[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 136 (Monday, July 16, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41801-41804]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-17192]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

National Institute of Corrections


Solicitation for a Cooperative Agreement--Transition From Jail to 
the Community (TJC)

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 interested in 
entering into a 30-month cooperative agreement to assist at least two 
California counties with the implementation of the ``Transition from 
Jail to Community'' (TJC) model in response to California's Assembly 
Bill (AB) 109 realignment.

DATES: Applications must be received by 4 p.m. EDT on Friday, July 27, 
2012.

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 via http://www.grants.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: All technical or programmatic 
questions concerning this announcement should be directed to P. 
Elizabeth Taylor, Correctional Program Specialist, National Institute 
of Corrections. You may reach her by phone at 800-995-6423 extension 3-
9354 or by email at [email protected]. In addition to the direct reply, 
all questions and responses will be posted on NIC's Web site at 
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 4 p.m. 
EDT on Friday, July 20, 2012 will

[[Page 41802]]

be answered and posted on the NIC Web site.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Overview: Jail populations comprise accused, 
convicted but un-sentenced, and sentenced individuals, including those 
with holds for agencies like parole, probation, and immigration. It is 
a population of individuals who often also appear on the rosters of 
other agencies providing services for mental health, substance abuse, 
homelessness, unemployment, social services, and a variety of medical 
and public health concerns. Upon release, it is extremely likely that 
these individuals will remain in the community where the jail is 
located. Recent changes in California will result in many persons 
serving their entire sentence in local jails when in the past they 
would have been in state prison. Therefore, it is in the community's 
interest that the needs and challenges facing individuals in jail be 
addressed effectively and that ultimate responsibility for their 
behavior rests not just with the jail but with the community and its 
agencies in general.
    While the safety and security of staff and confined individuals 
must always be the paramount responsibility of jail administrators, 
transition or reentry is not an issue that jail administrators can or 
should address exclusively. Partnering with community resource 
providers and expertise outside the jail dramatically increases 
opportunities for success once individuals are released. Some 
communities include pretrial diversion and/or release as important 
components of transition/reentry strategies. Effective transition 
relies on collaboration with public human services agencies, nonprofit 
and faith-based organizations, assessment of risk and need, and the use 
of evidence-based practices to guide targeted case planning. NIC 
recognizes that its resources permit direct assistance to only a very 
few jurisdictions. Therefore, products from the implementation of the 
TJC model in a California jurisdiction will be developed to share with 
other jails and communities for their future consideration and use.
    Background: NIC began funding a Transition from Prison to the 
Community (TPC) initiative during Fiscal Year 2000. The NIC TJC 
Transition/Reentry Model was developed in 2007 and provided assistance 
to six jurisdictions in phase 1 of its multi-phase program. In May 
2012, NIC requested applications for a second set of six jurisdictions, 
and it is anticipated that site selection will be completed by July 30, 
2012. This initiative focuses specifically on TJC implementation in at 
least two California jurisdictions and includes the following 
objectives: (1) To assist with the execution of the California 
realignment process (AB 109), (2) To identify lessons that selected 
California jails can share specifically with other counties in the 
state, and (3) To provide more general information about TJC for a 
nationwide audience.

TPC/TJC History

    Six jurisdictions received assistance during the Phase 1 award 
period: Orange County, CA; Denver County, CO; Kent County, MI; LaCrosse 
County, WI; Davidson County, TN; and Douglas County, KS. Phase 1 
started with the provider convening a national advisory group and 
building an effective TJC model that incorporates NIC suggested 
correctional practices like risk assessment at admission; 
implementation of evidence-based practices targeting the higher risk 
offenders; and strategic collaboration among criminal justice agencies, 
other local agencies, and nongovernmental community groups for the 
purpose of public safety (thus reducing the likelihood of released 
individuals subsequently committing a crime in the community). In 
addition to providing quality direct technical assistance, NIC funded 
the development of tools and products for use by non-participating 
jurisdictions so that it might share with others those lessons learned 
from the participating sites. NIC also funded the development of the 
TJC Tool Kit, an online resource, and began using WebEx as a technical 
assistance tool for maintaining project momentum without requiring as 
many costly trips to sites. NIC will soon select a second set of six 
jurisdictions from around the country--TJC Phase 2 sites--and will 
focus this current award specifically on at least two California 
jurisdictions.
    Purpose: Applicants will submit a proposal designed to achieve and 
complete the following:
    Scope of Work: The overall goal of Transition from Jail to the 
Community (TJC) is to improve public safety and reintegration outcomes 
for exiting jail inmates. Specifically, TJC seeks to (1) improve public 
safety by reducing the threat of harm to persons and property from 
individuals released from local jails to their home communities and (2) 
increase successful integration outcomes for persons newly released, 
focusing on areas like employment retention, sobriety, reduced 
homelessness, improved health, and family connectedness.
    Applicants must discuss the context and implications of this 
project goal in the current environment, and they must specifically 
describe how they will achieve each of the eight objectives that 
follow. Also included in the application must be a discussion about a 
proposed selection process for project sites (with participation by 
NIC), a description of project staff, milestones and projected 
timelines, and other elements that speak to their organizational 
capacity to manage this initiative.
    Objective 1--The awardee will be responsible for helping the 
California sites achieve the TJC goal of developing a systems change 
process involving collaborative strategic planning. Other core 
components include (1) Collaboration and joint ownership; (2) local 
strategic planning; (3) ``reentry for all,'' where no group in the jail 
is automatically excluded from the TJC approach; (4) continuity of care 
in multiple service areas; (5) evidence-based practices, where programs 
and processes are based on the body of evidence regarding effective 
practice; and (6) data-driven decisionmaking and self-evaluation.
    Objective 2--Provide strategically focused technical assistance, 
both in person onsite and remotely by efficient use of distance 
technology. NIC can provide access as needed to its WebEx resource.
    Objective 3--Develop an evaluation component of the TJC initiative 
to (1) enhance local capacity for self-evaluation through the provision 
of evaluation-related technical assistance and (2) document 
implementation of the TJC model in learning sites. A related objective 
of the implementation evaluation is to measure evidence of systems 
change in each community (i.e., the extent to which implementation of 
the TJC model changed ``business as usual'' in these communities, 
including how and for whom).
    Objective 4--Create tools for the field. Part of the intent of the 
TJC initiative is to inform jail-to-community transition practice 
beyond the learning sites through two primary activities: (1) 
Development and dissemination of tools to local jurisdictions 
interested in improving their jail transition work and (2) obtaining 
and disseminating results of the implementation and systems change 
evaluations. A primary vehicle for the dissemination of TJC concepts 
and tools to the field is the NIC Web site. Project team members may 
speak at conferences and workshops and publish articles. In addition, 
the awardee should develop end-of-project practitioner-oriented briefs.
    Objective 5--Pretrial system enhancements: Assess/reassess the TJC 
model to determine whether and how it

[[Page 41803]]

should be strengthened with regard to pretrial strategies, polices, 
tools, and expectations. The awardee should include relevant change 
strategies as part of the overall technical assistance effort.
    Objective 6--Assist at least two California county partnership 
teams with implementation of the NIC's TJC Model. The history and 
context for NIC's Transition from Prison to Community (TPC) and 
Transition from Jail to Community (TJC) initiatives are reflected in 
materials presented at http://nicic.gov/TPJC. The TJC Online Learning 
Toolkit (http://nicic.gov/TJCToolkit2) also draws on the implementation 
experiences of the six first round learning sites. The Web page and 
links combined with material from the toolkit's nine modules include 
information, tools, and resources associated with implementing all the 
elements of the TJC model. This is NIC's model that selected sites will 
implement in the AB 109-influenced California counties. It is also the 
portion of project activity that demands the preponderance of time, 
attention, and resource.
    Objective 7--Facilitate a forum for other California counties. 
There will be much interest in what participating jurisdictions are 
learning that may have relevance elsewhere in the state. Therefore, a 
second-level priority is a requirement that the awardee work with NIC 
to develop a forum to share lessons learned with other California 
counties. Applicants must explain the details of their proposed 
strategies, approach, and approximate resource demand.
    Objective 8--Responding to nationwide interest. There will be 
significant interest from around the country about how effective TJC 
will be in the AB 109 environment. As the lowest priority consuming the 
smallest funding commitment, the awardee will disseminate information 
on a national level to practitioners, stakeholders, and policymakers 
interested in program outcomes. Applicants must explain the details of 
their proposed strategies, approach, and approximate resource demand.
    Specific Requirements: Documents or other media that are produced 
under this award must follow these guidelines: Prior to the preparation 
of the final draft of any document or other media, the awardee must 
consult with NIC's writer/editor concerning the acceptable formats for 
manuscript submissions and the technical specifications for electronic 
media. 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 
can be found on the NIC Web site at www.nicic.gov/cooperativeagreements. In addition, awardees should adhere to NIC's 
recommendations for plain language writing, which is available on the 
NIC Web site at www.nicic.gov/plainlanguage.
    All final documents and other media submitted for posting on the 
NIC Web site must meet the federal government's requirement for 
accessibility (e.g., 508 PDF or HTML file). The awardee must provide 
descriptive text interpreting all graphics, photos, graphs, and/or 
multimedia to be included with or distributed alongside the materials 
and must provide transcripts for all applicable audio/visual works.
    Application Requirements: Applications should be concisely written, 
typed double spaced and reference the project by the ``NIC Opportunity 
Number'' and title in this announcement. The package must include: 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); 
a program narrative (not to exceed 12 pages) in response to the 
statement of work and a budget narrative explaining projected costs. 
The following forms must also be included: OMB Standard Form 424, 
Application for Federal Assistance; OMB Standard Form 424A, Budget 
information--Non-Construction Programs; OMB Standard Form 424B, 
Assurances--Non-Construction Programs (these forms are 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://nicic.gov/Downloads/General/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.

    Authority: Pub. L. 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 be used only for 
the activities that are linked to the desired outcome of the project. 
The amount of the award will not exceed $450,000.
    This project will be a collaborative venture with the Community 
Services Division of NIC.
    Eligibility of Applicants: An eligible applicant is any public or 
private agency, educational institution, organization, individual, or 
team with expertise in the described areas.
    Review Considerations: Applications received under this 
announcement will be subject to the NIC Review Process. Applications 
considered unresponsive will be disqualified. The criteria for the 
evaluation of each application will be as follows:

Programmatic (60%)

    Is there demonstrated knowledge of NIC's Transition from Jail to 
Community Initiative? Is there demonstrated knowledge of techniques 
and/or interventions that successfully address offender transition/
reentry issues? Is there demonstrated knowledge and/or experience with 
strategic planning and/or systems' change processes? Is there 
demonstrated knowledge of data-driven decisionmaking and self-
evaluation? Are project goals/objectives adequately discussed? Is there 
a clear statement of how project goals will be accomplished, including 
major objectives that will lead to achieving the goal, the strategies 
to be employed, required staffing, and other required resources? Are 
there any innovative approaches, techniques, or design aspects proposed 
that will enhance the project?

Organizational (20%)

    Do the skills, knowledge, and expertise of the organization and the 
proposed project staff demonstrate a high level of competency to 
complete the objectives? Does the applicant/organization have the 
necessary experience and organizational capacity to complete all the 
goals of the project? Are the proposed project management and staffing 
plans realistic and sufficient to complete the project within the 12-
month time frame?

Project Management/Administration (20%)

    Does the applicant identify reasonable objectives, milestones, and 
measures to track progress? If consultants and/or partnerships are 
proposed, is there a reasonable justification for their inclusion in 
the project and a clear structure to ensure effective coordination? Is 
the proposed budget realistic, does it provide sufficient cost detail/
narrative, and does it represent

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good value relative to the anticipated results?

    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.bpn.gov/ccr. A CCR Handbook and worksheet can also be 
reviewed at the Web site.
    Number of Awards: One.
    NIC Opportunity Number: 12CS16. 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: 16.603.

    Executive Order 12372: This program is subject to the provisions of 
Executive Order 12372. E.O. 12372 allows states the option of setting 
up a system for reviewing applications from within their states for 
assistance under certain Federal programs. Applicants (other than 
Federally-recognized Indian tribal governments) should contact their 
State Single Point of Contact (SPOC), a list of which can be found at 
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_spoc.

Morris L. Thigpen,
Director, National Institute of Corrections.
[FR Doc. 2012-17192 Filed 7-13-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-36-P