[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 117 (Tuesday, June 17, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34330-34332]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-13553]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

National Institute of Corrections


Solicitation for a Cooperative Agreement--Inmate Behavior 
Management: Implementation and Evaluation

AGENCY: National Institute of Corrections, Department of Justice.

ACTION: Solicitation for a Cooperative Agreement.

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SUMMARY: This project has two areas of focus: Assistance to selected 
jails in implementing the six elements of inmate behavior management 
and evaluation of the process and impact of implementation. The project 
award will be for a two-year period, and the project will be carried 
out in conjunction with the NIC Jails Division. The awardee will work 
closely with NIC Jails Division staff.

DATES: Applications must be received by 4 p.m. (EDT) on Friday, July 
18, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Mailed applications must be sent to: Director, National 
Institute of

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Corrections, 320 First Street, NW., Room 5007, Washington, DC 20534.
    Applicants are encouraged to use Federal Express, UPS, or similar 
service to ensure delivery by the due date as mail can be delayed due 
to security screening. Hand-delivered applications should be brought to 
500 First Street, NW., Washington, DC 20534. Persons delivering 
applications should go to the front desk and call (202) 307-3106, 
extension 0 for pickup.
    Faxed or e-mailed applications will not be accepted. However, 
electronic applications can be submitted via http://www.grants.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: A copy of this announcement and the 
required application forms can be downloaded from the NIC Web page at 
http://www.nicic.gov. Hard copies of the announcement can be obtained 
from Rita Rippetoe. She can be reached by phone at 1-800-995-6423, 
extension 44222 or by e-mail at [email protected]. All technical or 
programmatic questions concerning this announcement should be directed 
to Fran Zandi, Correctional Program Specialist, National Institute of 
Corrections. She can be reached by phone at 1-800-995-6423, extension 
71070 or by e-mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Overview and Background: The National 
Institute of Corrections (NIC) has identified the following six key 
elements in the effective management of inmate behavior in jails:
    Assessing the risks and needs of each inmate at various points 
during his/her detention;
    Assigning inmates to appropriate housing;
    Meeting inmates' basic needs;
    Defining and conveying expectations for inmate behavior;
    Supervising inmates; and
    Keeping inmates productively occupied.
    If a jail fully and properly implements all six elements, it should 
experience a significant reduction in the negative inmate behavior 
often experienced in jails, such as vandalism, violence, rule 
violations, and disrespectful behavior toward staff and other inmates.
    In December 2004, the NIC Jails Division published information on 
these six elements in the Resource Guide for Jail Administrators 
(available on NIC's Web site http://www.nicic.gov and in hard copy on 
request from the NIC Information Center at 800-077-1461). Also, the NIC 
Jails Division has conducted related training and technical assistance 
to a variety of jails over the last few years. This project will allow 
NIC to provide targeted assistance to three jails in implementing 
inmate behavior management and evaluate the implementation process and 
the impact of implementation on inmate behavior and perceived levels of 
safety within the jail.
    Scope of Work: The work to be accomplished through this cooperative 
agreement consists of meetings with NIC, selecting participating jails, 
visiting selected jails, gathering data, assisting jails in 
implementing inmate behavior management, attending the Inmate Behavior 
Management Training Program, and preparing and submitting reports. 
Following is a more through description of what is expected in each of 
these areas.
    Meetings with NIC: At the beginning of the project, the awardee 
(project director) will meet with NIC staff in Washington, DC for one 
day to discuss all project components, set criteria by which 
participating jails will be selected, and refine the evaluation 
strategy proposed in the awardee's application. The awardee will be 
expected to meet with NIC staff at least three more times during the 
course of the project. Two of the three remaining meetings may take 
place in conjunction with other project activities. The third meeting 
(one day) will take place in Washington, DC.
    Selection of participating jails: Based on the criteria set during 
the initial meeting, the awardee, in conjunction with NIC staff, will 
identify a variety of jails that are likely to meet the selection 
criteria. All three jail designs (linear/intermittent surveillance, 
podular/remote surveillance, and podular/direct supervision) must be 
represented among the selected jails. The awardee then will travel to 
4-5 of these jails to determine final eligibility.
    Initial visit to selected jails: The awardee will travel to each 
selected jail to meet with the sheriff, jail administrator, the heads 
of the security, classification, and inmate programs functions, and 
other key officials to discuss the project, detail what will be 
involved and the potential implications for resources and staff 
assignments, outline the assistance that may be provided through the 
cooperative agreement and NIC, and discuss the data gathering and 
evaluation activities. The awardee will also work with jail officials 
to design a preliminary plan for the implementation of inmate behavior 
management.
    Data gathering: The awardee will gather data on negative inmate 
behavior and levels of safety in the jail as perceived by staff and 
inmates by at least three points: during the initial visit and meeting 
with jail staff, during the implementation process, and after inmate 
behavior management has been fully implemented. This will involve 
collection and analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data.
    Assistance to jails in implementing inmate behavior management: The 
awardee, in conjunction with NIC, will identify areas in which each 
jail requires assistance and will conduct up to four short-term 
technical assistance events for each jail. This may include an overall 
assessment of the jail's status regarding each element of inmate 
behavior management; assistance with developing and implementing an 
inmate classification system and a housing plan; assistance in 
designing an inmate supervision plan (including meeting inmates' basic 
needs, setting and conveying behavioral expectations, and developing 
strategies for increasing the quantity and improving the quality of 
staff interaction with inmates); assistance in developing strategies 
for keeping inmates productively occupied; or miscellaneous short-term 
technical assistance as needed. Each technical assistance event will 
generally require about 2-3 days onsite, 1-2 days of preparation, and 
1-2 days of report writing.
    In addition to the assistance provided by the awardee, NIC will 
also fund teams of staff from each jail to attend its Inmate Behavior 
Management training program in Aurora, Colorado during the first 
quarter of the 2009 calendar year. Also, NIC will provide training on 
inmate behavior management to line staff and first-line supervisors at 
each jail on dates to be determined jointly by the awardee, NIC, and 
the jails.
    Attendance at the Inmate Behavior Management Training Program: The 
awardee will attend, at the expense of this project, the Inmate 
Behavior Management training program in Aurora, Colorado during the 
first quarter of calendar year 2009. The awardee will work with the 
teams from the selected jails to further define their preliminary 
implementation plans for inmate behavior management based on what the 
teams learn in the program.
    Reports: The awardee will submit written reports to NIC at the 
following times (at a minimum): After the initial meeting with each 
selected jail (including a description of the jail, an overview of the 
meeting, a copy of the jail's preliminary implementation plan, types of 
data collected, and conclusions drawn from the data collection); after 
the provision of on-site technical assistance to each jail; after each 
instance of data collection and analysis; and at the end of the 
project.

[[Page 34332]]

    The end-of-project report will describe the implementation process 
in each jail, identify the assistance provided to the jail from the 
grantee and NIC, and will discuss, at a minimum, factors that hindered 
or facilitated implementation, the quality of implementation in each 
jail, and the effects of implementation in terms of negative inmate 
behavior and levels of safety in the jail as perceived by staff and 
inmates. All reports will be submitted to NIC on disk in Microsoft Word 
format and in hard copy (4 copies). Reports of technical assistance 
provided to the jails will also be sent in hard copy (1 copy) to the 
jail that received the assistance. The final report must be 
professionally edited before it is submitted to NIC.
    Application Requirements: Applications must be submitted using OMB 
Standard Form 424, Federal Assistance and attachments. (Copies can be 
downloaded from the NIC Web page at http://www.nicic.gov.) The 
applications should be concisely written, typed double spaced, and 
referenced to the project by the ``NIC Application Number'' and Title 
referenced in this announcement.
    Applicants must submit an original and three copies of the full 
proposal. The original should have the applicant's signature in blue 
ink. A cover letter must identify the responsible audit agency for the 
applicant's financial accounts.
    The narrative portion of the application should include, at a 
minimum: A brief paragraph indicating the applicant's understanding of 
the purpose of the document and the issues to be addressed; a brief 
paragraph that summarizes the project goals and objectives; a clear 
description of the methodology that will be used to complete the 
project and achieve its goals; a statement or chart of measurable 
project milestones and timelines for the completion of each milestone; 
a description of the qualifications of the applicant organization and a 
resume for the principle and each staff member assigned to the project 
that documents relevant knowledge, skills, and abilities to carry out 
the project; and a budget that details all costs for the project, shows 
consideration for all contingencies for the project; and notes a 
commitment to work within the proposed budget.
    Applicants' Conference: An applicants' conference will be held on 
Thursday, July 10, 2008 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. (EDT) at the NIC office, 
500 1st Street NW., Washington, DC, 7th Floor. The conference will give 
applicants the opportunity to meet with NIC project staff to ask 
questions about the project and the application procedures.
    Attendance at the conference is optional and provisions can be made 
for telephone conferencing for those who will be unable to attend in 
person. Applicants who plan to attend or who would like to participate 
via telephone should call Fran Zandi, NIC Jails Division, Correctional 
Program Specialist, at (800) 995-6423 x 71070 by Tuesday, July 8, 2008 
to confirm attendance.

    Authority: Public Law 93-415.

    Funds Available: NIC is seeking the applicant's best ideas 
regarding accomplishment of the scope of work and the related costs for 
achieving the goals of this solicitation. The final budget and award 
amount will be negotiated between NIC and the successful applicant. 
Funds may be used only for the activities that are linked to the 
desired outcome of the project. No funds are transferred to state or 
local governments.
    Funds will be awarded based on satisfactory performance of the 
awardee and upon the availability of funding in future years.
    Eligibility of Applicants: An eligible applicant is any private 
agency, educational institution, organization, individual, or team with 
expertise the described areas. Applicants or the applicant team must be 
able to competently address both areas of focus in this project: 
Assistance to selected jails in implementing the six elements of inmate 
behavior management and evaluation of the process and impact of 
implementation. The applicant or applicant team must demonstrate a 
thorough understanding of jails and common issues in managing inmate 
behavior; each of the six elements of inmate behavior management, as 
NIC presents and teaches it; the process of implementing the six 
elements in a jail; and the design and implementation of a strategy to 
evaluate both the process and outcomes of implementing the six elements 
of inmate behavior management.
    Review Considerations: Applications will be reviewed by a team of 
NIC staff. Among the criteria used to evaluate the applications are: 
Indication of a clear understanding of project requirements; 
background, experience, and expertise of the proposed project staff, 
including any subcontractors; clarity of the description of all 
elements and tasks in the project; practicality and sufficiency of 
timeframes allotted to complete tasks; technical soundness of project 
design and methodology; financial and administrative integrity of the 
proposal, including adherence to federal financial guidelines and 
processes; adequacy of budget detail, including consideration of all 
contingencies for the project and commitment to work within the 
proposed budget; and availability of project staff for meetings with 
NIC staff.
    Number of Awards: One.
    NIC Application Number: 08J65.
    This number should appear as a reference line in the cover letter, 
in box 4a of Standard Form 424, and on the outside of the envelope in 
which the application is sent.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 16.601.

    Executive Order 12372: This project is not subject to the 
provisions of the executive order.

Morris L. Thigpen,
Director, National Institute of Corrections.
 [FR Doc. E8-13553 Filed 6-16-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-36-P