The New Jersey Department of Corrections (NJDOC) said Sept. 16 that it has awarded nearly $7 million in fiscal year 2025 NJLEAD (New Jersey Locally Empowered, Accountable, and Determined) grants.
Funding from this program goes to more than 40 nonprofits, municipalities, and training centers working on the front lines of reentry, helping people transition home, prepare for work, and stay connected to their communities.
“New Jersey has one of the lowest rates of recidivism in the nation, and we know from experience that the period after release is when people are most vulnerable to falling back into old patterns. When individuals leave custody without housing, employment, or a support system, the chances of returning to prison rise dramatically,” said NJDOC Commissioner Victoria L. Kuhn. “These grants are our way of breaking that cycle. By putting resources directly into the hands of trusted local organizations, we make sure people have real opportunities to succeed.”
The National Institute of Justice says more than 600,000 Americans are released from prisons and jails every year, and more than 4.5 million are serving a community supervision sentence. National data shows that about 68% of formerly incarcerated individuals are rearrested within three years, and 50% are reincarcerated, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics.
NJLEAD provides resources to organizations that serve returning citizens so they can offer appropriate programs and the opportunity to rebuild lives through job training, housing assistance, case management, trauma support, and vocational skills development.
These grants connect people with local organizations who know their communities best, making reentry work both personal and practical. The impact reaches far beyond individuals and represents stronger families, safer neighborhoods, and a more resilient New Jersey.
“NJLEAD is built on the belief that local organizations and communities know best how to serve their people from their communities. These grants make it possible to expand case management, trauma recovery, job training, and prerelease services in a way that is the most impactful,“ said Dr. Darcella Patterson Sessomes, chief of programs and reintegration services.
