[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 17 (Tuesday, January 27, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3923-3925]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-1864]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Bureau of Justice Statistics
[OJP(BJS)-1151]


Continuation of Federal Justice Statistics Program

AGENCY: Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), 
Justice.

ACTION: Solicitation for award of cooperative agreement.

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SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is to announce a public 
solicitation for the continuation of the Bureau of Justice Statistics' 
(BJS) Federal Justice Statistics Program (FJSP). The FJSP serves as the 
national resource for data describing the processing of criminal cases 
in the Federal criminal justice system. Under this program, data 
generated by Federal criminal justice agencies are collected, 
maintained, analyzed, and archived. Data are also linked across 
agencies to permit more complex analyses of Federal criminal justice 
issues. Regular annual reports and special topical reports are prepared 
that describe the Federal criminal justice system, Federal defendants 
and offenses, and other special issues of interest. In addition, 
special tabulations are prepared, pursuant to BJS direction, in 
response to requests from government officials. The project to be 
funded under the proposed cooperative agreement will continue the 
program's current activities.

DATES: Proposals must be postmarked on or before March 31, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Proposals should be mailed to: Applications Coordinator, 
Bureau of Justice Statistics, 810 7th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20531.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Scalia, Program Manager, Federal 
Justice Statistics Program, Bureau of Justice Statistics, (202) 616-
3276.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Bureau of Justice Statistics Federal Justice Statistics Program 
(FJSP) was initiated in 1982 to serve as a central resource for 
information describing the processing of Federal criminal defendants 
and characteristics of those defendants. The program collects data from 
different components of the Federal criminal justice system and tracks 
the progress of suspects from investigation through prosecution, 
adjudication, sentencing, and corrections. The program represents the 
primary BJS effort describing the Federal criminal justice system and 
responds directly to the legislative authorization that BJS ``collect, 
analyze, and disseminate comprehensive Federal justice transaction 
statistics (including statistics on issues of Federal justice interest 
such as public fraud and high technology crime)'' as set forth in 42 
U.S.C. Sec. 3732(c)(15).
    In keeping with the original program plan which was designed to 
minimize data collection costs, no original data collection is 
supported under this program. Data are obtained from operational 
Federal agencies including the Executive Office for the United States 
Attorneys, the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, the 
Bureau of Prisons, and the United States Sentencing Commission. In 
order to trace the flow of cases from one stage to another and to 
supplement any individual agency's data, computer matching techniques 
have been developed that permit the linking of

[[Page 3924]]

data obtained from different sources. The linking of these data permit 
more complex and detailed analysis of particular issues.
    Throughout the history of the FJSP, a regular series of reports has 
been produced. These reports include the annual Compendium of Federal 
Justice Statistics (available on the Internet at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/
abstract/cfjs93.htm) which describes transactions in the Federal 
criminal justice system for a particular year; and a series of Special 
Reports addressing specific aspects of the Federal criminal justice 
system, specific offenses, or other special issues of interest. Recent 
Special Report include: Prisoner Petitions in the Federal Courts 
(available on the Internet at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/
ppfc96.htm), Juvenile Delinquents in the Federal Criminal Justice 
System (www.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/jdfcjs.htm), and Noncitizens in the 
Federal Criminal Justice System (www.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/
nifcjs.htm). In addition, the program serves as the primary source of 
information for other BJS statistical series that describe individuals 
in the Federal criminal justice system; program staff have also 
responded to ad hoc BJS requests for specific data tabulations and 
analyses.
    In addition, the FJSP supports the efforts of the Coordinating 
Committee on Federal Criminal Case Processing Statistics. This 
interagency committee--represented by the Administrative Office of the 
U.S. Courts, the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the Executive Office for 
the U.S. Attorneys, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and the United 
States Sentencing Commission--was established as a forum for discussing 
issues related to the collection of data describing the Federal 
criminal justice system and the reporting of Federal criminal case 
processing statistics. With the support of the Coordinating Committee, 
beginning in 1998 BJS will annually publish Federal Criminal Case 
Processing Statistics. This report--which will supplement each agency's 
annual statistical report--will highlight specific aspects of the 
Federal criminal justice system as well as describe significant trends 
in Federal criminal case processing. The statistics presented will be 
tabulated according to procedures agreed upon by each participating 
agency.

Objectives

    The purpose of this award is to support the continuation of the 
Federal Justice Statistics Program. The recipient of funds will serve 
as the Federal Justice Statistics Resource Center whereby the recipient 
will continue to collect, maintain, and archive data from Federal 
justice agencies, produce annual reports (the Compendium of Federal 
Justice Statistics and Federal Criminal Case Processing), and topical 
special reports. Any Special Reports prepared by the recipient will be 
prepared under the direction of BJS staff. In addition, BJS staff may 
also initiate Special Reports. The recipient will be expected to assist 
BJS staff with Special Reports by providing the necessary data for 
analysis and, when requested, assisting in the preparation of data 
tabulations and reviewing the methodology used to analyze the data.

Type of Assistance

    Assistance will be made available under a cooperative agreement. 
Awards will be made for a period of 12 months with an option for two 
additional continuation years conditional upon the availability of 
funds and the quality of the initial performance and products. Costs 
are estimated at not to exceed $650,000 for the initial 12-month 
period. Funding for subsequent years may include reasonable increases 
for cost-of-living and changes in scope of work, where applicable.

Statutory Authority

    The cooperative agreement to be awarded pursuant to this 
solicitation will be funded by the Bureau of Justice Statistics 
consistent with its mandate as set forth in 42 U.S.C. 3732.

Eligibility Requirements

    Both for-profit and nonprofit organizations may apply for funds. 
Consistent with Office of Justice Programs fiscal requirements, no fees 
may be charged against this project by profit-making organizations.

Scope of Work

    The objective of the proposed program is to continue basic 
activities initiated under the ongoing BJS Federal Justice Statistics 
Program. Specifically, the recipient of funds will serve as the Federal 
Justice Statistics Resource Center. The Resource Center will--
    1. Maintain and expand the Federal Justice Statistics Program 
Database. This will involve the collection, processing, and maintenance 
of data provided by Federal agencies participating in the program. The 
agencies currently participating in the program are: the Executive 
Office for the United States Attorneys, the Administrative Office of 
the United States Courts, the Bureau of Prisons, and the United States 
Sentencing Commission. (In addition to providing data describing the 
Federal courts' criminal docket, the Administrative Office also 
provides data describing the activities of the Federal pretrial 
services agencies and the Federal Probation and Supervision Service. 
The Federal Judicial Center has provided data describing the Federal 
courts' appellate docket.) The recipient should attempt to expand the 
program to include other Federal law enforcement agencies. The 
recipient will also be responsible for processing data to meet uniform 
classification categories and for linking data to permit analysis of 
data obtained from different sources.
    2. Prepare tapes and related documentation for archiving in the 
national archive maintained by BJS. The public use data tapes of the 
source data shall conform to BJS standards for submission to the 
National Archive of Criminal Justice Data at the University of 
Michigan. In addition, the recipient will prepare a set of standard 
analysis data files from each agency's source data for each fiscal 
year. These standard analysis data files will describe a particular 
cohort of defendants and will include all variables included in the 
source data and all variables created for the Compendium of Federal 
Justice Statistics. These standard analysis files will be included on a 
CD-ROM to be produced by BJS. The recipient will document each of the 
standard analysis data files and all programs used to create BJS 
reports. Such documentation, to the extent possible, will be maintained 
in an electronic database from which users can query variables of 
interest. This electronic data dictionary will also be included on the 
CD-ROM prepared by BJS. In addition, the recipient will document the 
methodology used to produce the Compendium of Federal Justice 
Statistics--including the production of the standard analysis data 
files.
    3. Prepare the Compendium of Federal Justice Statistics and the 
Federal Criminal Case Processing Statistics report and submit both text 
and tables in camera-ready format for each Federal fiscal year.
    4. Prepare BJS Special Reports, data tabulations, analyses, data 
sets, and other data manipulations in response to BJS requests. Any 
Special Reports proposed by the recipient will be designed in 
coordination with BJS. BJS will approve all Special Report topics 
proposed by the recipient. The recipient will provide tabulations, as 
requested, describing Federal offenders to support BJS's National 
Correctional Reporting Program and the National Judicial Reporting 
Program.
    5. Provide BJS with electronic access to the Federal Justice 
Statistics Resource

[[Page 3925]]

Center (including all source data, standard analysis data files, and 
software used to produce BJS reports) and computing resources, as 
necessary. In addition, the recipient must provide BJS staff with daily 
access to the standard analysis data files (for the most recent 
reporting period available) in a form in which variables name and 
values correspond to those included in the FJSP electronic data 
dictionary.
    6. Provide support to the interagency Coordinating Committee on 
Federal Criminal Case Processing Statistics. The recipient will work 
with BJS to support the efforts of the Coordinating Committee on 
Federal Criminal Case Processing Statistics including the production of 
reconciled case processing statistics, matching records across 
agencies' databases, identifying differences in data collection and 
reporting methods, and other technical assistance, as requested.
    7. Provide Internet access to the Federal Justice Statistics 
Resource Center. The recipient will provide direct access via the 
Internet to all FJSP data files (including those files prepared by 
prior recipients of this award) and the electronic data dictionary. In 
addition, the recipient will work with BJS to provide a World Wide Web-
accessible query system for the Federal Justice Statistics Resource 
Center. The recipient must provide Internet users with the capability 
of performing queries of the FJSP data bases in order to extract basic 
information describing individuals processed in the Federal criminal 
justice system. Users should be able to disaggregate these data by 
Federal judicial district.

Award Procedures

    Proposals should describe, in appropriate detail, the procedures to 
be undertaken in furtherance of each of the activities described under 
the Scope of Work. Information provided should focus on activities to 
be conducted during the initial 12-month period but should also include 
a more general discussion of three-year objectives for the program. 
Information on staffing levels and qualifications should be included 
for each task and descriptions of experience relevant to the project 
should be included. Resumes of the proposed project director and key 
staff should be included in the proposal.
    Applications will be competitively reviewed by BJS. Final authority 
to enter into a cooperative agreement is reserved for the Director, 
BJS, or his designee, who may, in his discretion, determine that none 
of the applications shall be funded.
    Applications will be evaluated on the overall extent to which they 
respond to criminal justice priorities, conform to the goals of the 
Federal Justice Statistics Program, and appear to be fiscally feasible 
and efficient. Applicants will be evaluated on the basis of--
    1. Knowledge of, and experience in, working with different 
components of the criminal justice system with particular emphasis on 
knowledge of operational, management, and statistical data collected 
and maintained by various Federal criminal justice components;
    2. Statistical expertise in the area of data analysis, data 
linkage, and research;
    3. Experience in the application of statistical data to the 
analysis of criminal justice issues;
    4. Demonstrated ability to prepare high quality statistical 
reports;
    5. Availability of qualified professional and support staff and of 
suitable equipment for data processing and data manipulation;
    6. Demonstrated fiscal, management, and organizational capability 
suitable for providing sound program direction for this multifaced 
effort;
    7. Demonstrated ability to design and maintain interactive sites on 
the World Wide Web; and
    8. Reasonableness of estimated costs for the total project and for 
individual cost categories.

Application and Award Process

    An original and two (2) copies of the full proposal must be 
submitted on SF 424 (Rev. 1988), Application for Federal Assistance. 
Proposals must be accompanied by a Budget Detail Worksheet (replaced 
the SF 424A, Budget Information); OJP Form 4000/3 (Rev.1-93), Program 
Narrative and Assurances' OJP Form 4061/6, Certification Regarding 
Lobbying; Disbarment, Suspension, and Other Responsibility Matters; 
Drug-Free Workplace requirements; and OJP Form 7120/1 (Rev. 1-93), 
Accounting System and Financial Capability Questionnaire (to be 
submitted by applicants who have not previously received Federal funds 
from the Office of Justice Programs and are not state of local units of 
government). If appropriate, applicants must also complete the 
certificate regarding lobbying activities. All applicants must sign 
Certified Assurances that they are in compliance with the Federal laws 
and regulations which prohibit discrimination in program or activity 
that receives Federal funds. To obtain appropriate forms, contact Getha 
Hilario, BJS Management Assistant, at (202) 616-3500.
    Proposals must include both narrative descriptions and a detailed 
budget. The program narrative shall describe activities as described in 
the previous section. The detailed budget and the budget narrative must 
provide estimated costs including salaries of staff involved in the 
project and the percentage of time devoted to the project, fringe 
benefit rate itemization and costs, travel costs, proposed equipment, 
supplied, and other expenses. Contractual services or equipment must be 
procured following Office of Justice Programs grant procurement 
procedures.

    Dated: January 21, 1998.
Jan M. Chaiken,
Director, Bureau of Justice Statistics.
[FR Doc. 98-1864 Filed 1-26-98; 8:45 am]
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