[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 119 (Tuesday, June 22, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33322-33323]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-15787]
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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
National Institute of Corrections
Solicitation for a Cooperative Agreement
SUMMARY: The Department of Justice (DOJ), National Institute of
Corrections (NIC), announces the availability of funds in FY 1999 for a
cooperative agreement to fund the ``Classification of Women Offenders''
project.
A cooperative agreement is a form of assistance relationship where
the National Institute of Corrections is substantially involved during
the performance of the award. An award is made to an organization that
will, in concert with the Institute, provide assistance to correctional
agencies making enhancements in their classification systems to develop
classification instruments and procedures that are valid and
appropriate for women offenders. The project will entail an assessment
of the current status of classification of women offenders nationally
by determining which state systems have initiated the development of
classification instruments and operational procedures to address the
requirements of this offender population.
Assistance will be provided under this cooperative agreement to at
least three agencies requesting technical assistance in assessing
current practices and operational procedures and the impact of their
classification systems on women offenders. The recipient of the
cooperative agreement will conduct onsite assessments of the
classification systems at participating agencies; provide assistance
and oversight in revising the instruments and procedures, as necessary;
and provide technical assistance and training. Prison systems selected
for participation will have the resources necessary to make
enhancements, to provide data for analysis, and the capacity to measure
outcomes and impact of the classification systems implemented. A
steering committee will be appointed by each agency to coordinate
activities related to the project. No funds are transferred to state or
local governments.
Background: It is assumed that because women offenders represent a
small percentage of the total inmate population, and present a lower
level of institutional and public risk, many correctional agencies have
not addressed the gender-specific and validation concerns related to
differences in risks and program needs of women offenders. An
evaluation of the procedures and instrument for intake assessment,
initial classification and reclassification is required to determine if
the objective classification criteria developed for an offender
population which is predominately male results in over-classification
and inadequate service delivery with the female population.
Classification systems should to be monitored and periodically
evaluated to ensure the system is working as designed. Classification
systems should also be validated on both the male and female offender
population to determine what impact the system has on inmate operations
and assessing risks and needs. This cooperative agreement will
concentrate on the female population.
NIC has announced the availability of technical assistance through
the annual Program Plan and will send letters to agency directors
advising them that their agencies can apply for assistance through this
project. A selection of states will be made by NIC and the cooperative
agreement awardee. The selections will be based on criteria that will
be established to find correctional agencies with the interest, need
and resources for this type of assistance.
Purpose: The National Institute of Corrections is seeking
applications for a cooperative agreement to do the project management
to assist correctional agencies to plan and evaluate their
classification systems to address the
[[Page 33323]]
gender-specific issues; develop classification instruments that are
valid and appropriate for women offenders to assess risks and needs;
guide the agencies in the development of a plan for implementation of
changes that may result from this work; and develop detailed reports on
each state project and the national assessment. It is anticipated that
subject to satisfactory completion of the first phase of work, the
recipient of the FY 1999 cooperative agreement will be awarded the
cooperative agreement for the continuation of work through a second
year in FY 2000, to assist additional correctional agencies and produce
a publication.
Authority: Public Law 93-415.
Funds Available: The award will be limited to a maximum total of
$100,000 (direct and indirect costs) and project activity must be
completed within 12 months of the date of the award. Funds may only be
used for the activities that are linked to the desired outcomes of the
project. This project will be a collaborative venture with the NIC
Prisons Division.
All products from this funding effort will be in public domain and
available to interested agencies through the National Institute of
Corrections.
Deadline for Receipt of Applications: Applications must be received
by 4:00 p.m. on Friday, July 30, 1999. They should be addressed to:
National Institute of Corrections, 320 First Street, NW, Room 5007,
Washington, D.C. 20534, Attention: Administrative Officer. Hand
delivered applications can be brought to 500 First Street, NW,
Washington, D.C. 20534. The front desk will call Bobbi Tinsley at (202)
307-3106, extension 0 for pickup.
Addresses and Further Information: Requests for the application
kit, which consists of a copy of this announcement and copies of the
required forms, should be directed to Judy Evens, Cooperative Agreement
Control Office, National Institute of Corrections, 320 First Street,
N.W., Room 5007, Washington, D.C. 20534 or by calling (800) 995-6423,
extension 159 or (202) 307-3106, extension 159. She can also be
contacted by E-mail via jevens@bop.gov. All technical and/or
programmatic questions concerning this announcement should be directed
to Sammie D. Brown at the above address or by calling (800) 995-6423,
or (202) 307-3106, extension 126, or by E-mail via sbrown@bop.gov.
Application forms may also be obtained through the NIC website: http://
www.nicic.org.
Eligible Applicants: An eligible applicant is any private or non-
profit organization, institution, individual, or team with expertise in
both prison classification and women offender issues.
Review Considerations: Applications received under this
announcement will be subjected to an NIC three to five member Peer
Review Process.
Number of Awards: One (1).
NIC Application Number: 99P03. This number should appear as a
reference line in the cover letter and also in box 11 of Standard Form
424.
Executive Order 12372: This program is subject to the provisions of
Executive Order 12372. Executive Order 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 is included
in the application kit, along with further instructions on proposed
projects serving more than one State.
The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number is: 16.603.
Morris L. Thigpen,
Director, National Institute of Corrections.
[FR Doc. 99-15787 Filed 6-21-99; 8:45 am]
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