[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 215 (Wednesday, November 6, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67650-67652]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-28209]


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

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

National Institute of Corrections


Solicitation for a Cooperative Agreement--Effective Supervision 
of Women Defendants and Offenders in the Community

AGENCY: National Institute of Corrections, Department of Justice.

ACTION: Solicitation for a cooperative agreement.

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

SUMMARY: The Department of Justice (DOJ), National Institute of 
Corrections NIC), announces the availability of funds in FY 2003 for a 
cooperative agreement to develop a 16-hour curriculum on Effective 
Supervision of Women Defendants and Offenders in the Community. NIC 
will work with a single cooperative agreement awardee to develop a 
curriculum for pre-service and in-service training of community

[[Page 67651]]

correction's managers and line staff on the effective supervision of 
women defendants and offenders in the community. The new curriculum 
will focus on the practical knowledge and skills that line probation, 
parole, and pretrial service officers need to enhance outcomes and 
improve rates of successful completion for women defendants and 
offenders in the community. It will employ adult learning techniques 
and develop modules which can be used in flexible training formats for 
a maximum of 16 hours. This agreement is for the design and development 
of a training curriculum. The piloting or direct delivery of the 
curriculum is not included within this scope of work. No funds will be 
transferred to State or local governments.
    Background: While the majority of probation and parole populations 
remain predominantly male, there has been an increase in the percentage 
of women under community supervision while the percentage of males 
under community supervision has declined. In 2001 women comprised 22% 
of probation and 12% of parole caseloads. When compared to the 1991 
data, this represents an increase of 22% for women on probation and an 
increase of 50% on parole compared to a 5% decline in probation for men 
and a 4% decline in the number of men released on parole. (BJA, 8/02).
    Recent research literature on women offenders has identified to 
policy makers the differential risk and need presented by this 
population. Yet community supervision and treatment practices generally 
do not incorporate this information. The perception that women 
offenders are difficult to work with is due, in part, to the many 
competing issues, criminogenic and non-criminogenic, they bring when 
entering or re-entering the system. Existing correctional practices 
often miss the underlying causes of women's criminal behavior. System 
challenges such as cross-gender supervision, inappropriate staff/
offender relationships, and staff uncertainty as to the existence and 
application of appropriate interventions for the female offender 
contribute to this misconception. The result is that established case 
planning, supervision, and treatment practices often have less than the 
desired impact and, in some cases, can exacerbate the problems women 
bring to the criminal justice system.
    Over the years NIC has developed training materials and offered 
technical assistance on a wide-range of topics that impact women in the 
criminal justice system. These topics include policy development, staff 
sexual misconduct, prison health care for women, and operational issues 
in women's prisons. Like their male counterparts, the majority of 
incarcerated women will complete their sentence and return to their 
communities. The training materials and technical assistance that NIC 
has offered have provided helpful resources in working with women 
offenders.
    Purpose: The National Institute of Corrections is seeking an 
applicant, organization, or team which offers curriculum design 
expertise and a broad knowledge of women offenders and the field of 
corrections. Specific expertise should include effective supervision 
practices and expertise in producing a competency-based curriculum. 
Producing the curriculum includes the writing, editing, formation, 
assembling, packaging, and expertise in adult learning theory and 
training.
    The purpose of this cooperative agreement is:
    1. To fully develop and refine one (1) 16-hour training curriculum 
package on Effective Supervision of Women Defendants and Offenders in 
the Community. The curriculum will have the following elements:
    a. Instructor's Guide with Lesson Plans. This must include 
performance objectives that specify the knowledge, or skills/
competencies that will be obtained by the participants. They must be 
detailed to the degree that other trainers with some experience in the 
topic can use them to deliver training.
    b. Participant Manual and Materials that correlate with each 
module, topic by topic, as appropriate to deliver the training. These 
materials may include overviews, published articles (if copyrighted 
must obtain copyright release), check lists, key points outliners, 
examples of instruments, reports and other materials used by the 
participants to perform their work. Evaluation questions and strategies 
(if appropriate) that will be used pre or post delivery for the 
curriculum as well as resource materials such as video and audio tapes, 
books, journals and other information to support the objectives of the 
curriculum are to be included.
    Work To Be Performed by the Awardee: The following represents the 
kinds of work activity required by the project and the expectations of 
the relationship between NIC and the awardee.
    [sbull] Consult with the NIC Program Manager on an agreed time line 
to assure progress and understanding the scope of the work.
    [sbull] Thoroughly review existing training materials developed by 
NIC, Office of justice Programs (OJP), or other agencies for relevant 
portions that could be re-written for application to this project. Key 
products include but are not limited to:
    [sbull] Gender-Responsive Strategies: Research, Practice, and 
Guiding Principles for Women Offenders (Bloom, Owen, Covington, 11/02)
    [sbull] Critical Issues in Managing Women Offenders (NIC, 02-I502)
    [sbull] Responding to Women Offenders in the Community: Topics in 
Community Corrections (NIC, Topics in Community Corrections, 2000)
    [sbull] Sentencing Women Offenders: A training Curriculum for 
Judges (NIC, Cicero and DeCostanzo, 2001)
    Each of those items can be downloaded via the Web site at 
www.nicic.org/services/coop/03-women.htm.
    [sbull] The successful applicant would conduct necessary planning 
with content experts who have experience with supervision of women 
offenders, understand the importance of criminogenic and non-
criminogenic factors in the lives of women, familiarity with cognitive 
behavioral and social learning approaches in effective interventions 
with offenders to generate the framework, concepts, modules, content, 
strategies and performance objectives. (All of the above is subject to 
final approval by the Program Manager).
    [sbull] Assign and coordinate writing, developing and revisions of 
the modules and content areas for the curriculum including multi-media 
materials.
    [sbull] Develop, edit, revise, format and package the curriculum, 
lesson plans, and other course materials.
    [sbull] Submit preliminary draft for review by the Program Manager 
per the specified time line. Make revisions and submit second draft if 
requested.
    [sbull] A camera-ready copy of the final document must be submitted 
along with the electronic files, including all graphic images used in 
the document, on a 3.5'' floppy, zip disk, or CD-ROM. The final 
document may be submitted in Word Perfect 7.0 (or higher) or Microsoft 
Word 97 (or higher). Graphic images should be print quality, 600 dpi or 
higher.
    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, and an overall project budget for the full 12 months. Applicants 
must identify their key project staff and the relevant expertise of 
each, and address the manner in which they would

[[Page 67652]]

perform all tasks in collaboration with the NIC Project Manager. 
Proposals are limited to twenty-five double-spaced pages in length, not 
including resume, other addenda, and SF-424 forms.

    Authority: Public Law 93-415.

    Funds Available: Project funds are limited to a maximum total of 
$70,000 for both direct and indirect costs for 12 months. NIC is 
committed to funding the full 12 month project and project activity 
must be completed within 12 months of the date of the award. Funds may 
only be used for activities that are linked to the desired outcomes of 
the project.
    All products from this funding effort will be in the public domain 
and available to interested agencies through the National Institute of 
Corrections.
    Antideficiency Act: Nothing contained herein shall be construed to 
obligate the parties to any expenditure or obligation of funds in 
excess or in advance of appropriation in accordance with the 
Antideficiency Act, 31 U.S.C. 1341.
    Deadline for Receipt of Applications: Applications must be received 
by 4 p.m. on December 17, 2002. They should be addressed to: National 
Institute of Corrections, 320 First St., NW., Washington, DC 20534. 
Attention: Administrative Officer. Applicants are encouraged to use 
Federal Express, UPS or similar service to ensure delivery is not 
delayed. Hand delivered applications can be brought to 500 First 
Street, NW., Washington, DC 20534. The Front desk will call (202) 307-
3106 ext. 0 for pickup. Faxed or e-mailed applications will not be 
accepted.
    Addresses and Further Information: Application forms may be 
obtained through the NIC Web site: http://www.nicic.org. Under 
``Additional Opportunities'' click on the appropriate cooperative 
agreement title. Requests for the application kit, which consists of a 
copy of this announcement and copies of the required forms, can also be 
directed to Rita Rippetoe, Cooperative Agreement Control Office, 
National Institute of Corrections by calling (800) 995-6429 extension 
112. She can also be contacted by E-mail via [email protected].
    Technical and/or programmatic questions concerning this 
announcement are encouraged and should be directed to Maureen Buell at 
the above address or by calling (800) 995-6423 extension 40121, or 
(202) 514-0121, or by E-mail via [email protected].
    Eligible Applicants: An eligible applicant is any state or general 
unit of local government, public, or private agency, educational 
institution, organization, team, or individual with the requisite 
skills to successfully meet the outcome objectives of the project.
    Review Considerations: Applications received under this 
announcement will be subjected to an NIC three to five member Peer 
Review Process.
    Executive Order 12372: This project is not subject to the 
provisions of E.O. 12372.
    Number of Awards: One (1).
    NIC Application Number: 03C02. This number should appear as a 
reference line in the cover letter, in box 11 of Standard Form 424, and 
on the outside of the delivery envelope.

    The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number is: 16.601. 
Title--Corrections: Staff Training and Development.


    Dated: October 31, 2002.
Morris L. Thigpen,
Director, National Institute of Corrections.
[FR Doc. 02-28209 Filed 11-5-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-36-M