National Institute of Corrections 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) is soliciting proposals from organizations, groups, or individuals to enter into an 18-month cooperative agreement to provide for the revision of Strategic Development of the Executive Woman, and to plan and deliver the program in 2012. NIC continues to build upon the success of its women's-only programming, where gender barriers are eliminated and acceleration of learning is possible. The award recipient will become familiar with the work currently being done at NIC that provides for an understanding of the history and future development goals for this series. The award includes responsibility for the updated Instructional Theory into Practice (ITIP) formatted curriculum, and in collaboration with the NIC Research and Information Services Division, an evaluation of the initial program delivery using the NIC training evaluation protocol. This should represent a minimal cost to the award recipient. The project will also address strategies for additional learning and networking upon training completion.

The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) Community Services Division is soliciting proposals from organizations, groups, or individuals to enter into a cooperative agreement with NIC for up to twelve months beginning in September 2011. Work under this cooperative agreement is part of larger NIC project, ``Evidence-Based Decision Making (EBDM) in Local Criminal Justice Systems.'' Work under this cooperative agreement will be coordinated with recipients of other awards providing services under Phase III of this project. Specifically, under this cooperative agreement, the recipient will, (1) provide technical assistance to four Phase III ``Tier II'' sites that have already been identified, and (2) provide ad hoc technical assistance to other non-EBDM sites to be determined together with the NIC staff.

The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) is soliciting proposals from organizations, groups, or individuals to enter into a cooperative agreement for a 12-month period to begin no later than September 1, 2011. Work under this cooperative agreement will involve organizing two hearings of the NIC Advisory Board. The hearings will assist the Board in providing directions to NIC and the corrections field on the subject of organizational culture (hearing 1) and cost containment (hearing 2). The first hearing will be held on November 2-3, 2011 in San Diego, California. The second hearing will be held in April or May 2012 in Aurora, Colorado (note that the site for hearing 2 will be the National Correctional Academy in Aurora, Colorado).

The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) Administration Division is seeking applications for the development of a competency- based correctional health care executive curriculum to train two-person teams comprised of a Warden, Associate Warden, or Jail Administrator and a Health Services Administrator. This project will be for an eighteen-month period. NIC Administration Division staff will direct the project and will participate in curriculum design, lesson plan development, and the creation of related material.

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 and pilot a methodology for correctional organizations to conduct an internal evaluation of their current policy and practice for working with women offenders. This methodology must cover a broad range of domains, such as leadership, external collaboration, management and operations, sanctions, assessment and case planning, and programs and services. The methodology must be concise but informative enough to be used by an organization with an understanding of evidence-based practices that incorporate gender-informed research and information. Additional consideration may be given to an applicant who can incorporate into the methodology those elements applicable to institutional and community corrections environments. The methodology should also include supplemental information that addresses an organization's readiness for change and a template that will help organizations initiate an internal strategic planning process. This award will also cover the piloting of the methodology, which should include both onsite work and use of Web- based technology, post-pilot revisions to the methodology based on feedback, and a design for conducting a process evaluation to measure the efficacy of the methodology. The goal of this solicitation is to create and provide a methodology for organizations to (1) Conduct an abbreviated internal evaluation of their policies and practices specific to women and (2) begin to plan strategically to initiate the type of change required within their agency to reach their desired objectives. Information gathered by organizations using this methodology could also form the basis for resource requests from funding entities, formulation of technical assistance requests to external sources, and a vehicle to advance internal quality assurance. The awardee will work closely with designated NIC staff on all aspects of the project to ensure understanding of and agreement on the scope of work to be performed, and to work with other identified experts as well who are recognized for their expertise and practical experience in working with justice- involved women. To be considered, applicants must demonstrate, at a minimum: In- depth knowledge of research and practice regarding gender-informed (women) and evidence-based practices, organizational readiness, strategic planning, and process evaluation; In-depth knowledge of the practices, programs, and complexities specific to the operation of women's correctional facilities and awareness of the issues relevant to women on community release and under supervision; In-depth knowledge about the risks, needs, strengths, and capacity for resiliency with justice-involved women; Specific examples of expertise in directing project design and implementation; Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with other experts in the field of gender-informed practices; Ability and capacity to conduct Web-based events.

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

The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) Jails Division is seeking applications for the revision of its services related to new jail planning. The project will be for an 18-month period and will be carried out in conjunction with the NIC Jails Division. The awardee will work closely with NIC staff on all aspects of the project. To be considered, applicants must demonstrate, at a minimum: (1) In-depth knowledge of the purpose, functions, and operational complexities of local jails, (2) extensive experience in the roles of architect and planner in the new-jail planning process, as taught by NIC (see Supplementary Information), and (3) expertise and experience in developing curricula based on adult learning principles, specifically the Instructional Theory Into Practice (ITIP) model.

The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) Jails Division is seeking applications for the revision and update of its curriculum for State jail inspector training. The project will be for a 12-month period and will be completed in conjunction with the NIC Jails Division. The awardee will work closely with NIC staff on all aspects of the project. To be considered, applicants must demonstrate, at a minimum, (1) in-depth knowledge of the variety, scope, legal standing, and application of State jail inspections, (2) experience working with the nation's State jail inspectors, (3) experience in conducting jail inspections, and (4) expertise and experience in developing curriculums based on adult learning principles as reflected in the Instructional Theory into Practice (ITIP) model.