[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 114 (Wednesday, June 15, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-14565]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: June 15, 1994]
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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
National Institute of Corrections
Solicitation for a Cooperative Agreement: Design, Development and
Implementation of Community Corrections Options
June 1, 1994.
This solicitation requests grant proposals for a cooperative
agreement to conduct a training and technical assistance project aimed
at increasing the effectiveness of community corrections programs by
supporting purposeful design, development and implementation efforts in
state and local agencies. The Project will be a collaborative venture
with NIC's Community Corrections Division. Funding for the project is
$180,000, which will support one cooperative agreement for a 15 month
period.
Background
Corrections is expressing enormous interest in experimentation with
community sanctions. Agencies are struggling to provide a more diverse
array of sanctions, higher quality supervision, and more accountability
for a growing number of offenders--all at a time when resources are
decreasing for many agencies. Recent literature on the development of
community corrections programs has focused attention on the critical
need for more purposeful and disciplined program design,
implementation, and evaluation if community sanctions are to achieve
clearly defined and measurable results.
A continued interest of the Community Corrections Division is to
provide assistance to agencies in the early stages of program design
and implementation. In 1990, the Division supported a program design
workshop for community corrections practitioners. Three-person teams
from five jurisdictions participated in two, intensive 1-week seminars,
which were separated by a period for program design work at their home
agencies. The workshop was conducted by the Crime and Justice
Foundation, Boston, Massachusetts, under a $90,000 cooperative
agreement with NIC.
The Division subsequently allocated additional resources to this
project and revised the strategy to include one seminar, preceded by
substantial on-site work with each jurisdictional team; greater
attention to the development of a sound information base for program
design; and more attention to the organizational climate in which the
program changes would occur. In fiscal years 1993 and early 1994,
project services were provided by Temple University, Department of
Criminal Justice, under a $150,000 cooperative agreement grant. Five
sites were selected in March 1993; the seminar was held in mid-July;
and services will be provided through June, 1994.
The next round of project services also will be provided by a
grantee agency under the terms of a cooperative agreement. The Division
will be actively involved in all aspects of the work, including the
selection of participating agencies and the design and delivery of
project services. NIC will retain the authority to approve the final
selection of participating jurisdictions.
Scope
The goal of the project is to improve program effectiveness by
supporting careful program development and more complete implementation
of program changes through an integrated program of training and
technical assistance. Project services will be provided to teams of
community corrections executives and key staff from five agencies/
jurisdictions seeking to introduce, modify, or expand community
sanctions for adult offenders.
The project assumes that for community corrections programs to
succeed they must be well designed and fully implemented. This requires
agencies to engage in a rational development process that includes
articulation of clear policy on the goals, outcomes, intervention
approaches and target populations of the proposed program. Agencies
need to weigh the impact of proposed changes on other parts of the
criminal justice system, carefully target offender populations,
consider cost implications and build external and internal support
among major stake holders and implementers.
The project intends to help community corrections agencies do a
better job of designing and implementing whatever changes in program or
procedures are important to them in order to achieve their defined
outcomes. It will in no way direct or coerce agencies toward specific
program choices or activities. It also is important to distinguish this
project from the policy development assistance offered by such efforts
as the joint NIC/State Justice Institute's Intermediate Sanctions
Project. This is not primarily a policy development project. We expect
that agencies will be proceeding with the program development tasks of
this project within the context of an articulated policy direction.
In sum, the project offers an opportunity to slow down the
development process, resist the often extreme pressure to adopt a
``quick fix'' or model solution, and to plan a rational and practical
approach.
Agencies Targeted To Receive Project Services
The grantee and NIC will work with five state, county, and large
city, adult community corrections agencies (probation, parole, or other
community-based agencies) with sufficient staff and financial resources
to support the planning process. Agencies selected must demonstrate a
strong interest and commitment to implementing the proposed change in
their sanctioning and supervision practices. They also need to
supervise a large enough population so that the proposed change will
impact a significantly sized offender group. They should propose a
three person team with the experience and authority to succeed in the
program development effort (e.g., the chief administrator, principal
planner, and/or key staff responsible for program implementation). The
team may also include senior managers or officials, from any branch of
government (e.g., a funding agency), who are critical to the successful
design and implementation of the program.
Project Activities
A former announcement of project services will be developed by
NIC's Community Corrections Division and the grantee. The announcement
will describe fully the project approach and services, application
requirements, selection criteria, and the deadline for the receipt of
applications.
Prior to selecting the five agencies for this project, telephone
interviews and, in some cases, on-site visits should be conducted with
promising candidates to assess both the internal, organizational
climate and external factors which may indicate whether the agency is
in a good position to engage in program change or innovation at this
time.
Project activities should begin with on-site work by the local
agency teams, assisted by project (grantee and NIC) staff. The initial
work should focus on such issues as the level of support for proposed
changes among significant stake holders, the quality of data with which
to engage the program development process, and the capacity of the
agency to conduct the effort including any organizational issues which
should be addressed.
Several months after project initiation, a three to five day
seminar will be offered to participating teams. The seminar should
provide a common framework for program development and implementation,
offer hands-on experience with some critical aspects of the work, offer
opportunities for peer consultation, and result in a work plan for each
agency for pursuing its program development objectives, including
further technical assistance needs from the project.
Technical assistance, tailored to the specific needs of each
jurisdiction, should be provided for the duration of the project.
Participating agencies must make a commitment to attend the seminar and
participate in the entire, fifteen month project.
Expenses for travel, lodging, meals and seminar materials will be
covered by the project for up to three members of each agency team.
Additional team members may attend the seminar at the expense of the
jurisdictions, however, such additional participation will depend on
the seminar goals and approach.
Application Requirements
For the total 15 month project, applicants are expected to define
the conceptual framework(s) which best applies to this project, discuss
the varying purposes of technical assistance to support the work of the
five, participating teams, and define the likely content and timing for
the seminar. Recognizing the various kinds of experts required by the
project, applicants are to identify the principal members of the
applicant team and their specific, relevant expertise. Because this is
a cooperative venture with the Community Corrections Division,
applicants also should address how they would perform the project tasks
in collaboration with NIC.
At a minimum, applications must address:
The development and implementation of a plan: To publicize
the project and solicit applications from eligible community
corrections agencies; develop selection criteria; screen applications
with telephone calls and, in some cases, on-site visits; and select
five sites. As stated earlier, NIC will retain the authority under the
cooperative agreement to approve final participant selections.
The planning, delivery and management of an integrated,
technical assistance project, consisting of preliminary on-site work
with the participating agencies, a 3 to 5 day seminar, and follow-on
technical assistance activities. Efforts should be made to include
community corrections practitioners as peer consultants, where
appropriate.
Preparation of a report which summarizes the activities of
the participating agencies and results achieved, and makes
recommendations concerning ways to improve program development and
implementation in community corrections agencies. While NIC is
interested in summarizing the practical learning from this effort, the
primary purpose of the project is to maximize the delivery of technical
assistance services to participating agencies (bullet above).
Applicaton Procedures
Funding for this project has been set at $180,000. This amount will
support one cooperative agreement award. Project activities must be
completed within a 15 month period. The following criteria will be used
to evaluate applications:
1. The applicant's understanding of the concepts and critical
issues in (a) the design, implementation and evaluation of community
corrections programs; (b) planned change in a criminal justice system
context; and (c) organizational development and management to support
major program changes.
2. The applicant's demonstrated capacity to collaborate with other
organizations on such efforts.
3. The applicant's experience, both in terms of key project staff
and the organization, in working with community corrections agencies on
program design issues, planning and conducting training for community
corrections practitioners, and delivering and managing technical
assistance programs.
4. The soundness of the proposed project objectives and
methodology, including the approach to publicizing the program,
selecting participants, providing integrated technical assistance
services, and planning and conducting the seminar.
5. The feasibility of the proposed management plan, the specificity
of the proposed tasks, the nature of the proposed roles and
responsibilities relating to collaboration with NIC, and the
identification of realistic milestones and task completion dates.
6. The reasonableness and clarity of the proposed budget and budget
narrative.
Applications should not exceed twenty-five, double-spaced, typed
pages in length, not including standard grant forms, attachments and
appendices. This is a technical assistance award. Applicants must
submit a copy of their proposal to the state ``single point of
contact,'' where applicable, simultaneously with submitting six copies
to the Community Corrections Division, National Institute of
Corrections, 320 First Street NW., Washington, DC 20534, no later than
4 p.m., Eastern time, Friday, July 15, 1994. The street address for
overnight mail or hand delivery of applications is 500 First Street,
NW., room 700, Washington, DC 20534.
If you have any questions regarding the solicitation, please write
or call Phyllis Modley, (202) 307-3995, extension 133. Applicants
interested in obtaining a packet of material on the current project,
may write or call the Project Director, Dr. Alan Harland, Temple
University, Department of Criminal Justice, 5th Floor, Gladfelter Hall,
Philadelphia, PA 19122; telephone (215) 204-1506 or 7918.
Dated: June 9, 1994.
Larry B. Solomon,
National Institute of Corrections.
[FR Doc. 94-14565 Filed 6-14-94; 8:45 am]
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