Solicitation for a Cooperative Agreement-Transition From Jail to the Community (TJC), 41801-41804 [2012-17192]
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 136 / Monday, July 16, 2012 / Notices
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Robert E. Maher, Jr.,
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Natural Resources Division.
[FR Doc. 2012–17201 Filed 7–13–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410–15–P
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Federal Bureau of Investigation
[OMB Number 1110–0039]
Agency Information Collection
Activities: Proposed Collection,
Comments Requested; Extension of a
Currently Approved Collection;
Bioterrorism Preparedness Act: Entity/
Individual Information
60-day Notice of information
collection under review.
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ACTION:
The Department of Justice, Federal
Bureau of Investigation, Criminal Justice
Information Services Division will be
submitting the following information
collection request to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for
review and clearance in accordance
with established review procedures of
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
The proposed information collection is
published to obtain comments from the
public and affected agencies. Comments
are encouraged and will be accepted
until September 14, 2012 This process
in conducted in accordance with 5 CFR
1320.10.
All comments and suggestions, or
questions regarding additional
information, to include obtaining a copy
of the proposed information collection
instrument with instructions, should be
directed to John E. Strovers, National
Instant Criminal Background Check
System (NICS) Strategy and Systems
Unit, Federal Bureau of Investigation,
Criminal Justice Information Services
Division, (CJIS), Module E–3, 1000
Custer Hollow Road, Clarksburg, West
Virginia 26306; facsimile (304) 625–
2198.
Written comments and suggestions
from the public and affected agencies
concerning the proposed collection of
information are encouraged. Comments
should address one or more of the
following four points:
(1) Evaluate whether the proposed
collection of information is necessary
for the proper performance of the
functions of the agency, including
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whether the information will have
practical utility;
(2) Evaluate the accuracy of the
agency’s estimate of the burden of the
proposed collection of information,
including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used;
(3) Enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be
collected; and
(4) Minimize the burden of the
collection of information on those who
are to respond, including through the
use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other
technological collection techniques of
other forms of information technology,
e.g., permitting electronic submission of
responses.
Overview of This Information
Collection
(1) Type of information collection:
Extension of current collection.
(2) The title of the form/collection:
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Bioterrorism Preparedness Act: Entity/
Individual Information.
(3) The agency form number, if any,
and the applicable component of the
department sponsoring the collection:
Forms FD–961; Criminal Justice
Information Services Division, Federal
Bureau of Investigation, Department of
Justice.
(4) Affected public who will be asked
or required to respond, as well as a brief
abstract: Primary: City, county, state,
federal, individuals, business or other
for profit, and not-for-profit institute.
This collection is needed to receive
names and other identifying information
submitted by individuals requesting
access to specific agents or toxins, and
consult with appropriate officials of the
Department of Health and Human
Services and the Department of
Agriculture as to whether certain
individuals specified in the provisions
should be denied access to or granted
limited access to specific agents.
(5) An estimate of the total number of
respondents and the amount of time
estimated for an average respondent to
respond: There are approximately 4,005
(FY 2011) respondents at 45 minutes for
FD–961 Form.
(6) An estimate of the total public
burden (in hours) associated with this
collection:
There are approximately 3,004 hours,
annual burden, associated with this
information collection.
If additional information is required
please contact Jerri Murray, Department
Clearance Officer, Policy and Planning
Staff, Justice Management Division, U.S.
Department of Justice, Two Constitution
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41801
Square, 145 N Street NE., Room 2E–508,
Washington, DC 20530.
Dated: July 10, 2012.
Jerri Murray,
Department Clearance Officer, United States
Department of Justice.
[FR Doc. 2012–17187 Filed 7–13–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410–02–P
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
National Institute of Corrections
Solicitation for a Cooperative
Agreement—Transition From Jail to
the Community (TJC)
National Institute of
Corrections, U.S. Department of Justice.
ACTION: Solicitation for a Cooperative
Agreement.
AGENCY:
The National Institute of
Corrections (NIC) is soliciting proposals
from organizations, groups, or
individuals interested in entering into a
30-month cooperative agreement to
assist at least two California counties
with the implementation of the
‘‘Transition from Jail to Community’’
(TJC) model in response to California’s
Assembly Bill (AB) 109 realignment.
DATES: Applications must be received
by 4 p.m. EDT on Friday, July 27, 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
desk, dial 7–3106, extension 0 for
pickup.
Faxed applications will not be
accepted. Electronic applications can be
submitted via https://www.grants.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: All
technical or programmatic questions
concerning this announcement should
be directed to P. Elizabeth Taylor,
Correctional Program Specialist,
National Institute of Corrections. You
may reach her by phone at 800–995–
6423 extension 3–9354 or by email at
petaylor@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
4 p.m. EDT on Friday, July 20, 2012 will
SUMMARY:
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be answered and posted on the NIC Web
site.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Overview:
Jail populations comprise accused,
convicted but un-sentenced, and
sentenced individuals, including those
with holds for agencies like parole,
probation, and immigration. It is a
population of individuals who often
also appear on the rosters of other
agencies providing services for mental
health, substance abuse, homelessness,
unemployment, social services, and a
variety of medical and public health
concerns. Upon release, it is extremely
likely that these individuals will remain
in the community where the jail is
located. Recent changes in California
will result in many persons serving their
entire sentence in local jails when in the
past they would have been in state
prison. Therefore, it is in the
community’s interest that the needs and
challenges facing individuals in jail be
addressed effectively and that ultimate
responsibility for their behavior rests
not just with the jail but with the
community and its agencies in general.
While the safety and security of staff
and confined individuals must always
be the paramount responsibility of jail
administrators, transition or reentry is
not an issue that jail administrators can
or should address exclusively.
Partnering with community resource
providers and expertise outside the jail
dramatically increases opportunities for
success once individuals are released.
Some communities include pretrial
diversion and/or release as important
components of transition/reentry
strategies. Effective transition relies on
collaboration with public human
services agencies, nonprofit and faithbased organizations, assessment of risk
and need, and the use of evidence-based
practices to guide targeted case
planning. NIC recognizes that its
resources permit direct assistance to
only a very few jurisdictions. Therefore,
products from the implementation of
the TJC model in a California
jurisdiction will be developed to share
with other jails and communities for
their future consideration and use.
Background: NIC began funding a
Transition from Prison to the
Community (TPC) initiative during
Fiscal Year 2000. The NIC TJC
Transition/Reentry Model was
developed in 2007 and provided
assistance to six jurisdictions in phase
1 of its multi-phase program. In May
2012, NIC requested applications for a
second set of six jurisdictions, and it is
anticipated that site selection will be
completed by July 30, 2012. This
initiative focuses specifically on TJC
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implementation in at least two
California jurisdictions and includes the
following objectives: (1) To assist with
the execution of the California
realignment process (AB 109), (2) To
identify lessons that selected California
jails can share specifically with other
counties in the state, and (3) To provide
more general information about TJC for
a nationwide audience.
TPC/TJC History
Six jurisdictions received assistance
during the Phase 1 award period:
Orange County, CA; Denver County, CO;
Kent County, MI; LaCrosse County, WI;
Davidson County, TN; and Douglas
County, KS. Phase 1 started with the
provider convening a national advisory
group and building an effective TJC
model that incorporates NIC suggested
correctional practices like risk
assessment at admission;
implementation of evidence-based
practices targeting the higher risk
offenders; and strategic collaboration
among criminal justice agencies, other
local agencies, and nongovernmental
community groups for the purpose of
public safety (thus reducing the
likelihood of released individuals
subsequently committing a crime in the
community). In addition to providing
quality direct technical assistance, NIC
funded the development of tools and
products for use by non-participating
jurisdictions so that it might share with
others those lessons learned from the
participating sites. NIC also funded the
development of the TJC Tool Kit, an
online resource, and began using WebEx
as a technical assistance tool for
maintaining project momentum without
requiring as many costly trips to sites.
NIC will soon select a second set of six
jurisdictions from around the country—
TJC Phase 2 sites—and will focus this
current award specifically on at least
two California jurisdictions.
Purpose: Applicants will submit a
proposal designed to achieve and
complete the following:
Scope of Work: The overall goal of
Transition from Jail to the Community
(TJC) is to improve public safety and
reintegration outcomes for exiting jail
inmates. Specifically, TJC seeks to (1)
improve public safety by reducing the
threat of harm to persons and property
from individuals released from local
jails to their home communities and (2)
increase successful integration
outcomes for persons newly released,
focusing on areas like employment
retention, sobriety, reduced
homelessness, improved health, and
family connectedness.
Applicants must discuss the context
and implications of this project goal in
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the current environment, and they must
specifically describe how they will
achieve each of the eight objectives that
follow. Also included in the application
must be a discussion about a proposed
selection process for project sites (with
participation by NIC), a description of
project staff, milestones and projected
timelines, and other elements that speak
to their organizational capacity to
manage this initiative.
Objective 1—The awardee will be
responsible for helping the California
sites achieve the TJC goal of developing
a systems change process involving
collaborative strategic planning. Other
core components include (1)
Collaboration and joint ownership; (2)
local strategic planning; (3) ‘‘reentry for
all,’’ where no group in the jail is
automatically excluded from the TJC
approach; (4) continuity of care in
multiple service areas; (5) evidencebased practices, where programs and
processes are based on the body of
evidence regarding effective practice;
and (6) data-driven decisionmaking and
self-evaluation.
Objective 2—Provide strategically
focused technical assistance, both in
person onsite and remotely by efficient
use of distance technology. NIC can
provide access as needed to its WebEx
resource.
Objective 3—Develop an evaluation
component of the TJC initiative to (1)
enhance local capacity for selfevaluation through the provision of
evaluation-related technical assistance
and (2) document implementation of the
TJC model in learning sites. A related
objective of the implementation
evaluation is to measure evidence of
systems change in each community (i.e.,
the extent to which implementation of
the TJC model changed ‘‘business as
usual’’ in these communities, including
how and for whom).
Objective 4—Create tools for the field.
Part of the intent of the TJC initiative is
to inform jail-to-community transition
practice beyond the learning sites
through two primary activities: (1)
Development and dissemination of tools
to local jurisdictions interested in
improving their jail transition work and
(2) obtaining and disseminating results
of the implementation and systems
change evaluations. A primary vehicle
for the dissemination of TJC concepts
and tools to the field is the NIC Web
site. Project team members may speak at
conferences and workshops and publish
articles. In addition, the awardee should
develop end-of-project practitioneroriented briefs.
Objective 5—Pretrial system
enhancements: Assess/reassess the TJC
model to determine whether and how it
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should be strengthened with regard to
pretrial strategies, polices, tools, and
expectations. The awardee should
include relevant change strategies as
part of the overall technical assistance
effort.
Objective 6—Assist at least two
California county partnership teams
with implementation of the NIC’s TJC
Model. The history and context for
NIC’s Transition from Prison to
Community (TPC) and Transition from
Jail to Community (TJC) initiatives are
reflected in materials presented at
https://nicic.gov/TPJC. The TJC Online
Learning Toolkit (https://nicic.gov/
TJCToolkit2) also draws on the
implementation experiences of the six
first round learning sites. The Web page
and links combined with material from
the toolkit’s nine modules include
information, tools, and resources
associated with implementing all the
elements of the TJC model. This is NIC’s
model that selected sites will implement
in the AB 109-influenced California
counties. It is also the portion of project
activity that demands the
preponderance of time, attention, and
resource.
Objective 7—Facilitate a forum for
other California counties. There will be
much interest in what participating
jurisdictions are learning that may have
relevance elsewhere in the state.
Therefore, a second-level priority is a
requirement that the awardee work with
NIC to develop a forum to share lessons
learned with other California counties.
Applicants must explain the details of
their proposed strategies, approach, and
approximate resource demand.
Objective 8—Responding to
nationwide interest. There will be
significant interest from around the
country about how effective TJC will be
in the AB 109 environment. As the
lowest priority consuming the smallest
funding commitment, the awardee will
disseminate information on a national
level to practitioners, stakeholders, and
policymakers interested in program
outcomes. Applicants must explain the
details of their proposed strategies,
approach, and approximate resource
demand.
Specific Requirements: Documents or
other media that are produced under
this award must follow these guidelines:
Prior to the preparation of the final draft
of any document or other media, the
awardee must consult with NIC’s writer/
editor concerning the acceptable formats
for manuscript submissions and the
technical specifications for electronic
media. For all awards in which a
document will be a deliverable, the
awardee must follow the guidelines
listed herein, as well as follow the
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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 should adhere to NIC’s
recommendations for plain language
writing, which is available on the NIC
Web site at www.nicic.gov/
plainlanguage.
All final documents and other media
submitted for posting on the NIC Web
site must meet the federal government’s
requirement for accessibility (e.g., 508
PDF or HTML file). The awardee must
provide descriptive text interpreting all
graphics, photos, graphs, and/or
multimedia to be included with or
distributed alongside the materials and
must provide transcripts for all
applicable audio/visual works.
Application Requirements:
Applications should be concisely
written, typed double spaced and
reference the project by the ‘‘NIC
Opportunity Number’’ and title in this
announcement. The package must
include: a cover letter that identifies the
audit agency responsible for the
applicant’s financial accounts as well as
the audit period or fiscal year that the
applicant operates under (e.g., July 1
through June 30); a program narrative
(not to exceed 12 pages) in response to
the statement of work and a budget
narrative explaining projected costs.
The following forms must also be
included: OMB Standard Form 424,
Application for Federal Assistance;
OMB Standard Form 424A, Budget
information—Non-Construction
Programs; OMB Standard Form 424B,
Assurances—Non-Construction
Programs (these forms are available at
https://www.grants.gov) and DOJ/NIC
Certification Regarding Lobbying;
Debarment, Suspension and Other
Responsibility Matters; and the DrugFree Workplace Requirements (available
at https://nicic.gov/Downloads/General/
certif-frm.pdf.
Applications may be submitted in
hard copy, or electronically via https://
www.grants.gov. If submitted in hard
copy, there needs to be an original and
three copies of the full proposal
(program and budget narratives,
application forms and assurances). The
original should have the applicant’s
signature in blue ink.
Authority: Pub. L. 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
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41803
linked to the desired outcome of the
project. The amount of the award will
not exceed $450,000.
This project will be a collaborative
venture with the Community Services
Division of NIC.
Eligibility of Applicants: An eligible
applicant is any public or private
agency, educational institution,
organization, individual, or team with
expertise in the described areas.
Review Considerations: Applications
received under this announcement will
be subject to the NIC Review Process.
Applications considered unresponsive
will be disqualified. The criteria for the
evaluation of each application will be as
follows:
Programmatic (60%)
Is there demonstrated knowledge of
NIC’s Transition from Jail to Community
Initiative? Is there demonstrated
knowledge of techniques and/or
interventions that successfully address
offender transition/reentry issues? Is
there demonstrated knowledge and/or
experience with strategic planning and/
or systems’ change processes? Is there
demonstrated knowledge of data-driven
decisionmaking and self-evaluation?
Are project goals/objectives adequately
discussed? Is there a clear statement of
how project goals will be accomplished,
including major objectives that will lead
to achieving the goal, the strategies to be
employed, required staffing, and other
required resources? Are there any
innovative approaches, techniques, or
design aspects proposed that will
enhance the project?
Organizational (20%)
Do the skills, knowledge, and
expertise of the organization and the
proposed project staff demonstrate a
high level of competency to complete
the objectives? Does the applicant/
organization have the necessary
experience and organizational capacity
to complete all the goals of the project?
Are the proposed project management
and staffing plans realistic and
sufficient to complete the project within
the 12-month time frame?
Project Management/Administration
(20%)
Does the applicant identify reasonable
objectives, milestones, and measures to
track progress? 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? Is the proposed budget
realistic, does it provide sufficient cost
detail/narrative, and does it represent
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good value relative to the anticipated
results?
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).
A DUNS number can be received at
no cost by calling the dedicated toll-free
DUNS number request line at 1–800–
333–0505 (if you are a sole proprietor,
you would dial 1–866–705–5711 and
select option 1).
Registration in the CCR can be done
online at the CCR Web site: https://
www.bpn.gov/ccr. A CCR Handbook and
worksheet can also be reviewed at the
Web site.
Number of Awards: One.
NIC Opportunity Number: 12CS16.
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: 16.603.
Executive Order 12372: This program
is subject to the provisions of Executive
Order 12372. E.O. 12372 allows states
the option of setting up a system for
reviewing applications from within
their states for assistance under certain
Federal programs. Applicants (other
than Federally-recognized Indian tribal
governments) should contact their State
Single Point of Contact (SPOC), a list of
which can be found at https://
www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_spoc.
Morris L. Thigpen,
Director, National Institute of Corrections.
[FR Doc. 2012–17192 Filed 7–13–12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410–36–P
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
National Institute of Corrections
Solicitation for a Cooperative
Agreement: Development of Materials
Specific to Compassion Fatigue and
Vicarious Trauma in Corrections
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
cooperative agreement with NIC for an
18-month period to develop a series of
products to define, identify, and address
compassion fatigue and vicarious
trauma within the corrections
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SUMMARY:
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profession. Corrections professionals are
those individuals with responsibility for
the care, custody, case management,
treatment, supervision, and discharge of
those awaiting adjudication or who are
sentenced, incarcerated, or on some
form of community supervision.
DATES: Applications must be received
by 4 p.m. (EDT) on Friday, August 17,
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/
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 p.m.
(EDT) on July 25, 2012 will be posted
on the NIC Web site.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Overview: The materials developed
through this cooperative agreement are
intended for a broad audience of
corrections professionals and related
stakeholders working in pretrial, jail,
prison, and community corrections
(probation and parole) organizations.
Awardees should develop the materials
based on current research, knowledge,
best practice, and specific information
related to the experiences of corrections
professionals. NIC will use the materials
to define, identify, acknowledge, and
address vicarious trauma and
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compassion fatigue within the
corrections profession. The deliverables
will help advance and foster healthier
correctional environments while
positively influencing systems, staff,
and justice-involved men and women.
Background: The National Institute of
Corrections has been providing support
to federal, state, and local criminal
justice organizations nationally. In 1974,
Congress established NIC both as a
center for the dissemination of timely
correctional knowledge and professional
training and as a place to exchange and
discuss advances in criminal justice
practice. Vicarious trauma and
compassion fatigue are topics that affect
a broad swath of corrections
professionals, just as they affect the
general public, yet they are rarely
discussed openly or made part of
corrections training events and
curricula.
Daily interactions with justiceinvolved men and women can adversely
affect corrections professionals,
regardless of their role. Often the impact
is cumulative, and certain emotions can
become normalized over time,
significantly influencing professional
and personal lives. Staff may bring
personal experiences and challenges
with them to work during the course of
their employment, which can contribute
to negative attitudes, behaviors, and
actions. Corrections work is challenging
and encompasses an inordinate amount
of responsibility: To maintain safe and
secure institutions, manage and provide
oversight to those under community
supervision, positively contribute to
safer communities, and meet the
expectations of the courts and other
criminal justice authorities. These are
enormous challenges for a profession
that the public does not understand well
and generally undervalues.
Corrections professionals face
challenges in the workplace that test
even the most well-trained individuals,
working with populations who have
caused harm to others after being
exposed to some of the most extreme
dysfunctions of life. For years, staff have
used the term ‘‘burnout’’ to describe the
toll the work often takes on individuals,
but the formidable challenges that
corrections professionals are subject to
often result in much more than
‘‘burnout.’’ The constant exposure to the
realities of the corrections profession,
whether in an institutional or
community-based setting, often become
‘‘normalized,’’ with the potential to
evolve into excessive absenteeism;
health issues; unprofessional behavior
in the work place; stressful interactions
with family, friends, and colleagues;
withdrawal; and other actions that are
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 136 (Monday, July 16, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41801-41804]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-17192]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
National Institute of Corrections
Solicitation for a Cooperative Agreement--Transition From Jail to
the Community (TJC)
AGENCY: National Institute of Corrections, U.S. Department of Justice.
ACTION: Solicitation for a Cooperative Agreement.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) is soliciting
proposals from organizations, groups, or individuals interested in
entering into a 30-month cooperative agreement to assist at least two
California counties with the implementation of the ``Transition from
Jail to Community'' (TJC) model in response to California's Assembly
Bill (AB) 109 realignment.
DATES: Applications must be received by 4 p.m. EDT on Friday, July 27,
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 desk, dial 7-3106, extension 0 for pickup.
Faxed applications will not be accepted. Electronic applications
can be submitted via https://www.grants.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: All technical or programmatic
questions concerning this announcement should be directed to P.
Elizabeth Taylor, Correctional Program Specialist, National Institute
of Corrections. You may reach her by phone at 800-995-6423 extension 3-
9354 or by email at petaylor@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 4 p.m.
EDT on Friday, July 20, 2012 will
[[Page 41802]]
be answered and posted on the NIC Web site.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Overview: Jail populations comprise accused,
convicted but un-sentenced, and sentenced individuals, including those
with holds for agencies like parole, probation, and immigration. It is
a population of individuals who often also appear on the rosters of
other agencies providing services for mental health, substance abuse,
homelessness, unemployment, social services, and a variety of medical
and public health concerns. Upon release, it is extremely likely that
these individuals will remain in the community where the jail is
located. Recent changes in California will result in many persons
serving their entire sentence in local jails when in the past they
would have been in state prison. Therefore, it is in the community's
interest that the needs and challenges facing individuals in jail be
addressed effectively and that ultimate responsibility for their
behavior rests not just with the jail but with the community and its
agencies in general.
While the safety and security of staff and confined individuals
must always be the paramount responsibility of jail administrators,
transition or reentry is not an issue that jail administrators can or
should address exclusively. Partnering with community resource
providers and expertise outside the jail dramatically increases
opportunities for success once individuals are released. Some
communities include pretrial diversion and/or release as important
components of transition/reentry strategies. Effective transition
relies on collaboration with public human services agencies, nonprofit
and faith-based organizations, assessment of risk and need, and the use
of evidence-based practices to guide targeted case planning. NIC
recognizes that its resources permit direct assistance to only a very
few jurisdictions. Therefore, products from the implementation of the
TJC model in a California jurisdiction will be developed to share with
other jails and communities for their future consideration and use.
Background: NIC began funding a Transition from Prison to the
Community (TPC) initiative during Fiscal Year 2000. The NIC TJC
Transition/Reentry Model was developed in 2007 and provided assistance
to six jurisdictions in phase 1 of its multi-phase program. In May
2012, NIC requested applications for a second set of six jurisdictions,
and it is anticipated that site selection will be completed by July 30,
2012. This initiative focuses specifically on TJC implementation in at
least two California jurisdictions and includes the following
objectives: (1) To assist with the execution of the California
realignment process (AB 109), (2) To identify lessons that selected
California jails can share specifically with other counties in the
state, and (3) To provide more general information about TJC for a
nationwide audience.
TPC/TJC History
Six jurisdictions received assistance during the Phase 1 award
period: Orange County, CA; Denver County, CO; Kent County, MI; LaCrosse
County, WI; Davidson County, TN; and Douglas County, KS. Phase 1
started with the provider convening a national advisory group and
building an effective TJC model that incorporates NIC suggested
correctional practices like risk assessment at admission;
implementation of evidence-based practices targeting the higher risk
offenders; and strategic collaboration among criminal justice agencies,
other local agencies, and nongovernmental community groups for the
purpose of public safety (thus reducing the likelihood of released
individuals subsequently committing a crime in the community). In
addition to providing quality direct technical assistance, NIC funded
the development of tools and products for use by non-participating
jurisdictions so that it might share with others those lessons learned
from the participating sites. NIC also funded the development of the
TJC Tool Kit, an online resource, and began using WebEx as a technical
assistance tool for maintaining project momentum without requiring as
many costly trips to sites. NIC will soon select a second set of six
jurisdictions from around the country--TJC Phase 2 sites--and will
focus this current award specifically on at least two California
jurisdictions.
Purpose: Applicants will submit a proposal designed to achieve and
complete the following:
Scope of Work: The overall goal of Transition from Jail to the
Community (TJC) is to improve public safety and reintegration outcomes
for exiting jail inmates. Specifically, TJC seeks to (1) improve public
safety by reducing the threat of harm to persons and property from
individuals released from local jails to their home communities and (2)
increase successful integration outcomes for persons newly released,
focusing on areas like employment retention, sobriety, reduced
homelessness, improved health, and family connectedness.
Applicants must discuss the context and implications of this
project goal in the current environment, and they must specifically
describe how they will achieve each of the eight objectives that
follow. Also included in the application must be a discussion about a
proposed selection process for project sites (with participation by
NIC), a description of project staff, milestones and projected
timelines, and other elements that speak to their organizational
capacity to manage this initiative.
Objective 1--The awardee will be responsible for helping the
California sites achieve the TJC goal of developing a systems change
process involving collaborative strategic planning. Other core
components include (1) Collaboration and joint ownership; (2) local
strategic planning; (3) ``reentry for all,'' where no group in the jail
is automatically excluded from the TJC approach; (4) continuity of care
in multiple service areas; (5) evidence-based practices, where programs
and processes are based on the body of evidence regarding effective
practice; and (6) data-driven decisionmaking and self-evaluation.
Objective 2--Provide strategically focused technical assistance,
both in person onsite and remotely by efficient use of distance
technology. NIC can provide access as needed to its WebEx resource.
Objective 3--Develop an evaluation component of the TJC initiative
to (1) enhance local capacity for self-evaluation through the provision
of evaluation-related technical assistance and (2) document
implementation of the TJC model in learning sites. A related objective
of the implementation evaluation is to measure evidence of systems
change in each community (i.e., the extent to which implementation of
the TJC model changed ``business as usual'' in these communities,
including how and for whom).
Objective 4--Create tools for the field. Part of the intent of the
TJC initiative is to inform jail-to-community transition practice
beyond the learning sites through two primary activities: (1)
Development and dissemination of tools to local jurisdictions
interested in improving their jail transition work and (2) obtaining
and disseminating results of the implementation and systems change
evaluations. A primary vehicle for the dissemination of TJC concepts
and tools to the field is the NIC Web site. Project team members may
speak at conferences and workshops and publish articles. In addition,
the awardee should develop end-of-project practitioner-oriented briefs.
Objective 5--Pretrial system enhancements: Assess/reassess the TJC
model to determine whether and how it
[[Page 41803]]
should be strengthened with regard to pretrial strategies, polices,
tools, and expectations. The awardee should include relevant change
strategies as part of the overall technical assistance effort.
Objective 6--Assist at least two California county partnership
teams with implementation of the NIC's TJC Model. The history and
context for NIC's Transition from Prison to Community (TPC) and
Transition from Jail to Community (TJC) initiatives are reflected in
materials presented at https://nicic.gov/TPJC. The TJC Online Learning
Toolkit (https://nicic.gov/TJCToolkit2) also draws on the implementation
experiences of the six first round learning sites. The Web page and
links combined with material from the toolkit's nine modules include
information, tools, and resources associated with implementing all the
elements of the TJC model. This is NIC's model that selected sites will
implement in the AB 109-influenced California counties. It is also the
portion of project activity that demands the preponderance of time,
attention, and resource.
Objective 7--Facilitate a forum for other California counties.
There will be much interest in what participating jurisdictions are
learning that may have relevance elsewhere in the state. Therefore, a
second-level priority is a requirement that the awardee work with NIC
to develop a forum to share lessons learned with other California
counties. Applicants must explain the details of their proposed
strategies, approach, and approximate resource demand.
Objective 8--Responding to nationwide interest. There will be
significant interest from around the country about how effective TJC
will be in the AB 109 environment. As the lowest priority consuming the
smallest funding commitment, the awardee will disseminate information
on a national level to practitioners, stakeholders, and policymakers
interested in program outcomes. Applicants must explain the details of
their proposed strategies, approach, and approximate resource demand.
Specific Requirements: Documents or other media that are produced
under this award must follow these guidelines: Prior to the preparation
of the final draft of any document or other media, the awardee must
consult with NIC's writer/editor concerning the acceptable formats for
manuscript submissions and the technical specifications for electronic
media. For all awards in which a document will be a deliverable, the
awardee must follow the guidelines listed herein, as well as 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 should adhere to NIC's
recommendations for plain language writing, which is available on the
NIC Web site at www.nicic.gov/plainlanguage.
All final documents and other media submitted for posting on the
NIC Web site must meet the federal government's requirement for
accessibility (e.g., 508 PDF or HTML file). The awardee must provide
descriptive text interpreting all graphics, photos, graphs, and/or
multimedia to be included with or distributed alongside the materials
and must provide transcripts for all applicable audio/visual works.
Application Requirements: Applications should be concisely written,
typed double spaced and reference the project by the ``NIC Opportunity
Number'' and title in this announcement. The package must include: a
cover letter that identifies the audit agency responsible for the
applicant's financial accounts as well as the audit period or fiscal
year that the applicant operates under (e.g., July 1 through June 30);
a program narrative (not to exceed 12 pages) in response to the
statement of work and a budget narrative explaining projected costs.
The following forms must also be included: OMB Standard Form 424,
Application for Federal Assistance; OMB Standard Form 424A, Budget
information--Non-Construction Programs; OMB Standard Form 424B,
Assurances--Non-Construction Programs (these forms are available at
https://www.grants.gov) and DOJ/NIC Certification Regarding Lobbying;
Debarment, Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters; and the Drug-
Free Workplace Requirements (available at https://nicic.gov/Downloads/General/certif-frm.pdf.
Applications may be submitted in hard copy, or electronically via
https://www.grants.gov. If submitted in hard copy, there needs to be an
original and three copies of the full proposal (program and budget
narratives, application forms and assurances). The original should have
the applicant's signature in blue ink.
Authority: Pub. L. 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 amount of the award will not exceed $450,000.
This project will be a collaborative venture with the Community
Services Division of NIC.
Eligibility of Applicants: An eligible applicant is any public or
private agency, educational institution, organization, individual, or
team with expertise in the described areas.
Review Considerations: Applications received under this
announcement will be subject to the NIC Review Process. Applications
considered unresponsive will be disqualified. The criteria for the
evaluation of each application will be as follows:
Programmatic (60%)
Is there demonstrated knowledge of NIC's Transition from Jail to
Community Initiative? Is there demonstrated knowledge of techniques
and/or interventions that successfully address offender transition/
reentry issues? Is there demonstrated knowledge and/or experience with
strategic planning and/or systems' change processes? Is there
demonstrated knowledge of data-driven decisionmaking and self-
evaluation? Are project goals/objectives adequately discussed? Is there
a clear statement of how project goals will be accomplished, including
major objectives that will lead to achieving the goal, the strategies
to be employed, required staffing, and other required resources? Are
there any innovative approaches, techniques, or design aspects proposed
that will enhance the project?
Organizational (20%)
Do the skills, knowledge, and expertise of the organization and the
proposed project staff demonstrate a high level of competency to
complete the objectives? Does the applicant/organization have the
necessary experience and organizational capacity to complete all the
goals of the project? Are the proposed project management and staffing
plans realistic and sufficient to complete the project within the 12-
month time frame?
Project Management/Administration (20%)
Does the applicant identify reasonable objectives, milestones, and
measures to track progress? 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? Is
the proposed budget realistic, does it provide sufficient cost detail/
narrative, and does it represent
[[Page 41804]]
good value relative to the anticipated results?
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).
A DUNS number can be received at no cost by calling the dedicated
toll-free DUNS number request line at 1-800-333-0505 (if you are a sole
proprietor, you would dial 1-866-705-5711 and select option 1).
Registration in the CCR can be done online at the CCR Web site:
https://www.bpn.gov/ccr. A CCR Handbook and worksheet can also be
reviewed at the Web site.
Number of Awards: One.
NIC Opportunity Number: 12CS16. 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: 16.603.
Executive Order 12372: This program is subject to the provisions of
Executive Order 12372. E.O. 12372 allows states the option of setting
up a system for reviewing applications from within their states for
assistance under certain Federal programs. Applicants (other than
Federally-recognized Indian tribal governments) should contact their
State Single Point of Contact (SPOC), a list of which can be found at
https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_spoc.
Morris L. Thigpen,
Director, National Institute of Corrections.
[FR Doc. 2012-17192 Filed 7-13-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-36-P
