Solicitation for a Cooperative Agreement: Document-Tools in Assessing Inmates' Risks & Needs: The Assessment Interview, 31363-31364 [2011-13394]

Agencies

• Department of Justice
• National Institute of Corrections

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 104 (Tuesday, May 31, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31363-31364]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-13394]



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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

National Institute of Corrections


Solicitation for a Cooperative Agreement: Document--Tools in 
Assessing Inmates' Risks & Needs: The Assessment Interview

AGENCY: National Institute of Corrections, U.S. Department of Justice.

ACTION: Solicitation for a Cooperative Agreement.

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SUMMARY: The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) Jails Division is 
seeking applications for the development of a written guide on how to 
use interviews to determine inmate risks and needs within the jail 
environment more accurately. This document will be written in the 
context of inmate behavior management, which is described under 
Supplementary Information below.
    This project will be for an 18-month period and will be carried out 
in conjunction with the NIC Jails Division. The awardee will work 
closely with NIC staff on all aspects of the project. To be considered, 
applicants must demonstrate, at a minimum: (1) In-depth knowledge of 
the purpose, functions, and operational complexities of local jails, 
(2) awareness of the diversity among local jails in terms of size, 
resources, and levels of sophistication, (3) in-depth knowledge of the 
six elements of inmate behavior management, as defined by NIC, and (4) 
ability to develop and write documents for publication.

DATES: Applications must be received by 4 p.m. EDT, Friday, June 24, 
2011.

ADDRESSES: Mailed applications must be sent to: Director, National 
Institute of Corrections, 320 First Street, NW., Room 5002, Washington, 
DC 20534. Applicants are encouraged to use Federal Express, UPS, or 
similar service to ensure delivery by the due date.
    Hand delivered applications should be brought to 500 First Street, 
NW., Washington, DC 20534. At the front desk, dial 7-3106, ext. 0 for 
pickup. Faxed or e-mailed applications will not be accepted. Electronic 
applications can only be submitted via https://www.grants.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: A copy of this announcement and links 
to the required application forms can be downloaded from the NIC Web 
site at https://www.nicic.gov.
    All technical or programmatic questions concerning this 
announcement should be directed to Fran Zandi, Correctional Program 
Specialist, National Institute of Corrections, Jails Division. Ms. 
Zandi can be reached at 1-800-995-6423, ext. 71070 or by e-mail at 
fzandi@bop.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NIC has identified six key elements in 
effectively managing inmate behavior in jails: (1) Assessing the risks 
and needs of each inmate at various points during his/her detention, 
(2) assigning inmates to appropriate housing, (3) meeting inmates' 
basic needs, (4) defining and conveying expectations for inmate 
behavior, (5) supervising inmates, and (6) keeping inmates productively 
occupied. If a jail fully and properly implements all six elements, it 
should experience a significant reduction in the negative inmate 
behaviors often experienced in jails, such as vandalism, violence, rule 
violations, and disrespectful behavior toward staff and other inmates. 
Applicants can obtain additional information on inmate behavior 
management by reviewing NIC's ``Inmate Behavior Management: The Key to 
a Safe and Secure Jail.'' This document is available at https://nicic.gov/Library/023882.
    The NIC Jails Division offers training and technical assistance on 
inmate behavior management. It has also begun to develop a series of 
guides on implementing each of the six elements. This document will be 
part of the series.

Scope of Work

    Document Length: The number of pages will be determined by content. 
The document will include appendices and a bibliography.
    Document Audience: Jail administrators are the primary audience, 
but the document may also be used by other management staff. This guide 
is intended for use by jails of all sizes. In developing the document, 
the awardee must consider the diversity of jails in terms of size, 
available resources, and level of sophistication.
    Document Distribution: NIC expects to distribute the document 
widely. It will be available on the NIC Web site and upon request free 
of charge through the NIC Information Center.
    Document Content: The document will be a clear and practical guide 
for jail administrators. It will begin with a brief overview of the six 
elements of inmate behavior management, drawn from NIC's ``Inmate 
Behavior Management: The Key to a Safe and Secure Jail.'' This will be 
followed by a more detailed discussion of the first element, assessing 
inmates' risks and needs, including its importance in managing inmate 
behavior and its relationship to the other five elements. The document 
will then introduce the use of face-to-face interviews in determining 
inmates' risks and needs and explain the importance of interviewing to 
gaining more complete and accurate information. The document should 
also highlight anecdotal evidence or research that demonstrates the 
usefulness of interviews in risk-and-need assessment specifically and 
inmate behavior management generally.
    Once this context is set, the document will address the following 
topics, at a minimum: (1) Specific interview techniques and tools, (2) 
the interview environment, (3) skills required of the interviewer, (4) 
strategies for developing staff skills in conducting interviews, with 
sample training tools, (5) policies, procedures, and required 
documentation related to interviews, with samples of each, (6) 
determination of reasonable standards for the interview process and its 
outcomes, and (7) assessment of the quality of the interview process 
and the achievement of outcomes, with sample assessment tools.
    NIC Review: The awardee will send the following for NIC review and 
approval: initial framework for the document, first draft of the 
document, subsequent drafts based on NIC's suggested revisions, and the 
final draft.
    Final Product: The awardee will produce a completed document that 
has received initial editing from a professional editor. The awardee 
must follow the Guidelines for Preparing and Submitting Manuscripts for 
Publication as found in the ``General Guidelines for Cooperative 
Agreements,'' which will be included in the award package. The awardee 
will deliver the final product to NIC in hard copy and on disk in Word 
format. NIC will be responsible for the final editing process and 
document design, but the awardee will remain available during this time 
to answer questions and to make revisions to the document. The awardee 
must also ensure that all products meet NIC's standards for 
accessibility and Section 508 compliance.
    Meetings: The cooperative agreement awardee will attend an initial 
meeting with the NIC staff for a project overview and preliminary 
planning. This will take place shortly after the cooperative agreement 
is awarded and will be held in Washington, DC. The meeting will last 
one day.
    The awardee should plan to meet with NIC staff up to four times 
during the course of the cooperative agreement. One meeting will be 
held in Washington, DC. The others may be held by WebEx or in person, 
depending on meeting content.

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Applicant Conference

    An applicant conference will be held on Friday, June 17, 2011 from 
1 p.m. to 3 p.m. (EDT) by WebEx. The conference will give applicants 
the opportunity to meet with NIC project staff and ask questions about 
the project and the application procedures. Attendance at the 
conference is optional. Provisions will be made using WebEx technology 
(telephone and computer-based conferencing). The WebEx session requires 
applicants to have access to a telephone and computer. Applicants who 
plan to attend via WebEx should e-mail Fran Zandi, NIC Jails Division, 
Correctional Program Specialist at fzandi@bop.gov by 5 p.m. (EST) 
Monday, June 13, 2011.
    Application Requirements: An application package must include OMB 
Standard Form 425, Application for Federal Assistance; a cover letter 
that identifies the audit agency responsible for the applicant's 
financial accounts as well as the audit period or fiscal year under 
which the applicant operates (e.g., July 1 through June 30); and an 
outline of projected costs with the budget and strategy narratives 
described in this announcement. The following additional forms must 
also be included: OMB Standard Form 424A, Budget Information--Non-
Construction Programs; OMB Standard Form 424B, Assurances--Non-
Construction Programs (both available at https://www.grants.gov); DOJ/
FBOP/NIC Certification Regarding Lobbying, Debarment, Suspension and 
Other Responsibility Matters; and the Drug-Free Workplace Requirements 
(available at https://www.nicic.org/Downloads/PDF/certif-frm.pdf).
    Applications should be concisely written, typed double spaced, and 
reference the NIC opportunity number and title referenced in this 
announcement. If you are hand delivering or submitting via Fed-Ex, 
please include an original and three copies of your full proposal 
(program and budget narrative, application forms, assurances, and other 
descriptions). The original should have the applicant's signature in 
blue ink. Electronic submissions will be accepted only via https://www.grants.gov.
    The narrative portion of the application should include, at a 
minimum, a brief paragraph indicating the applicant's understanding of 
the project's purpose; a brief paragraph that summarizes the project 
goals and objectives; a clear description of the methodology that will 
be used to complete the project and achieve its goals; a statement or 
chart of measurable project milestones and timelines for the completion 
of each milestone; a description of the qualifications of the applicant 
organization; a resume for the principle and each staff member assigned 
to the project (including instructors) that documents relevant 
knowledge, skills, and abilities to carry out the project; and a budget 
that details all costs for the project, shows consideration for all 
contingencies for the project, and notes a commitment to work within 
the proposed budget. The narrative portion of the application should 
not exceed ten double-spaced typewritten pages, excluding attachments 
related to the credentials and relevant experience of staff.

    Authority: Public Law 93-415.

    Funds Available: NIC is seeking the applicant's best ideas 
regarding accomplishment of the scope of work and the related costs for 
achieving the goals of this solicitation. Funds may be used only for 
the activities that are linked to the desired outcome of the project. 
The funding amount should not exceed $20,000.
    Eligibility of Applicants: An eligible applicant is any state or 
general unit of local government, private agency, educational 
institution, organization, individual, or team with expertise in the 
described areas. Applicants must have demonstrated ability to implement 
a project of this size and scope.
    Review Considerations: Applications will be reviewed by a team of 
NIC staff. Among the criteria used to evaluate the applications are 
indication of a clear understanding of the project requirements; 
background, experience, and expertise of the proposed project staff, 
including any sub-contractors; effectiveness of the creative approach 
to the project; clear, concise description of all elements and tasks of 
the project, with sufficient and realistic time frames necessary to 
complete the tasks; technical soundness of project design and 
methodology; financial and administrative integrity of the proposal, 
including adherence to Federal financial guidelines and processes; a 
sufficiently detailed budget that shows consideration of all 
contingencies for this project and commitment to work within the budget 
proposed; and indication of availability to meet with NIC staff.

    Note: NIC will not award a cooperative agreement to an applicant 
who does not have a Dun and Bradstreet Database Universal Number 
(DUNS) and is not registered in the Central Contractor Registry 
(CCR). Applicants can obtain a DUNS number at no cost by calling the 
dedicated toll-free DUNS number request line at 800-333-0505. 
Applicants who are sole proprietors should dial 866-705-5711 and 
select option 1.

    Applicants may register in the CCR online at the CCR Web site: 
https://www.ccr.gov. Applicants can also review a CCR handbook and 
worksheet at this Web site.
    Number of Awards: One.
    NIC Opportunity Number: 11JA05.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 16.601.

    Executive Order 12372: This project is not subject to the 
provisions of Executive Order 12372.

Morris L. Thigpen,
Director, National Institute of Corrections.
[FR Doc. 2011-13394 Filed 5-27-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-36-P