Source: United States Senator for Ohio Sherrod Brown
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced that the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) has awarded a $1,072,000 grant to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC) through its Second Chance Act Pay for Success Initiative to fund the Returning Home Ohio (RHO) Expansion and Enhancement project. This project will support a partnership between ODRC and the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) to help Ohioans returning from incarceration find housing and avoid reoffending upon release. This funding will help expand the successful RHO program into Knox, Muskingum, and Richland counties.
“Transitioning back to civilian life can be a jarring and costly experience that strains mental health and may even result in reimprisonment if returning citizens aren’t met with proper support,” said Brown. “This much needed investment will help ensure those reintegrating into communities have the tools and resources they need to find housing and be successful.”
Support through this grant will allow ODRC and CSH to expand its outreach throughout Knox, Muskingum and Richland counties. By increasing its capacity and outreach in the state, grant funding will allow the project to target higher risk offenders and reduce recidivism for individuals returning from incarceration.
Funding for the program is provided by BJA’s Second Chance Act Community-Based Reentry Program. Funding will allow for implementation or expansion of reentry programs that demonstrate strong partnerships with corrections, parole, probation, and other reentry service providers. Grants made under this program may be used for: mentoring adult offenders during incarceration, through transition back to the community; transitional services to assist the reintegration of offenders into the community; and training regarding offender and victims’ issues.
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