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Institute of Justice  \nFirst Step Act: Best Practices for Academic and Vocational Education for Offenders  \nDavid B. Muhlhausen Hugh J. Hurwitz  \nNCJ 253056  \nU.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs  \n810 Seventh St. N.W.  \nWashington, DC 20531  \nDavid B. Muhlhausen, Ph. D.  \nDirector, National Institute of Justice  \nThis and other publications and products of the National Institute of Justice can be found at: National Institute of Justice  \nStrengthen Science • Advance Justice [NIJ.ojp.gov](NIJ.ojp.gov)  \nOffice of Justice Programs  \nBuilding Solutions • Supporting Communities • Advancing Justice [OJP.gov](OJP.gov)  \nThe National Institute of Justice is the research, development, and evaluation agency of the U.S. Department of Justice. NIJ’s mission is to advance scientific research, development, and evaluation to enhance the administration of justice and public safety.  \nThe National Institute of Justice is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the Office for Victims of Crime; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking.  \nNational [Institute of Justice](Institute of Justice | NIJ.ojp.gov)[ | NIJ.ojp.gov](Institute of Justice | NIJ.ojp.gov)  \nBackground  \nOn December 21, 2018, the First Step Act was passed and included in the Second  \nChance Reauthorization Act of 2018. Similar to the Second Chance Act of 2007, the 2018 reauthorization aims to improve opportunities for offenders returning to their communities by authorizing the Attorney General to support the provision of funding for adult and juvenile offender demonstration projects at the state, local, and tribal levels.  \nThis report by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) fulfills the legislative mandate specified in Title V, the Second Chance Reauthorization Act of 2018, Part NN, Section 3041 (c).  \nPer Title V, the Attorney General must complete the following mandate by June 21, 2019:  \n“Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of the Second Chance Reauthorization Act of 2018, the Attorney General shall identify and publish best practices relating to academic and vocational education for offenders in prisons, jails, and juvenile facilities. The best practices shall consider the evaluations performed and recommendations made under grants made under subsection (a) before the date of enactment of the Second Chance Reauthorization Act of 2018.”  \nIntroduction  \nThe American criminal justice system currently holds almost 2.3 million people in  \n1,719 state prisons, 122 federal prisons, 1,772 juvenile correctional facilities, 3,163 local jails, and 80 Indian Country jails as well as in military prisons, immigration detention facilities, residential reentry facilities, civil commitment centers, state psychiatric hospitals, and prisons in the U.S. territories.1 At year-end 2016, more than 4.5 million adults were under probation and parole.2 Most individuals in custody, close to 95 percent, will be released and some will reenter the criminal justice system.3  \n1 Sawyer, W., & Wagner, P. (2019).“Mass incarceration: The whole pie 2019.” National Incarceration Briefing Series: Prison Policy Initiative. [https://www.prisonpolicy.org/national/](https://www.prisonpolicy.org/national/).  \n2 Kaeble, D. (2018). Probation and parole in the United States, 2016. Washington, DC: Bureau of Justice Statistics. [https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/ppus16.pdf](https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/ppus16.pdf).  \n3 Bureau of Justice Statistics. Reentry Trends in the U.S. [https://www.bjs.gov/content/reentry/reentry.cfm](https://www.bjs.gov/content/reentry/reentry.cfm).  \nFirst Step Act: Best P","cbCaifJBMBwyMZUu","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaifJBMBwyMZUu","pdf",323643,13,"English","# Background\n## First Step Act mandate and legislative context\n# Introduction\n## Reentry population and recidivism evidence\n## Importance of academic and vocational education\n# Best-practices overview\n## How assessments evaluate education impact","[{\"question\":\"What mandate does the report address?\",\"answer\":\"It fulfills the legislative mandate requiring the Attorney General to identify and publish best practices on academic and vocational education for offenders in prisons, jails, and juvenile facilities.\"},{\"question\":\"Why is offender reentry preparation emphasized?\",\"answer\":\"The report links high recidivism and the large number of people released to the need for resources and support that help steer individuals away from returning to crime.\"},{\"question\":\"How do academic and vocational programs support successful reintegration?\",\"answer\":\"The report describes these programs as providing useful skills, improving employability, and enabling incarcerated individuals to successfully reintegrate into society after release.\"}]","First Step Act: Best Practices for Academic and Vocational Education for Offenders | PDF",1792054811,33]