The U.S. Department of Labor has awarded DeKalb County more than $859,000 in grants to help juvenile offenders re-enter the workforce.

Officials say Face Forward grants were awarded to 28 community-based organizations across the country, including youth programs run by the DeKalb County government.

Officials say juvenile arrests can serve as a major barrier to being able to enter the workforce, and the grants are intended to help nonprofit legal service providers expunge juvenile court records and provide diversion and mentoring programs.

People eligible to be served by the grants must be between the ages of 16 and 24, have never been involved with adult federal, state, or local criminal justice systems, and must never have been convicted of sex-related crimes other than prostitution.

Tags: DeKalb County, juvenile justice, juvenile offenders