Purpose

• The bill aims to reduce reincarceration and support smoother transitions from incarceration back into the community by funding a program for inmates and people affected by the justice system.

Main Provisions

• Funding: Authorizes $500,000 in fiscal year 2026 and $500,000 in fiscal year 2027 from the general fund.
• Administration: Money goes to the commissioner of corrections to provide a grant.
• Recipient: The grant is awarded to The Redemption Project.
• Services funded: The grant supports virtue-based education for inmates and justice-impacted individuals, and includes mentoring, support services, and employment services.
• Budget status: The amount is added to the program’s base funding (i.e., it becomes part of ongoing funding for future years).

How the bill seeks to accomplish its goals

• By providing structured education and ongoing supports designed to reduce incarceration rates and improve successful community reentry for people involved with the correctional system.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Introduces a new or expanded base-level funding line specifically for The Redemption Project within the Department of Corrections budget, dedicated to virtue-based education and related services for inmates and justice-impacted individuals.
• Establishes a two-year funding commitment (FY2026 and FY2027) to support these services, administered as a grant by the commissioner of corrections.

Administration and Oversight (implied)

• Oversight and implementation are handled by the commissioner of corrections, with The Redemption Project serving as the grant recipient to deliver the described programs.

Relevant Terms

• The Redemption Project
• virtue-based education
• core correctional practices
• mentoring
• support services
• employment services
• inmates
• justice-impacted individuals
• general fund
• commissioner of corrections
• grant
• base
• fiscal year 2026
• fiscal year 2027