Federal Interagency Reentry Council: A Record of Progress and a Roadmap for the Future


Federal Interagency Reentry Council Report CoverThe long-term, sometimes lifelong, impact of a criminal record often keeps many qualified people from obtaining employment and accessing housing, higher education, loans and credit – even after they have paid their debt to society and are unlikely to reoffend. 

To address these large-scale issues facing individuals with a criminal record, the Federal Interagency Reentry Council (FIRC) began work in 2011 to reduce recidivism and improve outcomes related to employment, education, housing, health, and child welfare. Comprised of more than 20 federal agencies, the Reentry Council coordinated and leveraged existing federal resources; dispelled myths and clarified policies; elevated programs and policies that work; and reduced the policy barriers to successful reentry.

On April 29, 2016, former President Barak Obama issued a Presidential Memorandum that formally established the Federal Interagency Reentry Council (FIRC) to help ensure the federal government continues this important work. This report responds to that directive by laying out specific agency actions – development of training, technical assistance, and strategic communications – to ensure federal staff, as well as state, local, and community stakeholders, are aware of the tools available to them, and are using them to implement robust reentry policies and programs.

View the report (PDF)