[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 11 (Wednesday, January 16, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3450-3453]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-00846]


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

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

National Institute of Corrections


Solicitation for a Cooperative Agreement: Development of 
Materials Specific to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex 
(LGBTI) Offenders in Corrections

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

ACTION: Solicitation for a Cooperative Agreement.

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

SUMMARY: The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) is seeking 
applications from organizations, groups, or individuals to enter into a 
cooperative agreement with NIC for a 12-month period to develop a white 
paper specific to recommended best practices in the safe and respectful 
management of the LGBTI offender population both in custody and on 
community supervision.

DATES: Applications must be received by 4:00 p.m. (EDT) on Thursday, 
January 31, 2013.
    Applicants are encouraged to submit their application 
electronically via http://www.grants.gov.
    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.
    Faxed or emailed applications will not be accepted.

For Further Information:  A copy of this announcement and links to the 
required application forms can be downloaded from the NIC Web site at 
http://www.nicic.gov/cooperativeagreements.

[[Page 3451]]

    All technical or programmatic questions concerning this 
announcement should be directed to Lorie Brisbin, Correctional Program 
Specialist, National Institute of Corrections, Community Services 
Division. Ms. Brisbin can be reached directly at 1-800-995-6423 ext. 
40099 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 or affiliations 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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Overview: The materials developed through this cooperative 
agreement are intended for a broad audience of corrections 
professionals and related stakeholders working in jail, prison, 
juvenile detention, and community corrections (probation, parole and 
pretrial) organizations. Awardees should develop the materials based on 
current research, knowledge, best practice, and specific information 
related to the experiences of corrections professionals and the target 
population. NIC will use the materials to define, identify, 
acknowledge, and address the safe and respectful management of the 
LGBTI offender. The deliverables will help advance and foster 
professional correctional environments while positively influencing 
systems, staff, and justice-involved men and women.
    Background: The National Institute of Corrections provides support 
to federal, state, and local criminal justice organizations nationally. 
In 1974, Congress established NIC both as a center for the 
dissemination of timely correctional knowledge and professional 
training and as a place to exchange and discuss advances in criminal 
justice practice. Correctional agencies face many challenges 
surrounding the safe management of the populations they house and 
supervise. Due in part to changes in federal and state laws and the 
outcome of successful offender litigation, the management of LGBTI 
offenders in custody has become an emerging correctional issue that 
deserves special attention. While gender non-conforming offenders have 
always been present within correctional facilities and on caseloads, 
the current environment suggests the need for helping correctional 
agencies identify responsible and safe practices that are respectful of 
differences and that have the potential to reduce agencies' 
susceptibility to liability and litigation.
    In the past several years, various changes to federal and state 
laws have created and expanded the rights of individuals identifying as 
non-heterosexual or otherwise gender non-conforming. The repeal of the 
policy banning military staff from serving as openly gay (``Don't Ask, 
Don't Tell''), the expansion of protections under hate crime and 
housing laws, and the adoption of same-sex marriage laws are a few 
examples of some of these changes. While it is unclear how many of the 
free-world rights and privileges will affect the offender population, 
the promulgation of the Prison Rape Elimination Act Standards is 
beginning to have an impact regarding the management of the LGBTI 
population.
    The LGBTI offender population has some very particular issues 
associated with certain aspects of the correctional experience, such as 
housing, classification, and placement; medical and mental health 
treatment; clothing and grooming; drug testing; and interactions with 
staff. As a general group, they are also more likely to be victims of 
sexually abusive acts while in custody according to surveys conducted 
by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), which indicate that non-
heterosexual adult offenders report higher rates of sexual 
victimization while in custody. Similar surveys by BJS in juvenile 
facilities show even higher rates of sexual victimization among non-
heterosexual juvenile offenders. Similarly, a 2009 BJS research report 
cited findings that transgender offenders experienced sexual 
victimization at a rate twenty times higher than a random sampling of 
offenders in the same facility.
    Unfortunately, there is a remarkable lack of research regarding the 
LGBTI population's experience of incarceration and supervision. There 
are a number of reasons for this. Most notably, it is because few 
agencies collect data regarding sexual orientation and the hesitation 
of offenders to provide the information. Consequently, it is unclear 
how many offenders identify as non-heterosexual or otherwise gender 
non-conforming. A recent report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics 
indicates that there were 2,239,800 individuals in custody in prisons 
and jails and 4,814,200 on probation or parole for 2011. A Gallup 
report published in October 2012 by the Williams Institute reported 
that 3.4% of US adults identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or 
transgender. Therefore, a conservative estimate could be made based 
upon this 3.4%, indicating that there could potentially have been 
76,153 non-heterosexual offenders in custody and as many as 163,682 on 
probation or parole for 2011. However, a Bureau of Justice Statistics 
study in 2006 contained self-report data for in-custody offenders 
indicating that 11% in men's facilities and 28% in women's facilities 
identified as lesbian, gay, or bisexual, so the number may be 
considerably higher.
    Statement of Work: The objective of this cooperative agreement is 
to develop informational materials reflecting best practices that NIC 
will use to assist the field in responding to challenges associated 
with the LGBTI offender population.
    Activities and products from this cooperative agreement will 
include a review of the NIC annotated bibliography to identify 
additional items for inclusion in that publication, the convening and 
facilitating of a work session comprised of researchers and 
practitioners (both correctional and non-correctional) to organize and 
synthesize the available research and knowledge on this topic, and the 
development of informational materials to be determined by content. 
Resulting products will be in the public domain and available through 
the National Institute of Corrections Web site and Information Center.
    Tasks to be performed through this cooperative agreement include: 
(1) Reviewing the current annotated bibliography, conducting a 
literature search, and providing recommendations for the inclusion of 
additional materials relevant to jails, prisons, juvenile detention, 
community corrections, and other relevant disciplines. (2) convening a 
working session at an approved federal training location for up to 10 
participants, including researchers and corrections practitioners; 
designing the working agenda; providing facilitation; and using content 
from the session to inform project deliverables. Working session 
participants will be identified in close cooperation with and with the 
approval of the project staff. Some travel expenses may be covered by 
NIC and therefore are negotiable depending on the meeting and/or 
successful applicant's location. (3) working with NIC project staff, 
and designated experts to draft informational materials reflecting best 
practices on the safe and respectful management of LGBTI offenders both 
in custody and on supervision; distributing the materials for peer 
review; revising the draft; and publishing the final products. (4) 
creating a final report that summarizes the project and provides 
recommendations for follow up work on this topic. This project will be

[[Page 3452]]

completed in conjunction with the NIC Community Services Division and 
the awardee will work closely with NIC staff on all aspects of the 
project. The awardee will participate in an initial meeting with 
designated NIC staff for a project overview and preliminary planning. 
Additionally, the awardee will meet routinely with NIC staff to discuss 
the activities noted in the project timeline submitted during the 
course of the cooperative agreement. Meetings will be held no less than 
quarterly and may be conducted via webinar with at least one onsite as 
agreed upon by NIC and the awardee.
    Required Expertise: The successful applicant will at a minimum 
understand the current state of legislation regarding LGBTI rights in 
the free world as well as current case law affecting the LGBTI in-
custody population; have broad experience and in-depth knowledge of the 
issues encountered by correctional agencies in the management of this 
population, whether working in an institutional environment or 
community-based setting; have knowledge about the effect of 
correctional culture and the challenges in maintaining a professional 
and respectful environment; be familiar with relevant research; have 
expertise in meeting facilitation; and have knowledge of evidence-based 
practices and its application to corrections.
    Document Requirements: The length of documents should be determined 
by content. Brevity and clarity are encouraged. Documents and other 
products developed under this award must follow these guidelines. Prior 
to the preparation of the final draft of any document or other product, 
the awardee must consult with NIC's writer/editor concerning the 
acceptable formats for submissions. The awardee must follow the 
guidelines listed herein as well as follow (1) the Guidelines for 
Preparing and Submitting Manuscripts for Publication as found in the 
``General Guidelines for Cooperative Agreements,'' which can be found 
on our Web site at www.nicic.gov/cooperativeagreements and (2) NIC 
recommendations for producing products using plain language, which can 
be found at www.nicic.gov/plainlanguage.
    All final documents and other materials submitted under this 
project may be posted on the NIC Web site and must meet the federal 
government's requirement for accessibility (e.g., 508 PDFs or HTML 
files). The awardee must provide descriptive text interpreting all 
graphics, photos, graphs, and/or multimedia that will be included with 
or distributed alongside the materials and must provide transcripts for 
all applicable audio/visual works.
    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 under 
which the applicant operates (e.g. July 1 through June 30); an outline 
of projected costs with the budget and strategy narratives described in 
the announcement. The following additional 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 www.grants.gov); DOJ/FBOP/NIC Certification Regarding 
Lobbying, Debarment, Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters; and 
the Drug-Free Workplace Requirements (available at http://www.nicic.gov/Downloads/General/certif-frm.pdf.
    Applications should be concisely written, typed double spaced, and 
reference the NIC opportunity number and title referenced in this 
announcement. If you are submitting in hard copy, please include an 
original and three copies of your full proposal (program and budget 
narrative, application forms, assurances, and other descriptions). The 
original should have the applicant's signature in blue ink. Electronic 
submissions will be accepted only via www.grants.gov.
    Place the following at the top of the abstract: Project title; 
Applicant name (Legal name of applicant organization); Mailing address; 
Contact phone numbers (voice, fax); Email address; Web site address, if 
applicable.
    The narrative portion of the application should include, at a 
minimum: A statement indicating the applicant's understanding of the 
project's purpose and objectives. The applicant should state this in 
language other than that used in the solicitation.
    Project Design and Implementation: This section should describe the 
design and implementation of the project and how the awardee aims to 
address key design and implementation issues and challenges.
    Project Management: Chart of measurable project milestones and 
timelines for the completion of each milestone.
    Capabilities and Competencies: This section should describe the 
qualifications of the applicant organization, any partner organizations 
to do the work proposed, and the expertise of key staff to be involved 
in the project. Attach resumes that document relevant knowledge, 
skills, and abilities needed for each staff member assigned to complete 
the project. If the applicant organization has completed similar 
projects in the past, please include the URL/Web site or ISBN number 
for accessing a copy of the referenced work.
    Budget: The budget should detail all costs for the project, show 
consideration for all contingencies for the project, note a commitment 
to work within the proposed budget, and demonstrate the ability to 
provide deliverables according to schedule.

    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 objectives of this solicitation. Funds may be used only 
for the activities linked to the desired outcome of the project. The 
funding amount should not exceed $30,000 for a period of 12 months.
    Eligibility of Applicants: An eligible applicant is any state or 
general unit of government, private agency, educational institution, 
organization, individual, or team with expertise in the described 
areas. Applicants must have demonstrated ability to implement a project 
of this size and scope.
    Review Considerations: Among the criteria used to evaluate the 
applications are indication of a clear understanding of the project 
requirements as stated in the solicitation; background, experience, and 
expertise of the proposed project staff, including any sub-contractors; 
effectiveness of an innovative approach to the project; a clear, 
concise description of all elements and tasks of the project, with 
sufficient and realistic timeframes 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 proposed budget; and indication of 
availability to work with NIC staff.
    Applications received under this announcement will be subject to a 
collaborative review process. The criteria for the evaluation of each 
application will be as follows:

Programmatic: 40 Points

    Are all of the tasks and activities adequately covered? Is there a 
clear description of how the applicant will

[[Page 3453]]

accomplish each project activity, including major tasks; the strategies 
to be employed; required staffing; responsible parties, and other 
required resources? Are there any unique or exceptional approaches, 
techniques, or design aspects proposed that will enhance the project?

Project Management and Administration: 20 Points

    Does the applicant identify milestones and measures that 
demonstrate achievement of the specific tasks? Are the proposed 
management and staffing plans clear, realistic, and sufficient to 
complete the project? Is the applicant willing to meet with NIC as 
specified in the solicitation for this cooperative agreement?

Organizational and Project Staff Background: 30 Points

    Do the skills, knowledge, and expertise of the organization and the 
proposed project staff demonstrate a high level of competency to 
complete the tasks? Does the applicant/organization have the necessary 
experience and organizational capacity to meet all objectives of the 
project? If the applicant proposes consultants and/or partnerships, is 
there a reasonable justification for their inclusion in the project and 
a clear structure to ensure effective coordination?

Budget: 10 Points

    Is the proposed budget realistic, does it provide sufficient cost 
detail/narrative, and does it represent good value relative to the 
anticipated results? Does the application include a chart that aligns 
the budget with project activities along a timeline with, at minimum, 
quarterly benchmarks? In terms of program value, is the estimated cost 
reasonable in relation to the work to be performed and project 
products?

    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).

    Applicants can obtain a DUNS number at no cost by calling the 
dedicated toll-free request line at 800-333-0505. Applicants who are 
sole proprietors should dial 866-705-5711 and select option 1.
    Applicants may register in the CCR online at the CCR Web site: 
www.ccr.gov. Applicants can also review a CCR handbook and worksheet at 
this Web site.

Number of Awards: One

    NIC Opportunity Number: 13CS06. 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.

Robert Brown, Jr.,
Acting Director, National Institute of Corrections.
[FR Doc. 2013-00846 Filed 1-15-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-36-P