[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 23 (Tuesday, February 4, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5280-5283]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-2704]



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Part III





Department of Justice





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Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention



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National Innovations to Reduce Disproportionate Minority Confinement 
(Deborah Ann Wysinger Memorial Program); Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 23 / Tuesday, February 4, 1997 / 
Notices  

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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
[OJP (OJJDP) No. 1108]
RIN 1121-ZA55


Training and Technical Assistance for National Innovations to 
Reduce Disproportionate Minority Confinement (The Deborah Ann Wysinger 
Memorial Program)

AGENCY: Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Office of Juvenile Justice 
and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), U. S. Department of Justice.

ACTION: Resolicitation for award of cooperative agreement.

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SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is to announce the public 
resolicitation of the above-cited program. Peer review of applications 
responding to the initial solicitation resulted in the finding that 
none was sufficiently responsive to warrant funding.

DATES: Applications must be postmarked or delivered on or before April 
7, 1997. Mailed applications must be received by April 14, 1997.

ADDRESSES: The application and five copies should be mailed to: the 
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention c/o Juvenile 
Justice Resource Center, 1600 Research Boulevard, Mail Stop 2K, 
Rockville, MD 20850; 301/235-5535.

    Note: In the lower left-hand corner of the envelope, you must 
clearly write, ``Training and Technical Assistance for National 
Innovations to Reduce Disproportionate Minority Confinement.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robin V. Delany-Shabazz, Program 
Manager, Training and Technical Assistance Division, (202) 307-9963, or 
by e-mail to: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Purpose:
    To reduce the disproportionate confinement of minority juveniles in 
secure detention and confinement facilities nationwide.

Background

    This program implements Section 261(a)(8) of the Juvenile Justice 
and Delinquency Prevention (JJDP) Act of 1974, as amended. National 
data and studies have shown that children of color are over-represented 
in secure juvenile and criminal justice facilities across the country 
in comparison to their percentage in the local population. A major 
contributing factors is that the structure of justice decision making 
often disadvantages minority youth. This is true even when controlling 
for socio-economic characteristics and legal variables such as types of 
offense and prior delinquent history. Accordingly, in the 1988 
reauthorization of the JJDP Act, Congress amended the Part B Formula 
Grants Program State plan requirements to include a new State plan 
requirement addressing the disproportionate confinement of minority 
juveniles where it exists. The Office of Juvenile Justice and 
Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) issued regulations requiring States 
participating in the Formula Grants Program to gather and analyze data 
on disproportionate minority confinement (DMC) and, depending on the 
findings, to design strategies to address the issue. A Special Emphasis 
discretionary grant program was developed to demonstrate model 
approaches in five competitively selected pilot States (Arizona, 
Florida, Iowa, North Carolina, and Oregon). Funds also were awarded to 
a national contractor to provide technical assistance to both the pilot 
States and other States, to evaluate their efforts, and to share 
relevant information nationwide. By 1995, Special Emphasis awards had 
been made to support 12 demonstration projects to test innovative DMC 
interventions designed by States and local communities.
    Despite these activities, many factors contributing to over 
representation of minorities in secure facilities remain unchanged, or 
are even more prevalent, as reflected in the widespread disparity in 
juvenile case processing,1 the paucity and poor quality of support 
services and resources, increased numbers of children living in 
poverty, continuing disintegration of family structure, teen pregnancy, 
drug use, truancy and dropouts, gang activity, and increased 
availability of guns and drugs. The impact of these factors is greatest 
in minority communities. The consequence of not addressing contributing 
factors was highlighted in the October 1995 report from the Sentencing 
Project, Young Black Americans and the Criminal Justice System: Five 
Years Later. This report revealed that nationwide one in three black 
men in the 20-29 age group is under the supervision of the justice 
system (in prison or jail; on probation or parole)--up from one in four 
in 1990.2 Many of these are graduates of dependency courts, social 
services and juvenile justice systems that failed to address their 
needs and prevent recurring crime.
    Current and previous efforts to address over representation yield 
two fundamental lessons. One is that systemic, community wide 
interventions are necessary to reduce DMC. The other is that each 
jurisdiction must assess the magnitude, extent, and nature of the 
disparity. The experience of the pilot States makes it clear that 
people are able to reach consensus on corrective actions only by 
gaining a full understanding of what leads to disproportion, including 
social conditions, social and justice policies and the juvenile justice 
system. Specifically this entails assessing at what points within and 
prior to juvenile justice system processing disproportionality begins 
to appear or increase. How does police discretionary action prior to 
arrest (decision to divert) or the processes and decisions relative to 
detention, adjudication, probation, sentencing or aftercare affect 
disproportionality? What impact do environmental and social factors 
have on disproportionality? Field assessments and State site 
evaluations have also generated useful information. OJJDP recognizes 
the need to foster development and documentation of innovative and 
effective strategies nationwide using training, technical assistance, 
information dissemination, provision of practical and targeted resource 
tools, and public education.
    To help meet that need, OJJDP is issuing this competitive 
solicitation for innovative proposals to implement a three-year 
national training, technical assistance, and information dissemination 
initiative. It will be focused on improving the ability of States, 
selected local jurisdictions and OJJDP key grantees to address from 
systemic and community wide perspectives the issue of disproportionate 
confinement of minority juveniles. An award of $300,000 will support 
this program in its first year.
    Goal: To help State and local jurisdictions reduce the over 
representation of minority children and youth in secure detention and 
correctional facilities, jails, and lockups by providing jurisdictions 
with knowledge that will enable them to successfully address those 
factors that contribute to the problem, including information about 
inventive practices and programs and technical assistance in 
implementing successful community wide approaches.
    Objectives: In year one, the selected grantee will:
    1. Review and synthesize the existing knowledge base and research 
on DMC including State and local practices and policies designed to 
address DMC.
    2. Develop an intensive, interactive core training curriculum for 
juvenile justice system policy and decision

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makers and practitioners on effective interventions and impediments to 
successful action (refer to item #2 under Program Strategy), and 
initially deliver to juvenile justice specialists, State Advisory Group 
(SAG) chairs, and selected grantees.
    3. Develop and begin to deliver a system of technical assistance to 
key OJJDP grantees to incorporate DMC issues, practices and policies 
into their training and education programs, especially a knowledge of 
and appreciation for the impact that police practices and community 
development have on DMC. (Key grantees are those training and technical 
assistance providers working with police, the courts, and juvenile 
detention staff; SafeFutures sites; Title V recipients, and States 
using State Challenge Program funds to address DMC.) The technical 
assistance system should be innovative and varied in concept and 
execution.
    4. Develop and begin the process of assisting DMC grantees 
implementing local program interventions to better manage, 
institutionalize, and sustain their programs over the long-term. This 
process is to include a needs assessment.
    5. Collaborate with OJJDP's Formula Grants Program technical 
assistance contractor and OJJDP staff on developing effective 
approaches and strategies for assisting States to improve DMC 
compliance plans and their strategic planning, program design, program 
implementation, and policy formulation as it addresses DMC in the long 
and short term.
    6. Plan, develop and implement a national dissemination and 
education effort that builds on the training and technical assistance 
system proposed to facilitate development of effective DMC efforts at 
the State and local levels.
    7. Identify five to seven people to serve on an advisory group to 
support project implementation. The specific tasks of the advisory 
group are to provide consultation and advice to the grantee on current 
DMC policy and practice issues and to advise on the impact and progress 
of DMC program planning and implementation. Members are to be selected 
to ensure diversity of perspectives, experience, gender and cultural 
orientation. Grantee is expected to convene two annual meetings of the 
advisory group.
    Objectives for years two and three are to: (1) build on year one 
efforts and continue to deliver training and technical assistance to 
the key constituents (as noted in objectives #2, 3 and 5, above) of the 
core curriculum; (2) continue to support and assist DMC intervention 
grantees (as noted in objective #4, above); (3) implement the national 
dissemination and education campaign (as noted in objective #6); and 
(4) develop other appropriate products and resource tools to help 
OJJDP's key constituencies to improve their abilities to assess and 
effectively address disproportionate confinement of minorities.
    Program Strategy: OJJDP will make a single award for $300,000 under 
a cooperative agreement. The award will be for a one-year budget period 
under a three-year project period. The purpose of this award is to 
equip States and local units of government to address disproportionate 
confinement of minority youth, where it is determined to exist, through 
systemic, community wide, interdisciplinary and strategic approaches. 
This will be accomplished through (1) development of resource 
materials, guidelines, and programs suitable for targeted 
dissemination; (2) development of a core curriculum on DMC issues, 
barriers, supports, and successful interventions suitable for use with 
elected officials, judges, law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, 
public defenders, court personnel, State Advisory Groups, and juvenile 
justice specialists; (3) delivery of technical assistance to State and 
local agencies to support strategic planning, program design, program 
implementation, and policy formulation that addresses DMC both in the 
long and short term; and (4) support for OJJDP grantees, including the 
use of DMC materials and the core curriculum, to make their programs 
responsive to this issue.
    Because DMC is an issue that affects and is affected by all 
juvenile justice policies and practices, the grantee will coordinate 
the work of this cooperative agreement with other OJJDP grantees 
addressing delinquency prevention, juvenile justice system improvement, 
and research and data collection. This coordination entails ensuring 
that information is shared and that collaboration occurs where 
appropriate. Note that materials developed under other grants and 
contracts that either relate to this issue or have potential for 
supporting the work of this initiative will be made available to this 
grantee. These materials will allow the grantee to avoid duplication 
and expand the impact of work being done to enhance and strengthen 
efforts to reduce DMC. The materials, protocols, curriculums, and 
resource and dissemination networks of the Juvenile Justice 
Clearinghouse, the OJJDP National Training and Technical Assistance 
Center, Community Research Associates (the national technical 
assistance contractor for the Formula Grants Program), and other key 
OJJDP grantees and contractors will support development of products 
identified in this solicitation.

Products

    The grantee will be required to produce a number of products over 
the 3-year project period. During the first project year, the grantee 
will:
     Create a protocol for delivery of training and technical 
assistance which informs and supports the constituencies noted 
previously, including selected communities.
     Produce a summary document synthesizing what is known 
about DMC policy and practice throughout the Nation.
     Develop a training curriculum on DMC requirements, issues, 
and effective interventions, including components on ethnic and 
cultural competence, systems change, community development and police 
practices.
     Compile a report on the results of the needs assessments 
conducted with the DMC implementation grantees and plans to support and 
assist each grantee.
    Products for years two and three will be agreed to by the grantee 
and program office after award.

Eligibility Requirements

    OJJDP invites applications from public and private agencies, 
organizations, and institutions. Private for-profit organizations must 
waive any fee or profit to be eligible for this program. This is a 
competitive training and technical assistance program. Funds will be 
awarded under a cooperative agreement to an organization or 
collaboration of organizations demonstrating a thorough understanding 
of DMC issues and the implications for policy and practice. The 
applicant must also have significant experience in the assessment and 
development of programs designed for disadvantaged and culturally 
diverse youth living in communities lacking culturally sensitive 
services; expertise in delivery of training and technical assistance to 
tribal, rural, and urban communities; demonstrated competence in 
management of intercommunity group relations and cultural issues; and 
experience in creating and implementing broad-based public education 
efforts. Given the combination of skills required, organizations are 
encouraged to collaborate in applying for this program. The award would 
be made to a lead agency, which would be responsible for distributing 
funds as described in the application.

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Selection Criteria

    Applications will be rated by a peer review panel on the extent to 
which they meet the following criteria. Applicants are to organize 
applications in accord with these criteria.

Problem(s) To Be Addressed (25 points)

    Applicants must concisely describe the problems to be addressed by 
the proposed program and convey a clear understanding of the purposes, 
work requirements, and expected results of the project. In particular, 
the applicant must demonstrate a thorough understanding of DMC issues, 
the barriers and supports to DMC reduction, the implications for policy 
and practice, especially in the areas of law enforcement (community 
policing) and community development, and the importance of ethnic and 
cultural competence to program success. Applicants must also address 
issues associated with providing DMC training and technical assistance 
to States and localities.

Goals and Objectives (10 points)

    Applicants must demonstrate an understanding of the overall goals, 
objectives and tasks of this solicitation through a clear description 
of how the applicant's proposed program meets the solicitation's goals 
and objectives.

Project Design (25 points)

    Applicants must detail a project design that is innovative, viable 
and within their ability to carry out. Applicants must delineate 
quantitative and qualitative measures by which progress in meeting 
project objectives will be assessed. Applications must indicate how 
project objectives and work requirements will be achieved and must 
describe a cohesive and well-thought-out plan for transferring 
knowledge to the field about DMC and best practices for reducing DMC.

Management and Organizational Capability (25 points)

    Management structure, staffing, and experience working with State 
agencies and local entities must be shown to be adequate and 
appropriate to implement and complete the project successfully, 
efficiently, and cost effectively.
    Commitments of collaboration with other organizations must clearly 
and specifically show their respective project responsibilities, dollar 
amounts, number of hours, and the manner in which ongoing communication 
and collaboration will be managed. Key project staff and consultants 
should have significant experience in the areas addressed in this 
initiative, including juvenile justice system processing and 
multicultural programming for youth. Descriptive resumes must be 
provided for all key staff.
    The applicant organization must document its ability to implement 
the project, being certain to address all of the eligibility 
requirements. This section should include a succinct description of 
organizational experience with respect to the program objectives and 
proposed activities.

Budget (15 points)

    Applicants must provide a budget for the activities to be 
undertaken that is complete, detailed, reasonable, allowable, and cost 
effective and a budget narrative that describes and justifies proposed 
costs. Note that the applicant is to provide program budget support for 
two annual meetings of the advisory group as noted in objective #7.

Award Period

    This project will be funded for 36 months in three 12-month budget 
periods. After the first budget period, funding depends on grantee 
performance, availability of funds, and other criteria established at 
the time of award.

Award Amount

    Up to $300,000 is available for the initial 12-month budget period.

Format Requirements

    Applicants are to limit the Program Narrative (this includes 
Problem to be Addressed, Goals and Objectives, Project Design and the 
Management and Organizational Capability) to 25 pages, double-spaced in 
10- or 12-point font size. The application abstract cannot exceed one, 
single-spaced page. There is no page limit on the budget section 
including the budget worksheets and budget narrative pages. Appended 
material, including resumes, is limited to 20 pages and should not 
include letters of support except where such letters describe the roles 
and responsibilities of applicant partners in the proposed effort.

Delivery Instructions

    All application packages should be mailed or delivered to the 
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, c/o Juvenile 
Justice Resource Center, 1600 Research Boulevard, Mail Stop 2K, 
Rockville, MD 20850; 301-251-5535. Note: In the lower left-hand corner 
of the envelope, you must clearly write ``Training and Technical 
Assistance for National Innovations to Reduce Disproportionate Minority 
Confinement.''

Due Date

    Applicants are responsible for ensuring that the original and five 
copies of the application package are postmarked or delivered on or 
before April 7, 1997. Mailed applications must be received by April 14, 
1997. Applications must be submitted with SF424 (Rev. 1988), 
Application for Federal Assistance, as the cover sheet. Proposals must 
also be accompanied by OJP Form 7150/1 (50-95), Budget Detail 
Worksheet; OJP Form 4061/6, Certifications Regarding Lobbying; 
Debarment, Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters; and Drug-Free 
Workplace Requirements; and OJP Form 4000/3, Assurances. All applicants 
must sign and submit the Assurances form indicating that they are in 
compliance with Federal laws and regulations which prohibit 
discrimination in any program or activity that receives Federal funds.
    To obtain the appropriate forms, call the Juvenile Justice 
Clearinghouse at (800) 638-8736 or (301) 251-5500. Applicants may also 
download these forms from the Application Kit: Competitive 
Discretionary Grant Programs, located on the Office of Juvenile Justice 
and Delinquency Prevention web site at http://www.ncjrs.org/toc.htm.

For further information Contact: Robin V. Delany-Shabazz, Program 
Manager, Training and Technical Assistance Division, on 202-307-9963, 
or send an e-mail to [email protected].

    Dated: January 21, 1997.
Shay Bilchik,
Administrator, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

Endnotes

    1. Howard N. Snyder and Melissa Sickmund, Juvenile Offenders and 
Victims: A National Report (Washington, DC: Office of Juvenile 
Justice and Delinquency Prevention, August 1995), p. 92; William 
Feyerherm, Lessons Learned (Washington, DC: Office of Juvenile 
Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 1996, in press).
    2. Marc Mauer and Tracy Huling, Young Black Americans and the 
Criminal Justice System: Five Years Later (Washington, DC: The 
Sentencing Project, 1995), 1-2.

References

American Bar Association. America's Children at Risk: A National 
Agenda for Legal Action. Report of ABA Working Group on the Unmet 
Legal Needs of Children and Their Families, 1993.
Annie E. Casey Foundation. Kids Count Data Book. Baltimore, MD: 
Casey Foundation, 1995.

[[Page 5283]]

Bishop, D.M., and C.E. Frazier. A Study of Race and Juvenile 
Processing in Florida. A report submitted to the Florida Supreme 
Court Racial and Ethnic Bias Study Commission, 1990.
Children's Defense Fund. State of America's Children. Washington, 
DC: Children's Defense Fund, 1996.
Community Research Associates. Status of the States Reports: A 
Review of State Materials Regarding Over-Representation of Minority 
Youth in the Juvenile Justice System. Washington, DC: Office of 
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, in press. (Source of 
preliminary and anecdotal information from State status reports on 
DMC.)
Kempf, K.L., S.H. Ecker, and R.L. Bing. An Analysis of Apparent 
Disparities in the Handling of Black Youth Within Missouri's 
Juvenile Justice System. St. Louis: Department of Administration of 
Justice, University of Missouri, 1990.
Lockhart, L.L., P.D. Kurtz, R. Stephen, and K. Gauger. Georgia's 
Juvenile Justice System: A Retrospective Investigation of Racial 
Disparity. Research report to the Georgia Juvenile Justice 
Coordinating Council: Part I of the Racial Disparity Investigation. 
School of Social Work, University of Georgia, 1990.
Pope, C.E. ``Blacks and Juvenile Crime: A Review'' in D.E. Georges-
Abeyie (ed.), The Criminal Justice System and Blacks. San Francisco, 
CA: Chandler Publishing, 1984.
Pope, C.E., and W. Feyerherm. ``Minorities and the Juvenile Justice 
System.'' OJJDP Research Summary. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department 
of Justice, 1993.
Pope, C.E., and W. Feyerherm. ``Minority Status and Juvenile Justice 
Processing.'' Criminal Justice Abstracts 22 (2): 327-336 (part I); 
22 (3): 527-542 (part II), 1990.

[FR Doc. 97-2704 Filed 2-3-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-18-P