WASHINGTON – Senator Chuck Grassley today said that the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs has awarded a $567,419 competitive grant to the Serve Our Youth in Des Moines through the Second Chance Juvenile Mentoring Initiative.
Serve Our Youth will use the money to help implement evidence-based transitional services designed for reintegrating juvenile offenders in to the community and reducing recidivism.
"These funds will help former juvenile offenders stay out of the justice system and become contributing members of the community,” Grassley said.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the Second Chance Juvenile Mentoring Initiative helps provide employment assistance, substance abuse treatment, housing, family programming, mentoring, victims support and other services to help adult and juvenile ex-offenders make a successful transition from incarceration to the community.
Each year, thousands of local Iowa organizations, colleges and universities, individuals and state agencies apply for competitive grants from the federal government. The funding is then awarded based on each local organization or individual’s ability to meet criteria set by the federal entity.