For the establishment of a grant program to be administered by the office of the commissioner of probation for community-based residential re-entry programs to reduce recidivism by providing transitional housing, workforce development and case management to individuals returning to the community from county jails and state prisons, including inmates of state prisons and county jails approved pursuant to
sections 49 and 86F of chapter 127 of the General Laws and individuals on parole or on probation; provided, that these programs shall provide supervision and accountability as needed and that the money shall be awarded through a competitive process to qualified nonprofit organizations with a documented history of providing comprehensive, evidence-based community residential re-entry services; provided further, that applicants shall provide a plan for ensuring that proposed programs shall be implemented with fidelity to a research-based or evidence-based program design; provided further, that not less than $1,500,000 shall be awarded to the parole board for sober and transitional housing for parolees; provided further, that not less than $1,000,000 shall be spent on women and elderly citizens returning from incarceration; and provided further, that the department of probation shall provide an annual report on the outcomes and recidivism rates of the participants to the house and senate committees on ways and means not later than March 3, 2026
