[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 87 (Friday, May 4, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22600-22602]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-11075]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Office of Justice Programs

[OJP(BJS)-1317]


Tribal Justice Statistics Assistance Center

AGENCY: Bureau of Justice Statistics, Office of Justice Programs, 
Justice.

ACTION: Notice of solicitation for award of cooperative agreement.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is to announce a solicitation for 
the development and implementation of a Tribal Justice Statistics 
Assistance Center (TJSAC) which will assist Federally recognized 
American Indian and Alaska Native tribes in improving the collection, 
quality, and use of criminal and civil justice statistics in Indian 
Country.

DATES: Proposals must arrive at the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) 
on or before 5 p.m. EST, Friday, June 18, 2001, or be postmarked on or 
before June 18, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Proposals should be mailed to: Application Coordinator, 
Bureau of Justice Statistics, 810 7th Street, NW., Washington, DC 
20531; (202) 616-3497.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marika Litras, Ph.D., Statistician, 
Bureau of Justice Statistics, 810 7th Street, NW., Washington, DC 
20531; Phone: (202) 514-4272 [This is not a toll free number]; Email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Statutory Authority

    The award(s) made pursuant to this solicitation will be funded by 
the Bureau of Justice Statistics consistent with the provisions of 42 
U.S.C. 3732.

[[Page 22601]]

Program Goals

    The purpose of this award is to establish a Tribal Justice 
Statistics Assistance Center (TJSAC) that will work with Federally 
recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes to assist them in 
the development and/or improvement of tribal justice agencies' internal 
abilities to generate and use criminal and civil justice statistics. 
The nature and subject matter of the assistance to be provided by the 
TJSAC under this grant is broadly defined and will depend on the 
particular needs of the tribal agency requesting assistance. Assistance 
may involve, for example, the evaluation of existing data collection 
capacity and reporting procedures, advising tribal agencies about 
obtaining the necessary technology, hardware and software to collect, 
process, maintain, and analyze criminal justice data, and providing 
training in the use of criminal justice and other data to inform 
justice decision making in Indian Country.\1\ TJSAC will also serve to 
assist tribal jurisdictions to participate in national data collections 
such as the National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS) and the 
Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program, as well as OJP operated data 
collections related to corrections, criminal victimization, court 
processing, and juvenile justice statistics. In addition, TJSAC will 
provide assistance for tribal participation and access to national law 
enforcement data systems such as the National Criminal Information 
Center (NCIC) and the National Protection Order File.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ Includes areas established as reservations or trust areas 
for native peoples of Alaska.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    BJS anticipates making one award for a 24-month period under this 
solicitation. Up to $825,000 will be made available for this project 
under the FY2001 appropriation.

Background

    Implementation of the Tribal Justice Statistics Assistance Center 
is part of a multi-faceted effort by BJS to expand statistical 
activities related to American Indian and Alaska Native crime and 
justice issues.
    The lack of criminal justice information and statistics in Indian 
Country has become increasingly apparent in recent years. Few Indian 
tribes produce statistical information about their justice systems that 
describe law enforcement, judicial, corrections, or juvenile justice 
activities and processes. National statistical programs, moreover, do 
not routinely contain data on criminal justice activities in Indian 
Country, while those that do are limited in the level of reliable and 
representative information they can provide.
    Though a recent study found that criminal victimization among 
American Indians occurs at rates higher than for any other race group 
(American Indians and Crime, BJS, February 1999), tribes tend to lack 
objective statistical information necessary to monitor crime in their 
jurisdiction, evaluate criminal justice processing, and inform criminal 
justice management, resource allocation, and overall decision making. 
Few law enforcement agencies in Indian Country are able to participate 
in the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) to track the 
incidence and prevalence of crime in their jurisdiction, and few tribes 
have access to or participate in the National Criminal Information 
Center (NCIC), the National Sex Offender Registry (NSOR), or other 
national criminal history record information systems that could 
increase tribal member safety through improved information on repeat 
and serious offenders. Few tribes, moreover, routinely maintain and 
disseminate statistics about juvenile justice issues such as youth 
violence and tribal youth in custody. The TJSAC would help tribes 
collect and disseminate information about reported crime in their 
jurisdiction, criminal case processing, the use or enforcement of 
protection orders that could be used to protect victims of rape, and 
family or intimate partner violence, and other relevant criminal 
justice statistics. These kinds of data and information systems are 
necessary for tribal justice policy decision making, the allocation of 
scarce criminal justice resources, and to assist tribal law enforcement 
authorities in qualifying for national crime prevention grant programs 
and other state pass-through funds such as the Byrne formula grant 
program.

Eligibility Requirements

    Both profit making and nonprofit organizations may apply for funds. 
Consistent with OJP fiscal year requirements, however, no fees may be 
charged against the project by profit-making organizations.

Scope of Work

    The objective of this project is to establish a Tribal Justice 
Statistics Assistance Center that will provide expertise and technical 
assistance to tribal justice agencies to improve their collection and 
use of criminal justice statistical data and criminal justice record 
keeping practices in Indian Country. Specifically, the recipient of 
funds will:
    1. Implement a Tribal Justice Statistics Assistance Center (TJSAC) 
that will help American Indian and Alaska Native tribes to understand, 
identify, plan for, acquire and employ knowledge and tools to improve 
data collection and use of their criminal justice statistics. Technical 
assistance requests will vary according to the existing capacities of 
the tribal agency and the Center must be flexible in handling a wide 
range of needs. Assistance may range from recommending standardized 
data definitions and caseload management strategies, to assisting with 
the ongoing implementation of a NIBRS-compliant crime reporting system, 
to providing guidance and reference materials for acquiring basic 
computer access.
    2. Provide technical and statistical assistance through both in-
house and on-site methods. In-house methods may include, but are not 
limited to, telephone calls/conferences, electronic and mail 
correspondence, the publication and distribution (via website and mail) 
of reference materials, monographs, and technical bulletins. On-site 
visits should be reserved for more extensive needs assessments and 
assistance, should be conducted with the consultation and approval of 
BJS, and should involve considerable coordination with key tribal 
leaders, criminal justice, and technology staff in addition to relevant 
local, state, tribal and federal criminal justice agencies.
    3. Convene a national or set of regional meetings on the technical, 
policy, operational, and collaborative aspects of implementing and 
maintaining criminal justice data in Indian Country. The conference 
should assemble forums that focus on disseminating information about 
the benefits tribal agencies can receive from uniform, timely, and 
reliable statistical systems, the use of statistical data for tribal 
police departments and court systems, the role of criminal justice 
statistics in the effective administration of justice, and encouraging 
cooperation among local, state, tribal, and federal level personnel in 
these efforts. The conference should include high-level tribal leaders, 
key members of regional or nationally recognized Native American 
organizations, and relevant personnel from local, state, tribal and 
federal levels of government.
    4. Maintain documentation summarizing the source and nature of 
technical assistance requested, type of assistance provided, and action 
taken by tribes to implement technical assistance needs. Documentation 
should be provided for both in-house and on-site technical assistance. 
This

[[Page 22602]]

documentation will be compiled and published by BJS.
    5. Develop measures to identify the progress achieved in improving 
criminal justice statistics in Indian Country and tribal participation 
in national data collection systems and national law enforcement 
information systems. The grantee will provide documentation in a report 
to BJS on assistance provided by the TJSAC during the course of the 
project, and will monitor and report on the number of tribes 
participating in national databases and information systems.

Award Procedures and Evaluation Criteria

    Proposals should describe the plan and implementation strategy to 
accomplish each of the activities outlined in the Scope of Work. 
Applications will be reviewed competitively. The final selection 
decision will be made by the Director of BJS.
    The applicant will be evaluated on the basis of:
    1. Knowledge of the development, management, and implementation of 
criminal justice statistics in the areas of reported crime, arrests and 
dispositions, judicial caseload and workload, corrections, juvenile 
justice, and records management systems. This should include knowledge 
of issues related to information sharing, case processing, and data 
integration among local, state, tribal, and federal criminal justice 
agencies. Applicant should demonstrate knowledge of issues related to 
access and participation in national criminal justice information 
systems such as, but not limited to, the National Incident-Based 
Reporting System (NIBRS) and the National Criminal Information Center 
(NCIC).
    2. Knowledge of tribal justice issues and impediments to 
implementing high-quality criminal justice statistics in Indian 
Country. Applicant must demonstrate the ability to coordinate and 
facilitate cooperation among local, state, tribal, and federal agencies 
in recommending the collection and use of statistics and technical 
improvements to tribes. Applicant should demonstrate an understanding 
of the historical, political, and economic factors involved in local, 
state, tribal, and federal relations and must demonstrate the ability 
(via knowledge, staff, or sub-contractual agreement) to collaborate 
with and involve local, regional, and/or national Native American 
organizations to ensure coordination of priorities in Indian Country. 
Applicant must detail their strategy for bringing about cooperation 
among these various levels of government and organizations.
    3. Ability to generate awareness of and access to the TJSAC by 
tribal justice agencies throughout the continental U.S. and Alaska. 
Applicant should detail how they will make tribal justice agencies 
aware of the TJSAC, the services it provides, and how they can obtain 
assistance.
    4. Contact and experience in dealing with local, state, tribal, and 
federal representatives on issues relating to criminal justice 
statistics standards, data collection, data management, and its 
practical application in Indian Country. Applicant should demonstrate 
ability to interact with relevant Federal agencies such as the Federal 
Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), the 
Department of Justice's Office of Tribal Justice (OTJ), the Office of 
Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), the Violence Against Women 
Office (VAWO), and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency and 
Prevention (OJJDP). Applicant also should describe how they will ensure 
coordination among local, state, and tribal governments. This includes 
key personnel working in the area of tribal justice, in addition to 
other relevant criminal justice practitioners, policy makers, and data 
management personnel.
    5. Demonstrated capacity to ensure that provided technical 
assistance is coordinated with other law enforcement and crime 
prevention Federal grant resources such as the Office of Community 
Oriented Policing Services (COPS).
    6. Demonstrated ability to conduct conferences and workshops that 
will promote awareness of the TJSAC and an understanding of the 
relationship between criminal justice statistics and improved 
administration of tribal justice. Applicant must demonstrate ability to 
identify key representatives at the local, state, tribal, and federal 
levels that will work together to advance the goals of this project.
    7. Demonstrated fiscal, management, staff, and organizational 
capability to provide sound management for this project.

Application and Award Process

    An original and five (5) copies of the full proposal must be 
submitted including:

 Standard Form 424, Application for Federal Assistance
 OJP Form 7150/1, Budget Detail Worksheet
 OJP Form 4000/3, Assurances
 OJP Form 4061/6, Certification Regarding Lobbying, Debarment, 
Suspension, and Other Responsibility Matters; Drug Free Workplace 
Requirements
 OJP Form 7120-1, Accounting System and Financial Capability 
Questionnaire (to be submitted by applicants who have not previously 
received Federal funds from the Office of Justice Programs)

    These forms can be obtained online from http://www2.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/apply.htm.
    Proposals must include a project narrative and detailed budget. The 
project narrative should describe activities as discussed in the Scope 
of Work and address the evaluation criteria. The detailed budget must 
provide detailed costs including salaries of staff involved in the 
project and the portion of those salaries to be paid from the award, 
fringe benefits paid to each staff person, travel costs, supplies 
required for the project, sub-contractual agreements, and other 
allowable costs. The grant award will be made for a period of 24 
months.

    Dated: April 27, 2001.
Lawrence A. Greenfeld,
Acting Director, Bureau of Justice Statistics.
[FR Doc. 01-11075 Filed 5-3-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-18-P