[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]
BILLING CODE 4410-36-M