Solicitation for a Cooperative Agreement: Development of a Guide for Correctional Agencies To Establish Tele-Visiting Capacity in Correctional Facilities, 39511-39514 [2012-16171]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 128 / Tuesday, July 3, 2012 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Office of Justice Programs
[OJP (OJJDP) Docket No. 1594]
Meeting (Webinar) of the Federal
Advisory Committee on Juvenile
Justice
Office of Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Prevention, Office of
Justice Programs, U.S. Department of
Justice.
ACTION: Notice of Webinar Meeting.
AGENCY:
The Office of Juvenile Justice
and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)
announces a meeting of the Federal
Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice
(FACJJ).
Dates and Locations: The meeting
will take place online, as a webinar, on
Friday, August 10, 2012, from 3 to 7
p.m. ET.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Robin Delany-Shabazz, Designated
Federal Official, OJJDP, Robin.DelanyShabazz@usdoj.gov, or 202–307–9963.
[Note: This is not a toll-free number.]
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Federal Advisory Committee on
Juvenile Justice (FACJJ), established
pursuant to Section 3(2)A of the Federal
Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.
2), will meet to carry out its advisory
functions under Section 223(f)(2)(C–E)
of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention Act of 2002. The FACJJ is
composed of representatives from the
states and territories. FACJJ member
duties include: reviewing Federal
policies regarding juvenile justice and
delinquency prevention; advising the
OJJDP Administrator with respect to
particular functions and aspects of
OJJDP; and advising the President and
Congress with regard to State
perspectives on the operation of OJJDP
and Federal legislation pertaining to
juvenile justice and delinquency
prevention. More information may be
found at www.facjj.org.
Meeting Agenda: The agenda will
include: (a) Welcome and introductions;
(b) remarks from the Administrator; (c)
presentation by and discussion with
staff of the National Juvenile Justice
Evaluation Center; (d) subcommittee
reports and discussions; (e) other
business; and (f) adjournment.
Members of the FACJJ and of the
public who wish to attend must preregister online by linking to the webinar
registration portal through www.facjj.org
no later than Wednesday, August 8,
2012. Upon registration, information
will be sent to you at the email you
provide to enable you to connect to the
srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Mar<15>2010
16:27 Jul 02, 2012
Jkt 226001
webinar. Should problems arise with
webinar registration, call Michelle
Duhart-Tonge at 703–789–4712. [Note:
this is not a toll-free telephone number.]
Members of the public will be able to
listen to and view the webinar as
observers but will not be able to actively
participate.
Written Comments: Interested parties
may submit written comments in
advance to Robin Delany-Shabazz,
Designated Federal Official, by email to
Robin.Delany-Shabazz@usdoj.gov no
later than Monday, August 6, 2012.
Alternatively, fax your comments to
202–307–2819 and call Joyce Mosso
Stokes at 202–305–4445 to ensure that
they are received. [Note: These are not
toll-free numbers.]
Melodee Hanes,
Acting Administrator, Office of Juvenile
Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2012–16267 Filed 7–2–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410–18–P
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
National Institute of Corrections
Solicitation for a Cooperative
Agreement: Development of a Guide
for Correctional Agencies To Establish
Tele-Visiting Capacity in Correctional
Facilities
National Institute of
Corrections, U.S. Department of Justice.
AGENCY:
Solicitation for a cooperative
agreement.
ACTION:
The National Institute of
Corrections (NIC) is seeking
applications from organizations, groups,
or individuals to enter into a
cooperative agreement for an 18-month
period to develop a guide to establishing
televisiting capacity in correctional
facilities.
SUMMARY:
Applications must be received
by 4:00 p.m. (EDT) on Friday, August 3,
2012.
DATES:
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
security desk, dial 7–3106, ext. 0 for
pickup. Faxed or emailed applications
will not be accepted. Electronic
applications can only be submitted via
https://www.grants.gov.
ADDRESSES:
PO 00000
Frm 00049
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
39511
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/
cooperative_agreements.
All technical or programmatic
questions concerning this
announcement should be directed to
Maureen Buell, Correctional Program
Specialist, National Institute of
Corrections, Community Services
Division. Ms. Buell can be reached
directly at 1–800–995–6423, ext. 40121
or by email at mbuell@bop.gov. In
addition to the direct reply, all
questions and responses will be posted
on NIC’s Web site at www.nicic.gov for
public review (the names of those
submitting questions will not be
posted). The Web site will be updated
regularly and postings will remain on
the Web site until the closing date of
this cooperative agreement solicitation.
Only questions received by 12:00 p.m.
(EDT) on July 25, 2012 will be posted
on the NIC Web site.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Overview: According to a 2000 Bureau
of Justice Statistics report (Mumola, C.J.
NCJ 182335, 8/30/2000), of the nearly 2
million men and women being held in
state prisons, local jails, and federal
facilities, nearly 1.1 million were
parents, affecting an estimated amount
of 2.3 million children. Over half of
those parents had minor children. This
has a significant effect on children who
are assigned temporary living
arrangements such as foster care or
placement with extended family or
neighbors. Without maintaining positive
connections to a parent, children are
more likely to experience a variety of
adverse effects, including impaired
learning, poverty, and frequent
displacement or instability in their
living situations. Data shows that
children who were residing with their
mothers prior to incarceration were
most likely to be living with
grandmothers (78%) or other kinship or
under foster care arrangements.
Children of male offenders were more
likely living with their biological
mother (90%) and less likely to be in
other kinship or foster care placements.
Over the past two decades, as the
number of incarcerated men and women
has increased, so have the numbers of
prison and jail facilities. It is likely that
the facility in which a man or woman
is housed is far away from family,
community, and other potential
supports. This is more often the rule
with women, given that states may have
only a single facility that houses
women, and they frequently are not
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
E:\FR\FM\03JYN1.SGM
03JYN1
srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
39512
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 128 / Tuesday, July 3, 2012 / Notices
easily accessed by family and other
potential support networks. Regardless
of the gender of the offender, the effect
of parental incarceration is significant,
and lack of appropriate contact with
family and other community supports
affects how an offender serves his or her
time and challenges the reentry process.
Research shows there is a positive
relationship among supportive family,
community contacts, and behavioral
health issues that support successful
reentry. In fact, ‘‘maintaining
community and family ties is related to
desistance’’ (Visher, C., and S. Courtney,
2007. One Year Out, Experiences of
Prisoners Returning to Cleveland,
Washington). Yet, U.S. incarceration
trends support the transfer of offenders
to accommodate inmate populations.
Family and community supports are
becoming disconnected as men and
women are sentenced and transferred to
facilities far from home, leaving them
with numerous systemic barriers to
maintaining healthy contact.
Beginning with the sentencing
process, ‘‘whereas a family law court
often makes children’s interests
paramount, a criminal law court may
overlook altogether how its sentencing
decision will affect a defendant’s
children’’ (Abramowicz, S. Rethinking
Parental Incarceration, summer 2011
Copyright© 2011 University of Colorado
Law Review, 82 U. Colo L. Rev. 793).
Institutional policy and practice, while
in place to facilitate manageable and
safe visitation, may inadvertently create
barriers due to staffing requirements,
physical plant and space
accommodations, security issues, and
scheduling. Furthermore, staff may
perceive in-person visiting as a privilege
or perk, rather than as programming and
preparation for reentry. Such attitudes
can severely limit opportunities to build
potential supportive networks.
The inability of incarcerated
individuals to visit with family and
build community supports can have farreaching consequences. Inmate parents
face significant obstacles in asserting
parental rights. The Adoption and Safe
Family Act of 1994 (ASFA) was
developed to provide adoption priority
for children who were lingering in foster
care waiting for adoption. For those
parents who had maintained
appropriate contact (for example, having
had sufficient contact between parent
and child in 15 consecutive months out
of 22) or had their children living with
them prior to incarceration, an
unintended consequence of ASFA could
be the termination of parental rights
during the period of incarceration. Some
states, but not all, have opted out of this
legal mandate. Whether it be because of
VerDate Mar<15>2010
16:27 Jul 02, 2012
Jkt 226001
financial ability, transportation,
geographical distance, unwillingness of
a caregiver, or inconvenience, lack of
visitation can have severe consequences
for both the parent and child.
Numerous studies over the decades
have supported the building of familial
and community bonds as contributing to
improved reentry and reductions in
recidivism. Some national criminal
justice organizations have supported the
increased use of visitation to improve
reentry efforts. These include The
Sentencing Project (The Effects of Prison
Visitation on Offender Recidivism,
November 2011), The Reentry Policy
Council (Children of Incarcerated
Parents: An Action Plan for Federal
Policymakers, 2009), and The Vera
Institute of Justice Family Justice
Program (Close to Home: Building on
Family Support for People Leaving Jail,
October 2011). The National Institute of
Justice currently has a solicitation out as
well, ‘‘Impact of Video Visitation on
Offenders and Their Families’’ under
Research and Evaluation in Justice
Systems, CFDA No. 16.560.
This request for application is not
intended to create a guide to supplant
in-person visitation, but used in
combination with other types of
communication, televisiting has the
potential for building and maintaining
supportive connections between parents
and children.
Background: The National Institute of
Corrections has been providing support
to federal, state, and local criminal
justice organizations nationally since
1974. Since that time, NIC has worked
closely with federal, state, and local
jails, prisons, and community
corrections agencies on a broad range of
projects ranging from operational to
research and innovation-based. As
correctional practice has evolved, trends
have emerged and focus has expanded
beyond study of the individual in
corrections to the study of the impact
that community and family, broadly
defined, have on an individual’s success
in our nation’s facilities or under some
form of community supervision (i.e.,
probation or parole). As correctional
populations have soared, bed space has
been at a premium and new facilities
have been opened, often far from
whatever supports the individual in
correctional custody may have.
Scope of Work: The intent of this
cooperative agreement is to inform the
development of televisiting initiatives.
The cooperative agreement awardee will
design and develop a guide to assist
correctional agencies in the
establishment of televisiting programs to
enhance family and supportive
community connections. The concept of
PO 00000
Frm 00050
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
televisiting has been employed in
correctional agencies in various ways,
and with the transfer of offenders, to
locations often far from their
communities and families. There
continues to be a strong interest in the
field for establishing such programs. It
is anticipated that in developing the
guide, the applicant will have strong
familiarity with the concept of
televisiting, technology, and potential
uses of televisiting. The applicant will
draw from the existing research and
incorporate lessons learned from
correctional agencies that have already
established programs. Lessons learned
might include any current evaluations,
knowledge about the potential for and
existing collaborative partnerships, the
financial aspects of televisiting systems
and the potential for broadly defined
cost benefits. It is further anticipated
that the applicant will prepare a
resource guide for sites that are
contemplating development of
televisiting or looking to make
enhancements to current televisiting
initiatives. The final product will be
broadly available to the correctional
field and will be shared via the National
Institute of Correction’s Web site.
Document Length: The length of the
document should be determined by
content. Brevity and clarity are
encouraged.
Intended Audience: The primary
audience for this curriculum is the
leadership and management of
correctional organizations and various
external public and private stakeholders
interested in the establishment of
televisiting programs in correctional
settings.
Meetings: The cooperative agreement
awardee will participate in an initial
meeting with NIC staff for a project
overview and preliminary planning
prior to September 15, 2012.
Additionally, the awardee should plan
to meet with NIC staff on a routine,
established basis to discuss the
activities noted in the timeline during
the course of the cooperative agreement.
(The applicant creates a timeline in
response to the RFP. See section titled
Project Management below.) Meetings
will be held no less than quarterly and
may be conducted via webinar or in
person as agreed upon by NIC and the
awardee.
Project Deliverables: Under this
cooperative agreement, the awardee will
design and develop three products: (1)
A guide to assist correctional agencies
in the establishment of televisiting
programs to enhance family and
supportive community connections, (2)
a resource guide for sites that are
contemplating the development of
E:\FR\FM\03JYN1.SGM
03JYN1
srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 128 / Tuesday, July 3, 2012 / Notices
televisiting in their own facility or
looking to make enhancements to
current televisiting initiatives, (3) a
series of evaluative questions about the
efficacy of televisiting for sites that have
implemented or are considering the
establishment of correctional
televisiting. These questions will be
developed in collaboration with NIC’s
Research and Information Services
Division.
Document Preparation: For all awards
in which a document will be a
deliverable, the awardee must follow
the Guidelines for Preparing and
Submitting Manuscripts for Publication
as found in the ‘‘General Guidelines for
Cooperative Agreements,’’ which can be
found on the NIC Web site at
www.nicic.gov/cooperativeagreements.
In addition, awardees are asked to
comply with NIC’s recommendations for
producing media using plain language.
These can be found at www.nicic.gov/
plainlanguage. All final publications
submitted for posting on the NIC Web
site must meet the federal government’s
requirement for accessibility (e.g., 508
PDF, HTML file, or other acceptable
format). All documents developed
under this cooperative agreement must
be submitted in draft form to NIC for
review prior to the final products being
delivered.
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 the
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
www.grants.gov); DOJ/FBOP/NIC
Certification Regarding Lobbying,
Debarment, Suspension and Other
Responsibility Matters; and the DrugFree Workplace Requirements (available
at www.nicic.gov/Downloads/General/
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
VerDate Mar<15>2010
16:27 Jul 02, 2012
Jkt 226001
original should have the applicant’s
signature in blue ink. Electronic
submissions will be accepted only via
www.grants.gov.
Place the following at the top of the
abstract: Project title; Applicant name
(Legal name of applicant organization);
Mailing address; Contact phone
numbers (voice, fax); Email address; and
Web site address, if applicable.
The narrative portion of the
application should include, at a
minimum, a statement indicating the
applicant’s understanding of the
project’s purpose, goals and objectives.
The applicant should state this in
language other than that used in the
solicitation.
Project Design and Implementation:
This section should describe the design
and implementation of the project and
how the key design and implementation
issues and challenges will be addressed.
Project Management: This section
should include a chart of measurable
project milestones and timelines for the
completion of each milestone.
Capabilities and Competencies: This
section should describe (1) the
qualifications of the applicant
organization and any partner
organizations to do the work proposed
and (2) the expertise of key staff to be
involved in the project. Attach resumes
that document the relevant knowledge,
skills, and abilities of the principle
investigator and each staff member to
complete the project. If the applicant
organization has completed similar
projects in the past, please include the
URL/Web site or ISBN number for
accessing a copy of the referenced work.
Budget: The budget should detail all
costs for the project, show consideration
for all contingencies for the project, note
a commitment to work within the
proposed budget, and demonstrate the
ability to provide deliverables according
to schedule.
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 $48,000 for a period of 18
months.
Eligibility of Applicants: An eligible
applicant is any state or general unit of
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. To be
considered, applicants must
PO 00000
Frm 00051
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
39513
demonstrate, at a minimum, in-depth
knowledge of research and practice
regarding reentry; the effect of parental
incarceration and correctional visitation
policy and practice; understanding of
the challenges experienced by family
and other potential sources of support
in the correctional visitation process; indepth knowledge of the practices,
programs and complexities in operation
of correctional facilities; issues relevant
to parenting, the importance of family in
influencing offender outcomes, and the
benefit of community supports in male
and female facilities; knowledge of case
law as it relates to visitation in
correctional environments;
demonstrated knowledge of tele-visiting
technology and its potential uses;
specific examples of expertise in
directing project design and
implementation, particularly with
regard to the development of similar
projects in which such technology
might be used; and demonstrated ability
to work in a collaborative fashion with
other experts in the field of reentry,
transition, family, and community
supports.
Review Considerations: Among the
criteria used to evaluate the applications
are: An assessment of whether the
applicant has a clear understanding of
the project requirements as stated in the
solicitation; background, experience and
expertise of the proposed project staff,
including any sub-contractors;
effectiveness of an innovative 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 work with
NIC staff.
Applications received under this
announcement will be subject to a
collaborative review process. The
criteria for the evaluation of each
application will be as follows:
Programmatic: 40 Points
Are all of the tasks and activities
adequately covered? Is there a clear
description of how each project activity
will be accomplished, including major
tasks, the strategies to be employed,
required staffing, responsible parties,
and other required resources? Are there
any unique or exceptional approaches,
E:\FR\FM\03JYN1.SGM
03JYN1
39514
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 128 / Tuesday, July 3, 2012 / Notices
techniques, or design aspects proposed
that will enhance the project?
Project Management and
Administration: 20 Points
Does the applicant identify reasonable
objectives, milestones, and measures to
track progress? Are the proposed
management and staffing plans clear,
realistic, and sufficient to complete the
project? Is the applicant willing to meet
with NIC as specified in the solicitation
for this cooperative agreement?
Organizational and Project Staff
Background: 30 Points
Do the skills, knowledge, and
expertise of the organization and the
proposed project staff demonstrate a
high level of competency to complete
the tasks? Does the applicant/
organization have the necessary
experience and organizational capacity
to complete all goals of the project? If
consultants and/or partnerships are
proposed, is there a reasonable
justification for their inclusion in the
project and a clear structure to ensure
effective coordination?
Budget: 10 Points
Is the proposed budget realistic? Does
it provide sufficient cost detail/
narrative? Does it represent good value
relative to the anticipated results? Does
the application include a chart that
aligns the budget with project activities
along a timeline with, at minimum,
quarterly benchmarks? In terms of
program value, is the estimated cost
reasonable in relation to work
performed and project products?
srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
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 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:
www.ccr.gov. Applicants can also
review a CCR handbook and worksheet
at this Web site.
Number of Awards: One.
NIC Opportunity Number: 12CS06.
This number should appear as a
reference line in the cover letter, where
indicated on Standard Form 424, and
outside of the envelope in which the
application is sent.
Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance Number: 16.601.
VerDate Mar<15>2010
16:27 Jul 02, 2012
Jkt 226001
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. 2012–16171 Filed 7–2–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410–36–P
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
National Institute of Corrections
Solicitation for a Cooperative
Agreement: Women Offenders:
Developing an Agencywide Approach
National Institute of
Corrections, U.S. Department of Justice.
ACTION: Solicitation for a Cooperative
Agreement.
AGENCY:
The National Institute of
Corrections (NIC) is seeking
applications from organizations, groups,
or individuals to enter into a 18-month
cooperative agreement to implement a
blended-learning training program
entitled Women Offenders: Developing
an Agencywide Approach. This project
will be completed in conjunction with
the NIC Community Services Division
and the awardee will work closely with
NIC staff on all aspects of the project. To
be considered, applicants must
demonstrate, at a minimum, in-depth
knowledge of (1) evidence-based,
gender-responsive research and
knowledge and practice in the policy,
programming, and operation of women’s
jails, prisons, and community
supervision agencies; (2) the preparation
needed for the delivery of a blendedlearning curriculum to correctional
audiences and related stakeholders; (3)
specific examples of expertise in
directing implementation of similar
projects in which blended learning was
used; and (4) working collaboratively
with correctional leadership and related
stakeholders.
DATES: Applications must be received
by August 15, 2012.
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
security desk, dial 7–3106, ext. 0 for
pickup.
Faxed or emailed applications will
not be accepted. Electronic applications
can only be submitted via https://
www.grants.gov.
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00052
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
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/
cooperativeagreements.
All technical or programmatic
questions concerning this
announcement should be directed to
Maureen Buell, Correctional Program
Specialist, National Institute of
Corrections, Community Services
Division. Ms. Buell can be reached
directly at 1–800–995–6423 ext. 40121
or by email at mbuell@bop.gov. In
addition to the direct reply, all
questions and responses will be posted
on NIC’s Web site at www.nicic.gov for
public review (the names of those
submitting questions will not be
posted). The Web site will be updated
regularly and postings will remain on
the Web site until the closing date of
this cooperative agreement solicitation.
Only questions received by 12:00 p.m.
(EDT) on August 8, 2012 will be posted
on the NIC Web site.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background: Established by Congress
in 1974, NIC has worked closely with
federal, state, and local jails, prisons,
and community corrections on a broad
range of initiatives. Related to this
solicitation, NIC has worked diligently
to develop products through
collaborative partnerships that reflect
research and experience relevant to
justice-involved women. Within that
body of work, there is an awareness that
correctional policy and practice has
been created to manage primarily male
offenders and then applied to female
populations, bypassing issues that
contribute to women’s pathways to
criminal justice involvement,
imprisonment, transition/reentry, and
community supervision. The program in
this solicitation, Women Offenders:
Developing an Agencywide Approach,
provides a roadmap for agency planners
to effect policy and practice in
managing the increased numbers of
justice-involved women.
The delivery of this training event is
designed for audiences of correctional
leadership and management who
influence agency policy and practice
and are invested in improving systemic
(i.e., improved management of
correctional resources, including staff,
programs, use of physical space, etc.)
and individual outcomes (i.e., risk
reduction/recidivism, reduction in
behavioral health symptoms) in the
management of women committed to
the justice system. The blended-learning
program will be hosted regionally.
Scope of Work: The awardee will use
the existing curricula, Women
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
E:\FR\FM\03JYN1.SGM
03JYN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 128 (Tuesday, July 3, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39511-39514]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-16171]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
National Institute of Corrections
Solicitation for a Cooperative Agreement: Development of a Guide
for Correctional Agencies To Establish Tele-Visiting Capacity in
Correctional Facilities
AGENCY: National Institute of Corrections, U.S. Department of Justice.
ACTION: Solicitation for a cooperative agreement.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) is seeking
applications from organizations, groups, or individuals to enter into a
cooperative agreement for an 18-month period to develop a guide to
establishing televisiting capacity in correctional facilities.
DATES: Applications must be received by 4:00 p.m. (EDT) on Friday,
August 3, 2012.
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 security desk, dial 7-3106, ext. 0 for pickup.
Faxed or emailed 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/cooperative_agreements.
All technical or programmatic questions concerning this
announcement should be directed to Maureen Buell, Correctional Program
Specialist, National Institute of Corrections, Community Services
Division. Ms. Buell can be reached directly at 1-800-995-6423, ext.
40121 or by email at mbuell@bop.gov. In addition to the direct reply,
all questions and responses will be posted on NIC's Web site at
www.nicic.gov for public review (the names of those submitting
questions will not be posted). The Web site will be updated regularly
and postings will remain on the Web site until the closing date of this
cooperative agreement solicitation. Only questions received by 12:00
p.m. (EDT) on July 25, 2012 will be posted on the NIC Web site.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Overview: According to a 2000 Bureau of Justice Statistics report
(Mumola, C.J. NCJ 182335, 8/30/2000), of the nearly 2 million men and
women being held in state prisons, local jails, and federal facilities,
nearly 1.1 million were parents, affecting an estimated amount of 2.3
million children. Over half of those parents had minor children. This
has a significant effect on children who are assigned temporary living
arrangements such as foster care or placement with extended family or
neighbors. Without maintaining positive connections to a parent,
children are more likely to experience a variety of adverse effects,
including impaired learning, poverty, and frequent displacement or
instability in their living situations. Data shows that children who
were residing with their mothers prior to incarceration were most
likely to be living with grandmothers (78%) or other kinship or under
foster care arrangements. Children of male offenders were more likely
living with their biological mother (90%) and less likely to be in
other kinship or foster care placements. Over the past two decades, as
the number of incarcerated men and women has increased, so have the
numbers of prison and jail facilities. It is likely that the facility
in which a man or woman is housed is far away from family, community,
and other potential supports. This is more often the rule with women,
given that states may have only a single facility that houses women,
and they frequently are not
[[Page 39512]]
easily accessed by family and other potential support networks.
Regardless of the gender of the offender, the effect of parental
incarceration is significant, and lack of appropriate contact with
family and other community supports affects how an offender serves his
or her time and challenges the reentry process.
Research shows there is a positive relationship among supportive
family, community contacts, and behavioral health issues that support
successful reentry. In fact, ``maintaining community and family ties is
related to desistance'' (Visher, C., and S. Courtney, 2007. One Year
Out, Experiences of Prisoners Returning to Cleveland, Washington). Yet,
U.S. incarceration trends support the transfer of offenders to
accommodate inmate populations. Family and community supports are
becoming disconnected as men and women are sentenced and transferred to
facilities far from home, leaving them with numerous systemic barriers
to maintaining healthy contact.
Beginning with the sentencing process, ``whereas a family law court
often makes children's interests paramount, a criminal law court may
overlook altogether how its sentencing decision will affect a
defendant's children'' (Abramowicz, S. Rethinking Parental
Incarceration, summer 2011 Copyright(copyright) 2011 University of
Colorado Law Review, 82 U. Colo L. Rev. 793). Institutional policy and
practice, while in place to facilitate manageable and safe visitation,
may inadvertently create barriers due to staffing requirements,
physical plant and space accommodations, security issues, and
scheduling. Furthermore, staff may perceive in-person visiting as a
privilege or perk, rather than as programming and preparation for
reentry. Such attitudes can severely limit opportunities to build
potential supportive networks.
The inability of incarcerated individuals to visit with family and
build community supports can have far-reaching consequences. Inmate
parents face significant obstacles in asserting parental rights. The
Adoption and Safe Family Act of 1994 (ASFA) was developed to provide
adoption priority for children who were lingering in foster care
waiting for adoption. For those parents who had maintained appropriate
contact (for example, having had sufficient contact between parent and
child in 15 consecutive months out of 22) or had their children living
with them prior to incarceration, an unintended consequence of ASFA
could be the termination of parental rights during the period of
incarceration. Some states, but not all, have opted out of this legal
mandate. Whether it be because of financial ability, transportation,
geographical distance, unwillingness of a caregiver, or inconvenience,
lack of visitation can have severe consequences for both the parent and
child.
Numerous studies over the decades have supported the building of
familial and community bonds as contributing to improved reentry and
reductions in recidivism. Some national criminal justice organizations
have supported the increased use of visitation to improve reentry
efforts. These include The Sentencing Project (The Effects of Prison
Visitation on Offender Recidivism, November 2011), The Reentry Policy
Council (Children of Incarcerated Parents: An Action Plan for Federal
Policymakers, 2009), and The Vera Institute of Justice Family Justice
Program (Close to Home: Building on Family Support for People Leaving
Jail, October 2011). The National Institute of Justice currently has a
solicitation out as well, ``Impact of Video Visitation on Offenders and
Their Families'' under Research and Evaluation in Justice Systems, CFDA
No. 16.560.
This request for application is not intended to create a guide to
supplant in-person visitation, but used in combination with other types
of communication, televisiting has the potential for building and
maintaining supportive connections between parents and children.
Background: The National Institute of Corrections has been
providing support to federal, state, and local criminal justice
organizations nationally since 1974. Since that time, NIC has worked
closely with federal, state, and local jails, prisons, and community
corrections agencies on a broad range of projects ranging from
operational to research and innovation-based. As correctional practice
has evolved, trends have emerged and focus has expanded beyond study of
the individual in corrections to the study of the impact that community
and family, broadly defined, have on an individual's success in our
nation's facilities or under some form of community supervision (i.e.,
probation or parole). As correctional populations have soared, bed
space has been at a premium and new facilities have been opened, often
far from whatever supports the individual in correctional custody may
have.
Scope of Work: The intent of this cooperative agreement is to
inform the development of televisiting initiatives. The cooperative
agreement awardee will design and develop a guide to assist
correctional agencies in the establishment of televisiting programs to
enhance family and supportive community connections. The concept of
televisiting has been employed in correctional agencies in various
ways, and with the transfer of offenders, to locations often far from
their communities and families. There continues to be a strong interest
in the field for establishing such programs. It is anticipated that in
developing the guide, the applicant will have strong familiarity with
the concept of televisiting, technology, and potential uses of
televisiting. The applicant will draw from the existing research and
incorporate lessons learned from correctional agencies that have
already established programs. Lessons learned might include any current
evaluations, knowledge about the potential for and existing
collaborative partnerships, the financial aspects of televisiting
systems and the potential for broadly defined cost benefits. It is
further anticipated that the applicant will prepare a resource guide
for sites that are contemplating development of televisiting or looking
to make enhancements to current televisiting initiatives. The final
product will be broadly available to the correctional field and will be
shared via the National Institute of Correction's Web site.
Document Length: The length of the document should be determined by
content. Brevity and clarity are encouraged.
Intended Audience: The primary audience for this curriculum is the
leadership and management of correctional organizations and various
external public and private stakeholders interested in the
establishment of televisiting programs in correctional settings.
Meetings: The cooperative agreement awardee will participate in an
initial meeting with NIC staff for a project overview and preliminary
planning prior to September 15, 2012. Additionally, the awardee should
plan to meet with NIC staff on a routine, established basis to discuss
the activities noted in the timeline during the course of the
cooperative agreement. (The applicant creates a timeline in response to
the RFP. See section titled Project Management below.) Meetings will be
held no less than quarterly and may be conducted via webinar or in
person as agreed upon by NIC and the awardee.
Project Deliverables: Under this cooperative agreement, the awardee
will design and develop three products: (1) A guide to assist
correctional agencies in the establishment of televisiting programs to
enhance family and supportive community connections, (2) a resource
guide for sites that are contemplating the development of
[[Page 39513]]
televisiting in their own facility or looking to make enhancements to
current televisiting initiatives, (3) a series of evaluative questions
about the efficacy of televisiting for sites that have implemented or
are considering the establishment of correctional televisiting. These
questions will be developed in collaboration with NIC's Research and
Information Services Division.
Document Preparation: For all awards in which a document will be a
deliverable, the awardee must follow the Guidelines for Preparing and
Submitting Manuscripts for Publication as found in the ``General
Guidelines for Cooperative Agreements,'' which can be found on the NIC
Web site at www.nicic.gov/cooperativeagreements. In addition, awardees
are asked to comply with NIC's recommendations for producing media
using plain language. These can be found at www.nicic.gov/plainlanguage. All final publications submitted for posting on the NIC
Web site must meet the federal government's requirement for
accessibility (e.g., 508 PDF, HTML file, or other acceptable format).
All documents developed under this cooperative agreement must be
submitted in draft form to NIC for review prior to the final products
being delivered.
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 the 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 www.grants.gov); DOJ/FBOP/NIC
Certification Regarding Lobbying, Debarment, Suspension and Other
Responsibility Matters; and the Drug-Free Workplace Requirements
(available at www.nicic.gov/Downloads/General/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
www.grants.gov.
Place the following at the top of the abstract: Project title;
Applicant name (Legal name of applicant organization); Mailing address;
Contact phone numbers (voice, fax); Email address; and Web site
address, if applicable.
The narrative portion of the application should include, at a
minimum, a statement indicating the applicant's understanding of the
project's purpose, goals and objectives. The applicant should state
this in language other than that used in the solicitation.
Project Design and Implementation: This section should describe the
design and implementation of the project and how the key design and
implementation issues and challenges will be addressed.
Project Management: This section should include a chart of
measurable project milestones and timelines for the completion of each
milestone.
Capabilities and Competencies: This section should describe (1) the
qualifications of the applicant organization and any partner
organizations to do the work proposed and (2) the expertise of key
staff to be involved in the project. Attach resumes that document the
relevant knowledge, skills, and abilities of the principle investigator
and each staff member to complete the project. If the applicant
organization has completed similar projects in the past, please include
the URL/Web site or ISBN number for accessing a copy of the referenced
work.
Budget: The budget should detail all costs for the project, show
consideration for all contingencies for the project, note a commitment
to work within the proposed budget, and demonstrate the ability to
provide deliverables according to schedule.
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 $48,000 for a period of 18 months.
Eligibility of Applicants: An eligible applicant is any state or
general unit of 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. To be considered, applicants must demonstrate,
at a minimum, in-depth knowledge of research and practice regarding
reentry; the effect of parental incarceration and correctional
visitation policy and practice; understanding of the challenges
experienced by family and other potential sources of support in the
correctional visitation process; in-depth knowledge of the practices,
programs and complexities in operation of correctional facilities;
issues relevant to parenting, the importance of family in influencing
offender outcomes, and the benefit of community supports in male and
female facilities; knowledge of case law as it relates to visitation in
correctional environments; demonstrated knowledge of tele-visiting
technology and its potential uses; specific examples of expertise in
directing project design and implementation, particularly with regard
to the development of similar projects in which such technology might
be used; and demonstrated ability to work in a collaborative fashion
with other experts in the field of reentry, transition, family, and
community supports.
Review Considerations: Among the criteria used to evaluate the
applications are: An assessment of whether the applicant has a clear
understanding of the project requirements as stated in the
solicitation; background, experience and expertise of the proposed
project staff, including any sub-contractors; effectiveness of an
innovative 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 work with NIC staff.
Applications received under this announcement will be subject to a
collaborative review process. The criteria for the evaluation of each
application will be as follows:
Programmatic: 40 Points
Are all of the tasks and activities adequately covered? Is there a
clear description of how each project activity will be accomplished,
including major tasks, the strategies to be employed, required
staffing, responsible parties, and other required resources? Are there
any unique or exceptional approaches,
[[Page 39514]]
techniques, or design aspects proposed that will enhance the project?
Project Management and Administration: 20 Points
Does the applicant identify reasonable objectives, milestones, and
measures to track progress? Are the proposed management and staffing
plans clear, realistic, and sufficient to complete the project? Is the
applicant willing to meet with NIC as specified in the solicitation for
this cooperative agreement?
Organizational and Project Staff Background: 30 Points
Do the skills, knowledge, and expertise of the organization and the
proposed project staff demonstrate a high level of competency to
complete the tasks? Does the applicant/organization have the necessary
experience and organizational capacity to complete all goals of the
project? If consultants and/or partnerships are proposed, is there a
reasonable justification for their inclusion in the project and a clear
structure to ensure effective coordination?
Budget: 10 Points
Is the proposed budget realistic? Does it provide sufficient cost
detail/narrative? Does it represent good value relative to the
anticipated results? Does the application include a chart that aligns
the budget with project activities along a timeline with, at minimum,
quarterly benchmarks? In terms of program value, is the estimated cost
reasonable in relation to work performed and project products?
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 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:
www.ccr.gov. Applicants can also review a CCR handbook and worksheet at
this Web site.
Number of Awards: One.
NIC Opportunity Number: 12CS06. This number should appear as a
reference line in the cover letter, where indicated on Standard Form
424, and outside of the envelope in which the application is sent.
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. 2012-16171 Filed 7-2-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-36-P
