The Workforce Reentry Act amends federal workforce law to create a competitive grant program helping formerly incarcerated individuals and justice-involved youth find jobs and build skills. The Department of Labor would award grants to nonprofits, government agencies, businesses, and educational institutions to provide employment training, education, mentorship, and support services to eligible adults (ages 25+) and youth (ages 14-24) with criminal justice involvement. Priority funding goes to programs in high-poverty areas that enroll participants before or shortly after release from incarceration and partner with employers to provide job training leading to recognized credentials. Grantees must contribute 25 percent matching funds, though the Secretary can waive this requirement for up to 20 percent of awards due to financial hardship. The bill dedicates funds for a rigorous evaluation of program effectiveness and requires annual public reporting of participant outcomes and program performance. No specific funding amount is identified in the legislation text, but funds would be allocated to competitive grants (with up to 30 percent directed through intermediary organizations) and 30 percent reserved for pay-for-performance contracts based on achieving measurable outcomes like employment and recidivism reduction.
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