[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 144 (Wednesday, July 27, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44958-44960]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-18986]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

National Institute of Corrections


Solicitation for a Cooperative Agreement--Quarterly Publication 
of a ``Corrections Mental Health Newsletter''

AGENCY: National Institute of Corrections, U.S. Department of Justice.

ACTION: Solicitation for a Cooperative Agreement.

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SUMMARY: The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) is soliciting 
proposals from organizations, groups or individuals to enter into a 
cooperative agreement for a twelve-month period to publish the 
``Corrections Mental Health Newsletter'' quarterly and provide up-to-
date information, news, research, relevant issues, highlighted training 
and programs, etc. to a correctional audience responsible for and 
interested in mental health issues in community corrections, prisons, 
and jails. It is expected that such a newsletter will be released in 
Fall/Winter 2011 and continue quarterly thereafter for the next fiscal 
year. The recipient of this award may be awarded a cooperative 
agreement for up to two successive years in 2012 and 2013 to continue 
the publication.

DATES: Applications must be received by 2 p.m. EDT on Monday, August 
29, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Mailed applications must be sent to: Director, National 
Institute of Corrections, 320 First Street, NW., Room 5002, 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, extension 0 
for pickup.
    Faxed applications will not be accepted. Electronic applications 
can be submitted only via http://www.grants.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: A copy of this announcement can be 
downloaded from the NIC web page at http://www.nicic.gov.
    All technical or programmatic questions concerning this 
announcement should be directed to Anita Pollard, Corrections Health 
Manager, National Institute of Corrections (NIC) at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Overview: The overall goal of the initiative is to provide state 
and local correctional officials, corrections mental health 
professionals, practitioners, policy makers and others with an interest 
in mental health and corrections an up-to-date outlet for communicating 
relevant, comprehensive and timely information on issues and resources 
pertaining to mental illness and mental health issues in jails, 
prisons, and community corrections.
    Background: Substantial numbers of persons with mental illness have 
found their way into all areas of the criminal justice system, 
including corrections. According to the New Freedom Commission on 
Mental Health: Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, ``people with serious 
mental illnesses who come in contact with the criminal justice system 
are typically poor and uninsured, are disproportionately members of 
minority groups, and often are homeless and have co-occurring

[[Page 44959]]

substance abuse and mental disorders. They cycle in and out of homeless 
shelters, hospitals, and jails, occasionally receiving mental health, 
substance abuse services, but most likely receiving no services at all 
(APA, 2000).'' The large and disproportionate number of offenders under 
correctional custody and supervision continue to be a serious 
management and safety problem in both our correctional institutions and 
our communities. This is not a new problem and has been a trend over 
the past four decades.
    Three of the top six issues from a June 2010 membership survey of 
the Association of State Correctional Administrators highlighted 
health-related concerns--mentally ill inmates in prisons, the cost of 
inmate health care, and aging inmate populations--as issues most 
prevalent and pressing in member agencies.
    A study released in the summer of 2009 conducted by the Council of 
State Governments Justice Center, in partnership with Policy Research 
Associates, on the prevalence of adults with serious mental illnesses 
in jails found that more than 20,000 adults entering five local jails 
document serious mental illnesses in 14.5 percent of the men and 31 
percent of the women, rates in excess of three to six times those found 
in the general population. Prevalence estimates for females were double 
those for male inmates. This gender difference is particularly 
important given the rising number of women in U.S. jails. These 
findings represent the most reliable estimates in the last 20 years of 
rates of serious mental illness among adults entering jails. (Steadman, 
Osher, Robbins, Case and Samuels, June 2009)
    In an NIC 2008 Needs Assessment, interviewees noted that problems 
with mental illness continue to challenge both prison and jail 
operations, and there is a critical need for more collaboration with 
providers of services for the mentally ill and a review of policies 
driving them into the corrections system.
    The challenges to corrections are significant and multi-faceted. 
This frequent involvement with the criminal justice system will 
continue to have a significant adverse impact on corrections, public 
safety, and government spending, not to mention the devastating impact 
for these individuals and their families. The mentally ill offender, 
along with the professionals and practitioners who make policy and make 
operational decisions, need a conduit and voice for the current news, 
trends, and issues. It is about being routinely informed so that best 
policy, best practice, and best responses emerge as the foundation for 
managing mentally ill offenders in jails, prisons, and community 
corrections.
    Project Deliverables: The following are the expected products and 
services for the project: Publish an innovative quarterly newsletter 
over one fiscal year; Develop a method and conduct a comprehensive 
survey of the corrections behavioral health field for trends and issues 
that can generate topics and items for the publication; and Develop and 
maintain a targeted distribution list of corrections mental health 
professionals (e.g., state mental health directors, jail/prison mental 
health coordinators, etc.) and community Web sites (e.g., the NIC Web 
site, CMHS GAINS Center Web sites, National Commission on Correctional 
Health Care Web sites, etc.) that reach these practitioners.
    Publication Specifications: The newsletter must be designed and 
developed adhering to the following standards and specifications: (1) 
Make available in an approved format for electronic distribution (Note: 
The format will depend on further consultation with NIC Information 
Center staff and NIC communications staff and must 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); (2) Adhere to best practices in 
technical writing and editing standards and formats for this type of 
newsletter; (3) Span and attend to the interest of the broad array of 
correctional stakeholders including jails, prisons, and community 
corrections through relevant publication content and topics; (4) Focus 
topics and items published on current issues pertaining to corrections 
and mental health, which may include but is not limited to feature 
articles on NIC initiatives and work, innovative work and programs, 
demonstrated best practices, current research trends, legal issues, 
scheduled events/workshops/conferences, and articles from practitioners 
in the field or qualified freelance writers.
    Work Requirements: The recipient of this cooperative agreement 
award must, at a minimum, do the following within the scope of 
performing work on this project:
    Consult with the Corrections Health Manager (CHM) assigned to 
manage the cooperative agreement to ensure understanding of, and 
agreement on, the scope of work to be performed;
    Consult and work with the NIC Information Center for posting and 
availability through the Web site, including the Corrections Community, 
Corrections News, and blogs. The applicant can visit the NIC Web site 
at http://nicic.gov/. (Note: All final publications submitted for 
posting on the NIC Web site must meet the federal government's 
requirement for accessibility [508 PDF and 508 HTML file or other 
acceptable format]);
    Consult and work with the NIC Writer/Editor for inclusion and 
promotion of newsletter topics through the NIC E-Newsletter and other 
communications outlets;
    Submit a detailed work plan with timelines and milestones for 
accomplishing project activities to the assigned CPS for approval prior 
to any work being performed under this agreement;
    Designate a point of contact who would serve as the conduit of 
information and work between the CHM and the awardee;
    Submit a layout and prototype to the CHM/Project Manager or 
designee for approval before the first edition is published;
    Consult periodically with the CHM/Project Manager or designee on 
the proposed content for the newsletter.
    Required Expertise: The successful applicant will need skills, 
abilities, and knowledge in the following areas: Knowledge of mental 
illness and behavioral health issues in jails, prisons and community 
corrections, or be able to access such knowledge and expertise; 
knowledge and skill in designing, editing, and publishing an electronic 
newsletter; knowledge and skills in soliciting content, articles, and 
features for inclusion in the newsletter; project management 
experience; effective written and oral communication skills.
    Application Requirements: Applications should be concisely written, 
typed double spaced and reference the ``NIC Opportunity Number'' and 
Title provided in this announcement. The 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 of fiscal 
year that the applicant operates under (e.g., July 1 through June 30), 
an outline of projected costs, and the following forms: OMB Standard 
Form 424A, Budget Information--Non Construction Programs, OMB Standard 
Form 424B, Assurances--Non Construction Programs (available at  http://www.grants.gov), and DOJ/NIC Certification Regarding Lobbying; 
Debarment, Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters; and Drug-Free 
Workplace Requirements (available at 

[[Page 44960]]

http://www.nicic.gov/Downloads/PDF/certif-frm.pdf.)
    Applications may be submitted in hard copy, or electronically via 
http://www.grants.gov. If submitted in hard copy, there needs to be an 
original and three copies of the full proposal (program and budget 
narratives, application forms and assurances). The original should have 
the applicant's signature in blue ink. The program narrative text must 
be limited to no more than 10 double spaced pages, exclusive of resumes 
and summaries of experience.
    A sample of a prior or proposed newsletter publication including 
format done by the applicant is required as a supplement to the 
application. Please do not submit full curriculum vitae.
    All technical or programmatic questions concerning this 
announcement should be directed to CDR Anita E. Pollard, Corrections 
Health Manager, National Institute of Corrections. CDR Pollard can be 
reached by email at [email protected]. In addition to the direct reply, 
all questions and responses will be posted on NIC's Web site at http://www.nicic.gov for public review. (The names of those submitting 
questions will not be posted.) The Web site will be updated regularly 
and postings will remain on the Web site until the closing date of this 
cooperative agreement solicitation. Only questions received by 12 p.m. 
(EDT) on August 19, 2011 will be answered.

    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: An eligible applicant is any private 
agency, educational institution, organization, individual or team with 
expertise in the described areas.
    Review Considerations: Applications received under this 
announcement will be subjected to a 3- to 5-person NIC Peer Review 
Process. The criteria for the evaluation of each application will be as 
follows:
    Project Management: 50 points.
    Does the applicant provide a preliminary structure for organizing 
the newsletter, including proposed newsletter length, topics, and 
distribution format? Does the applicant present a timeline for working 
with NIC staff to ensure timely distribution, posting, and promotion of 
the newsletter and its related information or materials?
    Organizational: 25 Points.
    Does the applicant demonstrate relevant experience and expertise in 
producing a newsletter for public consumption that is readable for 
mainstream audiences (those not directly associated with the 
corrections or mental health fields)? Is there staff available to 
complete any design, photography, research, writing, or editing that 
may be associated with producing the newsletter? Is there evidence of 
the applicant's ability to use appropriate software or digital 
technologies to create a newsletter? Is there evidence of experience in 
corrections, mental health, or technical writing that would demonstrate 
an ability to communicate effectively on correctional mental health 
topics?
    Budget: 25 Points.
    Does the applicant present a reasonable budget for meeting the 
solicitation requirements for producing the newsletter and publishing 
the newsletter quarterly?

    Note: NIC will not award a cooperative agreement to an applicant 
who does not have a Dun and Bradstreet Database Universal Number 
(DUNS) and is not registered in the Central Contractor Registry 
(CCR).

    A DUNS number can be received at no cost by calling the dedicated 
toll-free DUNS number request; line at 1-800-333-0505 (if you are a 
sole proprietor, you would dial 1-866-705-5711 and select option 1).
    Registration in the CCR can be done online at the CCR Web site: 
http://www.ccr.gov. A CCR Handbook and worksheet can also be reviewed 
at the Web site.
    Number of Awards: One.
    NIC Opportunity Number: 11AD05. This number should appear as a 
reference line in the cover letter, where indicated on Standard Form 
424, and 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 Executive Order 12372.

Thomas J. Beauclair,
Deputy Director, National Institute of Corrections.
[FR Doc. 2011-18986 Filed 7-26-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-36-P