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First Step Act of 2018

NIJ’s Role Under the First Step Act

The First Step Act of 2018 (the Act) aims to reform the federal prison system and reduce recidivism.

NIJ plays a key role in major components of the Act and will assist the Attorney General in —

  • Assessing the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ existing risk and needs assessment system.
  • Developing and evaluating a...

Learning from Doing Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Second Chance Act Grant Program

April 2022

Reauthorized in 2018, the Second Chance Act (SCA) aims to reduce recidivism and improve outcomes for people returning from state and federal prisons, local jails, and juvenile facilities through the provision of federal grants. During this panel, National Institute of Justice-funded researchers will detail two ongoing evaluations of the SCA grant program:

  1. An evaluation of the effectiveness of the SCA grant program per Title V of the First Step Act.
  2. A longitudinal examination of the long-term impacts of the SCA program.

From Successful Reentry to Stronger Communities

May 2022
What is reentry? Why is it important? And what research is being done in this field? NIJ Journal Editor Beth Pearsall hosts a conversation on reentry with Senior Science Advisor Angela Moore, Senior Social Science Analyst Marie Garcia, and Social Science Analyst Eric Martin.

First Step Act: Review and Revalidation of the Bureau of Prisons Needs Assessment System, Fiscal Year 2022

Closing Date
With this funding opportunity, and in collaboration with the Bureau of Prisons (BOP), the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is seeking responses to support the annual review and revalidation of the BOP’s needs assessment system. This initiative supports Section 3631 of Title I of the First Step Act (FSA) of 2018 and furthers the mission of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) by supporting research...

NIJ's Role Under the First Step Act

Date Published
June 2019
Publication Type
Report (Technical Assistance), Program/Project Description, Legislation/Policy Description
Agencies
NIJ