[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 76 (Wednesday, April 21, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20863-20865]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-9102]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

National Institute of Corrections


Solicitation for a Cooperative Agreement: Development of Two 
Documents--Inmate Behavior Management: A Guide to Meeting Inmates' 
Basic Needs and--Inmate Behavior Management: A Guide to Defining and 
Conveying Expectations for Inmates

AGENCY: National Institute of Corrections, Department of Justice.

ACTION: Solicitation for a Cooperative Agreement.

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SUMMARY: The National Institute of Corrections, Jails Division, is 
seeking applications for the development of two documents that provide 
jail practitioners with a guide on (1) meeting inmates' basic needs and 
(2) defining and conveying expectations for inmates as part of an 
overall strategy to manage inmate behavior.

[[Page 20864]]


DATES: Applications must be received by 4 p.m. (EDT) on Thursday, May 
6, 2010.

ADDRESSES: Mailed applications must be sent to: Director, National 
Institute of 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.
    Hand delivered applications should be brought to 500 First Street, 
NW., Washington, DC 20534. At the front desk, dial 7-3106, ext. 0 for 
pickup.
    Faxed or e-mailed applications will not be accepted.
    Electronic applications can only be submitted via http://www.grants.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: A copy of this announcement and links 
to the required application forms can be found on NIC's Web page at 
http://www.nicic.gov.
    All technical or programmatic questions concerning this 
announcement should be directed to Fran Zandi, Correctional Program 
Specialist, National Institute of Corrections, Jails Division. Ms. 
Zandi can be reached at 1-800-995-6423, ext. 71070 or by e-mail at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Background: The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) has 
identified six key elements in the effective management of inmate 
behavior in jails: (1) Assessing the risks and needs of each inmate at 
various points during his/her detention; (2) Assigning inmates to 
appropriate housing; (3) Meeting inmates' basic needs; (4) Defining and 
conveying expectations for inmate behavior; (5) Supervising inmates; 
and 6) Keeping inmates productively occupied.
    If a jail fully and properly implements all six elements, it should 
experience a significant reduction in the unwanted and negative inmate 
behavior often experienced in jails, such as vandalism, violence, rule 
violations, and disrespectful behavior toward staff and other inmates.
    Purpose: The NIC Jails Division offers training and technical 
assistance on inmate behavior management, but wishes to develop 
additional tools that will help jails implement the individual 
elements.
    Scope of Work: The National Institute of Corrections wishes to 
produce two documents that provide jail practitioners specific guidance 
on, and tools for, implementing elements 3 and 4 in 
their own jurisdiction as part of the overall inmate behavior 
management strategy.
    Document Length: The number of pages in the body is to be 
determined. The documents will include appendices and a bibliography.
    Document Audience: Jail administrators and management staff. This 
guide is intended for use by jails of all sizes. In developing the 
document, the awardee must take into account the diversity of jails in 
terms of size and resources, and the sometimes severe resource 
limitations many jails face.
    Use of Document: Jail practitioners will use these documents as 
guides on meeting inmates' basic needs, and defining and conveying 
expectations for inmates, as part of an overall strategy to manage 
inmate behavior. They will be companion documents as part of a set of 
materials NIC is developing on inmate behavior management.
    Document Distribution: NIC expects to distribute the documents 
widely. They will be made available on the NIC Web site and through the 
NIC Information Center, upon request and free of charge.
    Document Content: Document content will reflect and expand on the 
information in NIC's ``Inmate Behavior Management: The Key to a Safe 
and Secure Jail''. This document is available at http://nicic.gov/library/023882.
    The documents will be clear and practical guides for jail 
practitioners. They will have a common format, which will be developed 
by the awardee in conjunction with NIC staff. Each document will 
include, at a minimum: An overview of the six key elements of inmate 
behavior management; An in-depth discussion of the individual element; 
What the document addresses, including why it is key to managing inmate 
behavior, its relationship to the other five elements, the benefits of 
implementing the element, and the potential consequences of failing to 
implement it (this discussion will also cite anecdotal evidence or 
research that demonstrates the usefulness of the element in managing 
inmate behavior); a discussion of processes and indicators that can be 
used to assess the degree to which a jail currently implements the 
element, with sample assessment tools; Specific strategies for fully 
implementing the element; a discussion of the associated policies and 
procedures, staff training, staff supervision strategies, and resource 
requirements to successfully implement the element (the document will 
include samples of policies, procedures, staff training tools, 
information for inmates, and other related documents); guidance on how 
to set realistic and measurable goals for element implementation; 
suggested processes for evaluating both the quality of the 
implementation and the success in achieving goals (For each type of 
evaluation, the document will describe evaluation timeframes, data that 
should be collected, data collection methods, and data collection 
analysis); a discussion of the importance of the administrator's 
commitment to implementing the element; and concrete examples of how 
the administrator can demonstrate this commitment.
    Project Description: The awardee will produce two completed 
documents that have received initial editing from a professional 
editor. NIC will be responsible for the final editing process and 
document design, but the awardee will remain available during this time 
to answer questions and to make revisions to the documents.
    Project Schedule: The list below shows the major activities 
required to complete the project. Document development will begin upon 
award of this agreement and must be complete 18 months after the award 
date. The schedule for completion of activities should include, at a 
minimum, the following activities. The awardee will: Meet with the NIC 
project manager for an overview of the project and initial planning; 
Review materials provided by NIC; complete the initial outline of 
document content and layout; Meet with the NIC project manager by WebEx 
to review, discuss, and agree on the content outline; research content 
topics and related resources; Submit draft sections of the document to 
NIC for review; revise draft sections for NIC's approval; submit 
document to the editor hired by the awardee for the first content edit; 
submit a draft of entire document to NIC for review; Revise the 
document for NIC's approval; and submit the document to NIC in hard 
copy and on disk in Microsoft Word format.
    Throughout the project period, the awardee will make provisions for 
meetings with NIC staff, to be held in Washington DC or via WebEx, at 
critical planning and review points in document development.
    Document Preparation: For all awards in which a document will be a 
deliverable, the awardee must follow the guidelines listed herein, as 
well as follow the Guidelines for Preparing and Submitting Manuscripts 
for Publication as found in the ``General Guidelines for Cooperative 
Agreements,'' which will be included in the award package. All final 
publications submitted for posting on the NIC Web site must meet the 
Federal government's requirement for accessibility (508 PDF or HTML 
file).
    The awardee must also provide descriptive text interpreting all 
graphics, photos, graphs and/or multimedia to be included with, or

[[Page 20865]]

distributed alongside, the documents. In addition, the awardee will 
provide transcripts for all audio/visual materials, if applicable.
    An applicant conference will be held on Friday, April 30, 2010 from 
1 p.m. to 3 p.m. (EDT) by WebEx. The conference will give applicants 
the opportunity to meet with NIC project staff and ask questions about 
the project and the application procedures. Attendance at the 
conference is optional. Provisions will be made using WebEx technology 
(telephone and computer-based conferencing). The WebEx session requires 
applicants to have access to a telephone and computer. Applicants who 
plan to attend via WebEx should e-mail Fran Zandi, NIC Jails Division, 
Correctional Program Specialist at [email protected] by Tuesday, April 27, 
2010 by 3 p.m. (EDT).
    Application Requirements: An application package must include OMB 
Standard Form 424, Application for Federal Assistance; a cover letter 
that identifies the audit agency responsible for the applicant's 
financial accounts as well as the audit period or fiscal year that the 
applicant operates under (e.g., July 1 through June 30); and an outline 
of projected costs. The following forms must also be included: OMB 
Standard Form 424A, Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs; OMB 
Standard Form 424B, Assurances--Non-Construction Programs (both 
available at http://www.grants.gov) and DOJ/NIC Certification Regarding 
Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters; and 
the Drug-Free Workplace Requirements (available at http://www.nicic.gov/Downloads/PDF/certif-frm.pdf).
    Applications should be concisely written, typed double spaced and 
reference the NIC Opportunity Number and Title provided in this 
announcement.
    Submit an original and three copies of your full proposal (program 
and budget narrative, application forms and assurances). The original 
should have the applicant's signature in blue ink. As previously 
stated, electronic submissions will only be accepted via http://www.grants.gov.
    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 time lines for the completion of each milestone; 
a description of the qualifications of the applicant organization and a 
resume for the principal and each staff member assigned to the project 
that documents relevant knowledge, skills and ability to carry out the 
project; a minimum of three references for which the applicant has 
provided a similar service; a budget that details all costs for the 
project, shows consideration for all contingencies for this project, 
and notes a commitment to work within the proposed budget.

    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. Funds may only be used for 
the activities that are linked to the desired outcome of the project.
    Eligibility of Applicants: Applications are solicited from any 
state or general unit of local government, private agency, educational 
institution, organization, individual or team with expertise in the 
described areas. Applicants must have a demonstrated ability to 
implement a project of this size and scope.
    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 the project requirements; 
background, experience, and expertise of the proposed project staff, 
including any sub-contractors; effectiveness of the creative approach 
to the project; clear, concise description of all elements and tasks of 
the project, with sufficient and realistic time frames necessary to 
complete the tasks; technical soundness of project design and 
methodology; financial and administrative integrity of the proposal, 
including adherence to federal financial guidelines and processes; a 
sufficiently detailed budget that shows consideration of all 
contingencies for this project and commitment to work within the budget 
proposed; Indication of availability to meet with NIC staff.
    Number of Awards: One.
    NIC Opportunity Number: 10J74.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 16.601.
    Executive Order 12372: This project is not subject to the 
provisions of Executive Order 12372.

Morris Thigpen,
Director, National Institute of Corrections.
[FR Doc. 2010-9102 Filed 4-20-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-36-P