The REO Act of 2023 creates a new Reentry Employment Opportunities Program within the Department of Labor to help individuals with criminal justice involvement find employment and develop job skills. The program establishes three separate initiatives targeting adults aged 25 and older, young adults aged 18 to 24, and youth aged 16 to 17 who have been incarcerated, are currently incarcerated but scheduled for release, or are under criminal justice supervision. Grant-making organizations, nonprofits, state and local government agencies, and tribal organizations can apply for funding to offer pre-apprenticeship programs, registered apprenticeships, occupational training, on-the-job training, job readiness activities, and supportive services like behavioral health and basic skills remediation to eligible participants. The legislation requires the Department of Labor's Chief Evaluation Officer to evaluate program effectiveness within five years, with grantees required to collect data on employment, housing, education, and recidivism outcomes, and directs the publication of findings and the sharing of de-identified data with researchers.
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