[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 191 (Monday, October 2, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58884-58890]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-25239]



[[Page 58883]]

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Part V





Department of Justice





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Office of Juvenile and Delinquency Prevention



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Program Announcement for the Girls Study Group; Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 191 / Monday, October 2, 2000 / 
Notices  

[[Page 58884]]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

[OJP (OJJDP)-1299]


Program Announcement for the Girls Study Group

AGENCY: Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and 
Delinquency Prevention, Justice.

ACTION: Notice of solicitation.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 
(OJJDP) is issuing a solicitation for applications from public or 
private agencies or organizations to assemble and convene a Girls Study 
Group to develop a sound theoretical and empirical foundation to guide 
future development, testing, and dissemination of strategies to 
effectively prevent and reduce girls' involvement in delinquency and 
violence and consequences of such involvement. It is anticipated that 
the Girls Study Group, in collaboration with OJJDP's new National Girls 
Institute, will provide State and local policymakers and practitioners 
with theoretically sound, culturally and developmentally appropriate, 
and empirically grounded strategies (program elements, principles, and 
policies) to prevent and reduce female delinquency and its 
consequences.

DATES: Applications must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. ET on 
December 1, 2000.

ADDRESSES: All application packages should be mailed or delivered to 
the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, c/o Juvenile 
Justice Resource Center, 2277 Research Boulevard, Mail Stop 2K, 
Rockville, MD 20850; 301-519-5535. Faxed or e-mailed applications will 
not be accepted. Interested applicants can obtain the OJJDP Application 
Kit from the Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse at 800-638-8736. The 
Application Kit is also available at OJJDP's Web site at 
www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org/grants/about.html#kit. (See ``Format'' later in 
this announcement for instructions on application standards.)

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Barbara Allen-Hagen, Social Science 
Analyst, Research and Program Development Division, Office of Juvenile 
Justice and Delinquency Prevention, at 202-307-1308 or Anne Bergan, 
Program Manager, Research and Program Development Division, Office of 
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, at 202-514-5533.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Purpose

    One purpose of this project is to assist the Office of Juvenile 
Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) in furthering its 
understanding of the risk and protective factors associated with female 
juvenile offending and of the consequences of such offending. Another 
is to identify effective strategies for communities to use in their 
efforts to prevent and reduce female involvement in delinquency and 
violence.
    The successful applicant will convene a study panel, called the 
Girls Study Group, to review the research literature on the 
epidemiology and etiology of female juvenile offending and its 
consequences; develop a female-focused conceptual framework for the 
project; conduct secondary data analyses; identify effective prevention 
and intervention programs, policies, and strategies that promise, 
either through initial empirical evidence or sound theory, to be 
effective in preventing female delinquency and violence; identify gaps 
in existing research and programs; and recommend new research and 
program development. The Girls Study Group will collaborate with 
OJJDP's new National Girls Institute \1\ on program development, 
evaluation issues, and dissemination of the Girls Study Group findings 
to policymakers, practitioners, and the research community.
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    \1\ For information on the National Girls Institute, consult the 
OJJDP Web site at www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org/grants/current.html for a 
description of the program.
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Overview

    The ultimate goal of this project is to develop the research 
foundation that communities need to make sound decisions on how best to 
prevent and reduce delinquency and violence by girls. The Girls Study 
Group will establish the theoretical and empirical basis for 
disseminating or testing prevention and intervention strategies (i.e., 
policies, practices, and programs) for girls--effective and promising 
strategies that are developmentally and culturally appropriate.
    This Study Group will consist of 12 to 15 individuals, such as 
criminologists, sociologists, statisticians, developmental 
psychologists, mental health professionals, juvenile justice 
researchers and practitioners, adolescent health specialists, domestic 
violence experts, and youth workers, reflecting the necessary 
collective expertise (both practical and theoretical) in female 
development and juvenile justice system involvement to undertake a 
comprehensive study of this kind.
    The Study Group's major tasks will be to:
     Systematically review the research literature on juvenile 
female antisocial, delinquent, and violent behavior; child abuse and 
neglect; and criminal victimization.
     Develop a comprehensive theoretical framework for the 
project based on an examination of both the applicability of gender-
neutral risk and protective factors related to girls' involvement in 
delinquency and the evidence for female-specific risk and protective 
factors.
     Explore what is known about the developmental pathways 
that lead to female delinquent and criminal behavior.
     Conduct secondary analyses of data sets that may shed new 
light on risk and protective factors, female pathways to delinquency, 
or effective prevention and intervention strategies for girls.
     Examine the research literature on program evaluation to 
identify programs, program elements, and implementation principles that 
are particularly effective or promising in preventing or reducing 
female delinquency. Also, examine child welfare, mental health, and 
juvenile justice public policies and practices that achieve the same. 
Special attention should be paid to identifying key juvenile justice 
system processing decisions that may have disproportionately negative 
consequences on female offenders and to exploring remedial policies.
    In addition, the successful applicant must possess the necessary 
leadership, organizational, and analytical capabilities essential for 
the Group's success. The tasks require the ability to organize and 
convene a group of researchers and practitioners with recognized 
expertise in diverse area(s) of female juvenile delinquency, prevention 
research, child development, child victimization, domestic violence, 
treatment, and program evaluation. The successful applicant must also 
demonstrate the ability to lead and interact with group members in 
order to coordinate a comprehensive literature review, synthesize 
information from diverse sources, recommend future research topics, and 
produce interim and final reports and related publications that 
effectively communicate the results to a broad audience of 
policymakers, practitioners, and researchers.

[[Page 58885]]

Background

    According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation Uniform Crime 
Reporting (UCR) Program (1999), between 1994 and 1998, the number of 
arrests of juvenile females increased more (or decreased less) than 
male arrests in most offense categories (Snyder, 1999). In 1980, 
females represented 11 percent of all juvenile arrests for violent 
offenses. By 1998, that proportion increased to 17 percent. Although 
the majority of juvenile crime arrests in 1998 were of males, females 
represented more than one-quarter of juvenile arrests. There has been 
growing concern that while most juvenile arrests have been decreasing, 
the number of female juvenile arrests in some key offense categories 
such as drug and alcohol violations continues to rise.
    Between 1994 and 1998, arrests of juvenile females for robbery, 
weapons violations, and vandalism decreased less than arrests of 
juvenile males in the same offense categories. In contrast, arrests of 
juvenile females for aggravated assault and simple assault increased 
(up 7 percent and 29 percent, respectively), while assault arrests for 
juvenile males either dropped or rose more slowly during the same 
period (down 18 percent and up only 4 percent, respectively). Other 
offenses, such as drug abuse, liquor law, curfew, and loitering 
violations, continued to increase for girls at a rate considerably 
higher than for boys. These arrest patterns are also reflected in 
status offenses, such as running away. Females represented more than 
half (58 percent) of all juveniles arrested for running away in 1998.
    Additional data demonstrate the increased involvement of females in 
the juvenile justice system. For example, an examination of trends in 
juvenile court statistics shows an increase in the number of 
delinquency cases involving females. Between 1988 and 1997, the number 
of delinquency cases involving males increased 39 percent, while the 
number of cases involving females increased 83 percent. Over this 
period, the relative change in delinquency case rates was greater for 
females than for males in all major offense categories (Stahl, March 
2000). Among females, the largest increases were in the number of 
person offense and drug offense cases (155 percent and 132 percent 
increases, respectively).
    Characteristics of female juvenile offenders in the juvenile court 
have also changed over time (Snyder et al., 1999). The majority (62 
percent) of females charged with delinquent acts in 1997 were under age 
16. Between 1988 and 1997, the number of delinquency cases involving 
females under age 16 increased 89 percent, while the number of cases 
involving females age 16 or over increased 74 percent. In 1997, white 
females accounted for 67 percent of all female juvenile delinquency 
cases, while black females accounted for 30 percent and females of 
other races accounted for 4 percent. Between 1988 and 1997, the number 
of cases involving females increased in all racial groups: whites, 74 
percent; blacks, 106 percent; and other races, 102 percent.
    Property offense cases (42 percent) accounted for the largest share 
of formally processed female cases in 1997. Just over one-fourth (27 
percent) were person offenses, slightly less than one-fourth (24 
percent) were public order offenses, and 7 percent were drug offenses. 
Female juvenile offenders were securely detained in 15 percent of the 
delinquency cases processed in 1997. This is an increase of 65 percent 
in the number of detention cases involving female juveniles since 1988. 
The number of detained cases grew more for black females (123 percent) 
than for white females (41 percent) during this period. Detention was 
used in 21 percent of public order offenses, 18 percent of person 
offenses, 16 percent of drug law violations, and 10 percent of property 
offense cases.
    More than half (53 percent) of the cases involving females that 
were formally processed in 1997 resulted in a delinquency adjudication. 
Once adjudicated delinquent, female offenders received probation in the 
majority (60 percent) of cases. In 22 percent of the cases, female 
offenders were placed out of the home in a residential facility. 
Between 1988 and 1997, the number of cases in which the court ordered 
delinquent females to be placed in a residential facility increased 105 
percent, while the number of formal probation cases increased 129 
percent. In 1997, females represented 14 percent of juvenile offenders 
in residential custody facilities (Sickmund and Wan, 1999).
    These increases in arrests, juvenile court cases, and formal 
handling of female juvenile offenders have clearly affected the 
composition of offenders who are involved in the juvenile justice 
system. Although female juvenile arrest rates are growing faster than 
the rates for males, the proportion of females in the juvenile justice 
population remains a relatively small minority. Little research has 
been conducted to explain why females are increasingly coming into the 
juvenile justice system or to examine strategic responses. Although 
States and local jurisdictions have traditionally designed programs and 
interventions primarily for males, they are now faced with a growing 
number of female juvenile offenders. Little is known about how juvenile 
females respond to these interventions, and many communities are 
unprepared to address the specific needs of girls who are involved or 
at risk of becoming involved in the juvenile justice system.
    Not only are there a limited number of studies that focus 
specifically on female offending, many important studies either do not 
include females in their samples or do not analyze the female data 
separately (Kruttschnitt, 1994; Loeber and Farrington, 1998; West, 
Houser, and Scanlan, 1998). While the literature is incomplete and 
warrants further development, even for what currently exists, there 
could be more theoretical integration and practical application to 
guide prevention and intervention efforts at critical life/
developmental stages (Guerra, 1998).
    Explanations of female delinquency and criminal careers flow from 
vastly different disciplinary perspectives, creating a patchwork of 
understanding. Studies of female delinquency and crime have examined 
biological, psychological, and developmental factors (Pollack, 1950; 
Caspi et al., Federal Register 1993; Wasserman, 1995; Broidy and Agnew, 
1997; Gilligan, 1982; Hoyt and Scherer, 1998; Girls Inc., 1996); the 
residual effects of victimization, maltreatment, and neglect (Widom, 
1989; Broidy and Agnew, 1997; Accoca and Austin, 1996; Girls Inc., 
1996; Giordano et al., 1999); involvement in high-risk behaviors and 
gangs (Weiher et al., 1991; Accoca, 1999; Thornberry, 1998; Fagan, 
1990; Moore and Hagedorn, 1996); gender dynamics of socialization 
(Steffensmeier and Broidy, forthcoming; Chesney-Lind, 1997; Fagan and 
Wexler, 1987); macro-level changes in the social, cultural, economic, 
and political status of women and their roles in society (Adler, 1975; 
Hartnagel, 1982); and differential processing in the juvenile justice 
and criminal justice systems (Ensminger, 1987; Kempf-Leonard and 
Sample, 2000). Some of these studies explain female delinquency and 
crime through contrasts with male delinquency/crime levels, patterns, 
and trends--with varying attention to developmental aspects of girls 
lives and only limited use of nonquantitative methods (Kruttschnitt, 
1994). Almost none deal with the life consequence of offending, other 
than the criminal justice consequences, and few address the combined 
role of gender and race (Visher and Roth, 1986). In addition,

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while there are many promising programs for girls, there is little 
literature on the effectiveness of various approaches (Greene, Peters, 
& Associates and Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, 1998; 
Muller and Mihalic, 1999; Morash, Bynum, and Koons, 1998; Owen and 
Bloom, 2000).
    Clearly, more information is needed regarding female development, 
the nature of female-specific risk and protective factors, and the 
effectiveness of intervention and prevention programs, so that those 
with responsibility for intervening with delinquent girls can make the 
most appropriate decisions and provide the best services and treatment 
to juvenile females.
    OJJDP has had considerable involvement in issues related to girls 
in the juvenile justice system. The lack of gender-specific programming 
for females was noted in the 1992 amendments to the Juvenile Justice 
and Delinquency Prevention (JJDP) Act of 1974, as amended. 
Specifically, States are required to provide an analysis of gender bias 
in the juvenile justice system and of gender-specific service needs and 
set forth a plan for providing services to this population. This 
analysis must be completed in order for a State to be eligible to 
receive funds under OJJDP's Part B Formula Grants program. The 1992 
amendments also established the State Challenge Activities Program 
under Title II, Part E of the JJDP Act, under which States 
participating in OJJDP's Formula Grants program are offered additional 
grant funds to support a wide range of gender-specific policies and 
programs (Hsia and Beyer, 2000). ``Though States have made progress in 
serving the female juvenile population, much more needs to be done to 
fill continuing gaps in services'' (Office of Juvenile Justice and 
Delinquency Prevention, 1998, p. 6).
    In 1996, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 
funded Girls Inc. for the purpose of convening a national conference on 
girls' issues. The report from the conference, Prevention and Parity: 
Girls in the Juvenile Justice System, identified key issues that need 
to be examined if the juvenile justice system is to meet the needs of 
girls and young women. The report relied on available research on 
female juvenile delinquency and at-risk behavior and highlighted 
promising prevention and intervention programs identified by 
practitioners in the field. In 1996, OJJDP funded the development of a 
statistical summary by the National Center for Juvenile Justice, Girls 
in the Juvenile Justice System, which examined trends in female 
involvement in different stages of the juvenile justice system (Poe-
Yamagata and Butts, 1996). Information from these two publications, 
along with an Accoca article (1999) and other reports, leads to the 
conclusion that there is still much that is not known regarding the 
pathways to female delinquency and effective prevention and 
intervention strategies with this population and that there is a 
critical need in the field for sound, defensible solutions for dealing 
with this emerging problem.
    To systematically address these concerns in FY 2000, OJJDP is 
funding two related programs: the National Girls Institute, designed to 
provide training and technical assistance to the field on girls' 
delinquency issues, and the Girls Study Group, the subject of this 
solicitation for applications. It is anticipated that there will be 
close collaboration between the two projects in providing critical 
information to the field. In addition, the Study Group will coordinate 
its activities with other Office of Justice Programs bureaus and other 
Federal agencies with an interest in this project.

Goals

    The immediate goal of the Girls Study Group is to develop a sound 
theoretical and empirical foundation to guide future development, 
testing, and dissemination of strategies to effectively prevent and 
reduce girls' involvement in delinquency and violence and reduce the 
consequences of such involvement. Ultimately, it is intended that the 
Girls Study Group, in collaboration with the National Girls Institute, 
will provide State and local policymakers and practitioners with 
theoretically sound, culturally and developmentally appropriate, and 
empirically grounded strategies (program elements, principles, and 
policies) to prevent and reduce female delinquency and its 
consequences.
    Although traditional, gender-neutral theories of crime causation 
provide reasonable explanations for less serious forms of female 
criminality and for gender differences in specific crime categories 
(e.g., prostitution, status offenses, and shoplifting), existing 
theories do not adequately explain gender differences in the commission 
of serious offenses, contextual differences in criminal behavior 
(Steffensmeier and Broidy, forthcoming), or the recent divergence of 
juvenile female arrest trends from male trends. Other theoretical 
constructs that describe the specific role that being female plays in 
girls' vulnerability or invulnerability to delinquency and violence 
should also be explored. It will be important for the Study Group to 
distinguish between markers and malleable conditions, attitudes, 
behaviors, and relationships that are amenable to intervention 
strategies.
    The Study Group should examine not only the epidemiology and 
etiology of female delinquency, but also the life consequences of 
adolescent girls' involvement in crime and the juvenile justice system. 
The results of this new research synthesis will be used to inform the 
dissemination and development of effective gender-appropriate 
prevention and intervention strategies that address gender-neutral and 
gender-specific risk and protective factors and causes and correlates 
of female delinquency. The use of a developmental context for 
recommending new research, program development, and programming should 
be considered.

Objectives

    The objectives of the Girls Study Group are:
     To develop a better understanding of the trends, 
developmental patterns, causes, and correlates of female delinquency 
and violence and the social and justice system consequences of their 
involvement in delinquency by:
--Increasing empirical knowledge about the risk and protective factors 
related to female delinquency.
--Charting the developmental pathways to female offending for which 
girls face serious legal and/or social consequences.
--Determining the patterns and consequences of juvenile justice 
decisionmaking on female offenders and their lives, both short and long 
term.
 To develop a comprehensive, integrated theory of female 
delinquency (initiation, persistence, and desistance) that is derived 
from:
--Examination of the applicability of gender-neutral theories of 
delinquency and of theories derived from primarily male samples to 
pathways to and patterns of serious female offending.
--Exploration of gender-specific theories and processes for their 
utility in developing and testing new prevention and intervention 
strategies.
 To evaluate the literature on the efficacy of existing 
prevention and intervention programs and policies through the lens of a 
female-focused theory or theories of delinquency (described in the 
preceding objective) in order to determine which programs, program 
components, or program principles have

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demonstrated effectiveness in preventing and reducing juvenile 
delinquency in females. The results of this review may support the need 
for further investigation and testing of programs or strategies having 
theoretical or demonstrated promise.
 To identify the characteristics (racial, ethnic, and cultural) 
and needs (developmental, psychosocial, behavioral, educational, 
spiritual, physical and mental health) of female juvenile offenders in 
the juvenile justice system for the purpose of incorporating that 
information into developmentally sensitive program development.
 To identify where critical information is lacking about the 
nature and development of female delinquency and effective prevention 
and intervention strategies and to recommend future research, 
programming, and testing to address these gaps in knowledge.

Program Strategy

    A 2-year cooperative agreement will be competitively awarded to 
carry out the program strategy described below.
    It will be the responsibility of the grantee to assemble, convene, 
and chair a multidisciplinary study group representing a cross section 
of disciplines. The group will conduct an indepth review of existing 
literature that accomplishes the following: (1) Reviews and synthesizes 
empirical and theoretical literature related to the development and 
characteristics of female juvenile delinquency; (2) explores the nature 
and role of risk and protective factors specifically related to female 
juvenile delinquency across the domains of individual characteristics 
and development, family, peer relationships, school, and community; (3) 
conducts secondary analyses of existing data; (4) identifies promising 
and effective programs for prevention and intervention; and (5) 
recommends future research, program development, and evaluation to 
address gaps in current knowledge about this population. The applicant 
will produce an indepth final report on the findings and 
recommendations of the Girls Study Group and various interim and 
subsequent practitioner-oriented products.
    An applicant seeking funding under this initiative must address and 
be willing to undertake, at a minimum, the tasks described below. 
Specific tasks may be contracted by the applicant to other groups or 
individuals. An applicant that plans to use consultants in this manner 
should (1) clearly spell out the terms of the contract in the 
application and (2) address the qualifications of the contractor/
consultant(s) selected to perform each task.
    In developing the Program Narrative section of the application, 
applicants must provide a comprehensive proposal describing how they 
plan to achieve the goals, objectives, and tasks of the Girls Study 
Group as outlined in this program announcement. Greater specificity is 
required for the first year of the project in terms of detailed 
objectives, timelines, products, and budget narratives.

Task I: Assemble and Convene the Girls Study Group

    The successful applicant should assemble the Girls Study Group and 
convene at least two meetings within the first year of the grant. The 
successful applicant will have the organizational capacity to organize 
and facilitate these meetings. The applicant must demonstrate its 
ability to bring together individuals with proven expertise and 
excellence in fields including, but not limited to, criminology, 
sociology, statistics, developmental psychology, mental health, 
adolescent health, juvenile justice research and practice, domestic 
violence, and youth work. Together the membership of the Girls Study 
Group and assigned project personnel must possess knowledge of and 
experience with issues of female development and familiarity with at-
risk and delinquent girls. The Study Group will provide substantive and 
technical advice over the course of the study and perform selected 
tasks as determined by the applicant. For purposes of the application 
submission, the applicant must identify and obtain letters of agreement 
and resumes from at least six individuals (of a proposed 12- to 15-
member group) to serve on the Study Group, describing how their 
background and skills meet the requirements of this project. Such 
commitments by prospective Study Group members are not required to be 
exclusive agreements with that applicant; that is, consultants may 
agree to participate with other applicants for the project. The 
applicant must briefly discuss the qualifications of each Study Group 
member and articulate how each member's knowledge and expertise will 
contribute to the overall mission of the Study Group. For the remaining 
positions needed to complete the Study Group, the applicant must 
identify only the types of disciplines, skills, and experience that are 
needed, not the names.
    In addition to the 12 to 15 project-funded members of the Study 
Group, it is anticipated that representatives from the National Girls 
Institute will serve as ex officio members of the Girls Study Group. 
Designated staff from OJJDP, the Violence Against Women Office, the 
National Institute of Justice, and the Bureau of Justice Statistics 
will be invited to serve as Federal agency coordinating representatives 
to the Girls Study Group along with others, as OJJDP deems appropriate.

Task II: Review the Literature Review

    The Study Group should review both the theoretical and empirical 
literature from relevant fields, including, but not limited to, 
criminology, sociology, developmental psychology, mental health, 
adolescent health, substance abuse, juvenile justice, and domestic 
violence, as they pertain to female delinquency. In particular, the 
literature review should address the objectives of the Girls Study 
Group, as stated above. Applicants must succinctly describe their 
approach to the literature in relation to the objectives listed above.

Task III: Conduct Secondary Analyses

    In the course of the Study Group's work, is expected that the 
successful applicant will be responsible for conducting secondary 
analyses of data sets that are likely to contribute to the goals and 
objectives of the Study Group. Applicants must describe their plans for 
identifying potential data sets that may be proposed for analysis, 
determining both the scope and priority of the analysis, and conducting 
such analyses.

Task IV: Provide Deliverables

    The applicant should describe several distinct reports and other 
products that it envisions being derived from the work of the Study 
Group. It is expected that the publications and products developed by 
the successful applicant will provide information relevant to the Study 
Group's goals and objectives. While the reports must be of a quality 
that would merit publication in a refereed journal, the authors must 
also address the needs of various practitioner audiences in the field. 
The authors will be expected to work closely with the National Girls 
Institute in facilitating the dissemination of various Study Group 
reports and products to relevant practitioner and policymaker audiences 
in the juvenile justice, child welfare, education, pediatric and 
adolescent health, mental health, and youth work fields.
    At a minimum, the Girls Study Group should produce a number of 
interim, final, and summary reports on the results of its work. Three 
reports will be published as OJJDP Bulletins: (1) A

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summary based on national studies and statistical series on the trends 
in female juvenile delinquency; antisocial, high-risk behavior; and 
victimization; and the systems' response; (2) a summary of the results 
of the literature review with respect to new perspectives on risk and 
protective factors for delinquent behavior having serious consequences 
for female offenders; and (3) a report on effective and promising 
prevention and intervention programs related to female-specific risk 
and protective factors. It is expected that the third report, a final 
report, and an executive summary will be produced during the second 
phase of the project. The final report will present the results of the 
Study Group's work and provide well-substantiated support and 
recommendations for further research and programming in this area.
    Applicants should discuss their plans for developing reports and 
products in the Project Design section of the Program Narrative.

Eligibility Requirements

    OJJDP invites applications from public or private agencies, 
organizations, institutions, or individuals. Private, for-profit 
organizations must agree to waive any profit or fee. Applicants must 
demonstrate that they have experience in coordinating and convening 
meetings of subject matter experts, conducting extensive literature 
reviews, carrying out secondary analyses, and writing reports.
    In the case of joint applications, one applicant must be clearly 
indicated as the primary applicant (for correspondence and award 
purposes) and the other(s) listed as coapplicants. If contractors will 
be used for specific project tasks, evidence of their qualifications 
and willingness to undertake the specified task(s) should be provided.
    To be eligible for consideration, applicants must strictly adhere 
to the guidelines for preparing and submitting applications regarding 
page length, layout, and submission deadlines.

Selection Criteria

    Applicants will be evaluated and rated by a peer review panel 
according to the selection criteria outlined below. In addition, the 
extent to which the project narrative makes clear and logical 
connections among the components listed below will be considered in 
assessing a project's merits. It is further recommended that 
applications be organized and presented in a way that enables 
application reviewers to evaluate the proposal in terms of the 
selection criteria outlined below.

Issues To Be Addressed (25 points)

    The applicant must include a clear and concise discussion of the 
issues related to understanding, preventing, and responding to female 
juvenile delinquency and its consequences for girls. The applicant must 
identify the most important research questions for the Girls Study 
Group to address. This discussion should reflect the applicant's 
understanding of the need for undertaking this initiative now; the 
anticipated challenges that face the Girls Study Group in successfully 
accomplishing the stated goals and objectives and ways to address those 
issues; and the potential utility of this project and its products for 
those who are dealing with or studying troubled girls, dangerous girls, 
and girls in the juvenile justice system.

Goals and Objectives (10 points)

    The applicant must describe how it will address the stated goals 
and each of the objectives outlined in the solicitation. The goals and 
objectives must relate to the identified research questions and issues 
to be addressed. Any significant modification of the stated goals and 
objectives should be clearly justified and the implications of any 
variation carried through in the rest of the proposal. Objectives 
should specify clearly defined, measurable tasks that will enable the 
applicant to achieve the goals of the project.

Project Design (35 points)

    Applicants should present a well developed project design that 
clearly delineates the specific activities, the people and other 
resources involved, and the time lines for accomplishing the tasks 
outlined in the Program Strategy, and for developing the Deliverables 
described above. The narrative must discuss how and when major 
activities for each task will be accomplished and how these tasks will 
build on each other to reach the project's goal and objectives. A time 
task chart should be included in appendix A of the application.

Management and Organizational Capability (20 points)

    The applicant should include a discussion of how it will assemble, 
coordinate, and manage the Girls Study Group in a way that promises to 
achieve the stated goals and objectives. The applicant must clearly 
define the roles and responsibilities of key project staff, members of 
the Girls Study Group, and its chair(s). An organizational chart must 
be included in appendix B. Applicants should also discuss how they will 
ensure the quality and utility of the products generated from the Girls 
Study Group and propose how they will coordinate their activities with 
the National Girls Institute. The applicant must describe knowledge and 
experience of key staff relevant to this initiative and any 
organizational experience demonstrating its ability to accomplish the 
project objectives and to work with experts from diverse disciplines 
and perspectives to accomplish a common goal. The applicant must 
describe the process of facilitating Study Group meetings and tasks and 
describe in detail the panel of experts the applicant would convene for 
the project. Together the key project staff and the membership of the 
Girls Study Group must collectively possess knowledge of and experience 
with issues of female development and familiarity with difficult and 
troubled girls and girls already in the juvenile justice system, as 
described in the discussion of Task 1. Each proposed Study Group member 
must submit a letter of agreement stating his/her commitment to 
participate in and contribute to the goals and objectives of the Girls 
Study Group. Such commitments by prospective Study Group members are 
not required to be exclusive agreements. Group members' statement-of-
participation letters and resumes must be attached in appendix B, along 
with all staff resumes. The Study Group panel should number 12 to 15 
participants.

Budget (10 points)

    Applicants must provide a proposed budget that is complete, 
detailed, reasonable, allowable, and cost effective in relation to the 
activities to be undertaken during the first 12-month budget period. A 
detailed budget narrative should be included in appendix C and conform 
to the guidelines in the OJJDP Application Kit. For the second 12-month 
budget period, the applicant should present a preliminary budget in 
appendix C without a detailed budget narrative. Applications must also 
conform to Federal requirements with respect to travel, equipment, and 
procurement policies.

Format

    A program narrative, not to exceed 40 pages (excluding forms, table 
of contents, project abstract, certificates of confidentiality, 
coordination of Federal efforts, assurances, and appendix) must be 
submitted on 8\1/2\- by 11-inch paper, double spaced on one side of the 
paper in a standard 12-point font. The narrative should be preceded by 
a one-page project abstract, which must also

[[Page 58889]]

be submitted on 8\1/2\- by 11-inch paper, double-spaced on one side of 
the paper in a standard 12-point font. The abstract should not exceed a 
maximum length of 400 words. A table of contents is also required. 
Appendix A should contain the project's timeline with dates for 
initiation and completion of critical project tasks and products. 
Appendix B should contain an organizational chart, resumes, and letters 
of support from each of the proposed Study Group members and resumes 
for any key project staff who are not considered members of the Study 
Group. Appendix C should contain the detailed budge narrative. These 
standards are necessary to maintain fair and uniform standards among 
all applicants. If the application does not conform to these standards, 
OJJDP will deem the application ineligible for consideration.

Award Period

    This project will be funded for 2 years in two 1-year budget 
periods. Applicants should submit a 2-year project plan. Funding after 
the first budget period depends on performance of the grantee, 
availability of funds, and other criteria established at the time of 
the award.

Award Amount

    Up to $300,000 is available for the initial 12-month budget period. 
It is anticipated that year two will be funded at a similar level of 
support.

Privacy Certificate

    U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) regulations require that a Privacy 
Certificate be submitted as part of any application for a project in 
which information identifiable to a private person will be collected 
for research or statistical purposes. The purpose of the Privacy 
Certificate is to ensure that the applicant will comply with the 
confidentiality requirements of 42 U.S.C. 3789g and 28 CFR part 22, 
which essentially require that private information collected in the 
course of research activities be used only for research purposes.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number

    For this program, the CFDA number, which is required on the 
Application for Federal Assistance, Standard Form 424, is 16.542. Form 
424 can be found in the OJJDP Application Kit, which can be obtained by 
contacting the Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse at 800-638-8736 or 
sending an e-mail request to [email protected] The Application Kit is 
also available online at www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org/grants/about.html#kit.

Coordination of Federal Efforts

    To encourage better coordination among Federal agencies in 
addressing State and local needs, DOJ is requesting applicants to 
provide information on the following: (1) Active Federal grant award(s) 
supporting this or related efforts, including awards from DOJ; (2) any 
pending application(s) for Federal funds for this or related efforts; 
and (3) plans for coordinating any funds described in items (1) or (2) 
with the funding sought by this application. For each Federal award, 
applicants must include the program or project title, the Federal 
grantor agency, the amount of the award, and a brief description of its 
purpose. This statement of coordination of Federal efforts should be 
placed in appendix E. Include in appendix E a list of authors (by 
section) of this proposal and indicate whether this proposal, or 
portions of it, have been submitted to other Federal agencies for 
funding.
    The term ``related efforts'' is defined for these purposes as one 
of the following:
     Efforts for the same purpose (i.e., the proposed award 
would supplement, expand, complement, or continue activities funded 
with other Federal grants).
     Another phase or component of the same program or project 
(e.g., to implement a planning effort funded by other Federal funds or 
to provide a substance abuse treatment or education component within a 
criminal justice project).
     Services of some kind (e.g., technical assistance, 
research, or evaluation) to the program or project described in the 
application.

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, 2277 Research Boulevard, Mail Stop 2K, 
Rockville, Maryland 20850; 301-519-5535. Faxed or e-mailed applications 
will not be accepted. Note: In the lower left-hand corner of the 
envelope, the applicant must clearly write ``Girls Study Group.''

Due Date

    Applicants are responsible for ensuring that the original and five 
copies of the application package are received by 5:00 p.m. ET on 
December 1, 2000.

Contact

    For further information, contact Barbara Allen-Hagen, Social 
Science Analyst, Research and Program Development Division, OJJDP, at 
202-307-1308, or send an e-mail inquiry to [email protected]; or 
contact Anne Bergan, Program Manager, Research and Program Development 
Division, OJJDP, at 202-514-5533, or send an e-mail inquiry to 
[email protected].

References

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    Dated: September 27, 2000.
John J. Wilson,
Acting Administrator, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency 
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 00-25239 Filed 9-29-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-18-P