[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 148 (Tuesday, August 3, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42146-42148]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-19921]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

National Institute of Corrections


Gender-Responsive Strategies: Research, Practice, and Guiding 
Principles for Women Offenders, Solicitation for a Cooperative 
Agreement

AGENCY: Department of Justice, National Institute of Corrections.

ACTION: Solicitation for a Cooperative Agreement.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Justice (DOJ), National Institute of 
Corrections (NIC), announces the availability of funds in FY 1999 for a 
cooperative agreement to fund the Project ``Gender-Responsive 
Strategies: Research, Practice, and Guiding Principles For Women 
Offenders.'' NIC will award this two-year cooperative agreement to 
create a developmental body of work related to gender-relevant 
responses for

[[Page 42147]]

managing and intervening successfully with women offenders in adult 
corrections. Up to $180,000 is available for the two-year project 
($80,000 in FY 1999 and $100,000 in FY 2000).
    A cooperative agreement is a form of assistance relationship where 
the National Institute of Corrections is substantially involved during 
the performance of the award. An award is made to an organization that 
will, in concert with the Institute, provide a clearer articulation of 
gender-responsive strategies which are grounded in current theory and 
research, drawn from different relevant disciplines and agencies, and 
applied to the realities of correctional practice in prisons, jails, 
and community corrections. No funds are transferred to state or local 
governments.

Background

    Women offenders and related gender issues are gaining attention in 
corrections for numerous reasons. During the last decade, the women 
offender population has nearly tripled in every sector of corrections. 
Changes in mandatory sentencing for drug offenders on the federal and 
state levels are resulting in larger numbers of women serving longer 
periods of time in correctional facilities. A variety of critical 
issues such as cross-gender supervision, appropriate relationships 
between staff and offenders, management of population growth, parity in 
programming, and appropriate interventions are increasing in numbers 
and visibility within the criminal justice community and with the 
public, many due to residual court action.
    The experience of many practitioners and the evidence from 
available research suggest that gender responsivity is crucial to the 
design of criminal justice processes and programs which achieve greater 
success with women offenders. However, because women offenders 
represent a small percentage of the total inmate population, and 
present a lower level of institutional and public risk, many 
correctional agencies have not yet addressed the gender-responsive 
concerns related to differences in risk and program needs of women 
offenders.
    The recent uptake in interest in gender-responsive issues in many 
different disciplines has produced a significant increase in the 
knowledge base about these issues. The expansion of this developing 
knowledge base provides a unique opportunity to analyze what is 
currently known in diverse disciplines with the goal of developing more 
effective gender-responsive operational and programmatic standards and 
principles for women offenders. Of interest is insight not only into 
what interventions have potential in that regard but insight into 
theories explaining why these interventions have such potential. The 
expanding body of knowledge includes that being developed in 
disciplines such as health, education, psychology, sociology, women's 
studies, legal studies, and corrections as well as that being developed 
as a result of work funded by other governmental agencies and 
foundations.
    NIC expects that the project will involve: (1) Researchers able to 
identify, assess, and synthesize multi-disciplinary theory and research 
findings concerning gender-responsive promising practices, and (2) 
practitioners from different correctional settings (including prisons, 
jails and community corrections) able to guide researchers toward the 
critical concerns of the field, alert them to promising operational and 
programmatic practices, and advise them concerning how the findings 
should be packaged to be most useful to correctional policy makers, 
managers and practitioners.
    The successful applicant for this cooperative agreement must 
propose a methodology to involve correctional practitioners in a 
substantial way in all phases of the effort. The partnership between 
researchers and practitioners will strengthen the project's ability to 
effectively impact correctional policy and operations.

Purpose

    The National Institute of Corrections is seeking applications for a 
cooperative agreement that has the following purpose: To determine and 
make available what can be learned from currently available knowledge 
that will advance the development of gender-responsive operational and 
programmatic principles for women offenders in adult corrections.
    The cooperative agreement has both primary and secondary project 
outcomes.
    The Primary Outcomes include:
    1. A multi-disciplinary survey of theory and research findings 
pertaining to appropriate and effective gender-responsive practices.
    2. An analysis of these findings in terms of their of their 
implications for the development of gender-responsive operational and 
programmatic principles for women offenders in adult corrections.
    3. Preliminary identification of operational and programmatic 
principles to guide correctional practice.
    4. An identification of critical gaps in the knowledge base which, 
if addressed, would significantly advance the development of the above 
principles.
    The Secondary Outcomes include:
    5. A strategy for dissemination of the findings of this study to 
correctional leaders, practitioners, and policy makers.
    6. Collaboration with the NIC Women's Initiative to support efforts 
to keep cognizant federal agencies informed of project developments as 
well as being informed about their efforts.
    Application Requirements: Applicants must prepare a proposal that 
describes their plan to provide the project outcomes. The plan must 
include goals and objectives, methodology, deliverables, management 
plan, an overall project budget for the full two years, and a budget 
and budget narrative for the first 10-12 month phase. Applicants must 
identify their key project staff and the relevant expertise of each, 
and address the manner in which they would perform all tasks in 
collaboration with the NIC Women's initiative Staff and the NIC Project 
Manager. Proposals are limited to twenty-five double-spaced pages in 
length, not including resumes, other addenda, and SF-424 forms. Please 
note that the Standard Form 424, Application for Federal Assistance, 
submitted with the proposal must contain the cover sheet, budget, 
budget narrative, assurances, and management plan for the FY 1999 
funded portion only, for a maximum of $80,000.

    Authority: Public Law 93-415.
    Funds Available: Project funds are limited to a maximum total of 
$180,000 for both direct and indirect costs for two years. A grant 
award of $80,000 will be made in FY 1999, and a supplemental award of 
$100,000 will be made in FY 2000. NIC is committed to funding the full 
two year project and project activity must be completed within 24 
months of the date of the award. Funds may only be used for activities 
that are linked to the desired outcomes of the project. This project 
will be a collaborative venture with the NIC Women's Initiative.
    All products from this funding effort will be in public domain and 
available to interested agencies through the National Institute of 
Corrections.
    Deadline for Receipt of Applications: Applications must be received 
by 4 p.m. on Friday, August 27, 1999. they should be addressed to: 
National Institute of Corrections, 320 First Street, NW, Room 5007, 
Washington, DC 20534, Attention: Administrative Officer. Hand delivered

[[Page 42148]]

applications can be brought to 500 First Street, NW, Washington, DC 
20534. The Front desk will call Bobbi Tinsley at (202)-3106, extension 
0 for pickup.
    Addresses and Further Information: Request for the application kit, 
which consists of a copy of this announcement and copies of the 
required forms, should be directed to Judy Evens, Cooperative Agreement 
Control Office, National Institute of Corrections, 320 First Street, 
NW, Room 5007, Washington, DC 20534 or by calling (800) 995-6423, 
extension 159 or (202) 307-3106, extension 159. She can also be 
contacted by E-mail via [email protected]. All technical and/or 
programmatic questions concerning this announcement should be directed 
to Sammie Brown at the above address or by calling (800) 995-6423 or 
(202) 307-3106, extension 126, or by E-mail via [email protected] (July 30 
to August 13); and to Phyllis Modley, extension 133, or by E-mail via 
[email protected] (August 16-August 27). Application forms may also be 
obtained through the NIC website:http://www.nicic.org. (Click on 
``What's New'' and then, ``Cooperative Agreements.'')
    Eligible Applicants: An eligible applicant is any private or non-
profit organization, institution, individual, or team.
    Review Considerations: Applications received under this 
announcement will be subjected to an NIC three to five member Peer 
Review Process.
    Number of Awards: One (1).
    NIC Application Number: 99D03. This number should appear as a 
reference line in the cover letter and also in box 11 of Standard Form 
424.
    The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number is: 16.602.
Morris L. Thigpen,
Director, National Institute of Corrections
[FR Doc. 99-19921 Filed 8-2-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-36-M