems.

For a future cycle:

• verify SAM.gov now;
• confirm the entity administrator and authorized representative;
• confirm Grants.gov workspace roles;
• confirm JustGrants user access;
• assign one owner for each system; and
• preserve submission receipts from both systems.

Do not wait for a new notice to discover that the former entity administrator left the organization. The SAM.gov registration guide explains the registration sequence, while the DOJ grants guide covers the wider Justice Department application route.

What the FY25 Community-based Application Required

The FY25 Community-based proposal narrative had a 20-page limit, double spacing, 12-point type, one-inch margins, and numbered pages. Its 4 narrative sections aligned with the review:

1. Description of the Need
2. Project Goals and Objectives
3. Project Design and Implementation
4. Capabilities and Competencies

The official scoring weights were:

This creates a useful preparation test. Need alone accounted for 5%. Design, implementation, and capability accounted for 60%. A team that spends months collecting need statistics but has no release workflow, partner duties, staff plan, data route, or operating sequence is preparing the smallest scoring section while leaving the largest sections unresolved.

Grantsights preparation test

Before drafting a future application, complete one sentence for each line:

• Lead: The eligible applicant is _.
• Population: The project serves before and after release from .
• Referral: Participants enter through _.
• Access: Program staff receive facility or participant access through _.
• Services: The project delivers in the sequence .
• Handoff: The pre-release to post-release transition is owned by _.
• Data: The applicant receives from and reports _.
• Budget: The requested amount pays for over months.

If the team cannot fill a line with a named entity, process, or record, that is a preparation task, not a writing task.

Match Rules Vary by Second Chance Act Track

The closed FY25 Community-based notice explicitly said that no cost share or match was required. Do not add a voluntary-match promise as if it were an unstated scoring requirement.

By contrast, according to BJA's FY25 six-program webinar, Smart Reentry awardees had to provide a financial match equal to at least 50% of the federal award. Up to half of that match could be in-kind, and applicants could request a waiver.

The lesson is narrow but important:

• no match for one notice does not mean no match across the program family;
• a match for one notice does not apply to every other notice;
• in-kind limits and waiver rules belong to the exact notice; and
• the next notice may change the rule.

Build a budget only after confirming the correct track and current match section.

Three Worked Route Decisions

These 3 worked decisions are hypothetical route tests. They aren't award predictions.

Example 1: Community nonprofit with jail access

A nonprofit provides mentoring, transitional jobs, and treatment referrals. The county jail agrees to identify adults before release, permit staff access, support warm handoffs, and provide the data described in an MOU.

Likely route: Community-based Reentry, open until November 6, 2026.

Why: The nonprofit lead, direct transitional services, target population, releasing-authority relationship, and data route align with the latest Community-based model.

Preparation gap to test: whether the participant assessment and reporting process meets the future notice.

Example 2: County wants an outcomes-based housing contract

A county plans to contract with a housing and service provider and tie part of payment to validated housing and reentry outcomes.

Likely route: Pay for Success, subject to the next notice.

Why: BJA describes Pay for Success as a government-led route for performance-based or outcomes-based contracts for reentry services or housing.

Poor alternative: submitting through the service-provider nonprofit as the lead when BJA's current overview limits the lead route to state, local, and tribal governments.

Example 3: Workforce nonprofit wants to start after release

A workforce nonprofit offers job-readiness classes after release but has no correctional access, no pre-release education, and no government or facility partner.

Possible route: none yet.

Why: The open education and employment notice may accept a community-organization lead, but entity eligibility does not solve program-design fit. The team first needs to compare the current population, timing, training, corrections, and outcome requirements.

Next action: use the broader reentry grants guide and workforce training grants guide to compare BJA, DOL, and adjacent routes.

How to Protect the Current Deadline and Prepare for Later Cycles

Use these 5 preparation steps for an open route or before a later notice appears.

1. Pick one route

Write a one-page route memo with the proposed lead, target population, intervention, correctional role, data owner, and reason the route fits. Keep alternatives in a separate section rather than combining six programs into one concept.

2. Build the correctional agreement

For a Community-based concept, use the latest MOU elements as a discussion agenda. Do not ask a partner for a generic support letter when the notice needs duties, access, pre-release work, and data.

3. Verify registrations and users

Check SAM.gov, UEI, Grants.gov, and JustGrants access before a notice opens. Record renewal dates and two internal contacts. Do not store credentials in the planning document.

4. Map the evidence and data

Define the target population, starting condition, service sequence, milestones, and outcomes. Identify what the applicant can measure directly and what requires partner data.

5. Build a notice-delta checklist

For an open call, compare the current NOFO with any planning notes line by line:

• applicant types;
• target population;
• amount and duration;
• match;
• required partners;
• minimum attachments;
• narrative sections and page limit;
• review weights;
• allowable and excluded costs;
• Grants.gov deadline; and
• JustGrants deadline.

Only after that comparison should the team reuse prior material.

Historical Scale, Used Carefully

According to BJA's Second Chance Act fact sheet for fiscal years 2009 through 2023, the program family supported 910 state, local, and tribal agencies and nonprofit organizations in 49 states and 3 territories during that period.

For example, the Osborne Association is one source-backed historical recipient. An OJP 2022 award announcement identifies the Brooklyn nonprofit as a Community-based Reentry recipient and describes that route as requiring strong relationships with corrections, parole, probation, and other reentry providers. One named recipient illustrates the partner model, but it doesn't establish a typical winner profile or current award probability.

That fact establishes historical reach. It does not establish:

• the number of future awards;
• a current application success rate;
• a typical award amount across all tracks;
• a preference for prior grantees;
• an advantage for a particular state; or
• a promise of annual funding.

Use historical awards to understand past activity, not to invent a probability of winning.

Where to Monitor Official Updates

Use these 6 official monitoring routes:

• OJP current funding opportunities
• OJP past funding opportunities
• BJA available funding
• BJA Second Chance Act program overview
• BJA Second Chance Act funding index
• Grants.gov subscriptions

For implementation support after an award, BJA's National Reentry Resource Center overview explains the technical-assistance role. For the separate technical-assistance competition, use the Second Chance Act TTA guide. You can also search the live Grantsights grant database for active federal records.

Bottom Line

As of October 8, 2026, one adult Second Chance Act competition is open: Community-based Reentry, due in Grants.gov by October 30 and in JustGrants by November 6, 2026. Smart Reentry, Education and Employment, and Family-Based Substance Use Disorder Treatment closed October 1.

For a nonprofit or tribal lead, the work is clear: confirm entity eligibility, sign the MOU with the correctional agency, define facility access and referrals, document the service handoff, set up recidivism data collection, write to the 10-page limit, and complete both federal submissions on time.

Sources

• OJP Current Funding Opportunities
• OJP Past Funding Opportunities
• BJA Second Chance Act Programs Overview
• BJA Second Chance Act Funding Index
• FY2026 Smart Reentry
• FY2026 Improving Reentry Education and Employment Outcomes
• FY2026 Family-Based Substance Use Disorder Treatment
• FY2026 Community-based Reentry Opportunity Page
• FY2026 Community-based Reentry Notice
• FY25 Community-based Reentry Opportunity Page
• FY25 Community-based Reentry Notice
• FY25 Second Chance Act Programs Webinar and Transcript
• BJA Pay for Success Overview
• BJA National Reentry Resource Center Overview
• Second Chance Act Fact Sheet, FY2009 through FY2023
• Assistance Listing 16.812