State Justice Statistics Program 
for Statistical Analysis Centers
Program Application Guidelines
Fiscal Year 1999


U.S. Department of Justice 
Office of Justice Programs
Bureau of Justice Statistics

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This announcement is one in a series. 
 More recent editions may be available.  
 To view a list of all in the series go to the Funding page
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/funding.htm#sjs


Note to readers of the ASCII version:
This file is text only without appendices. 
The full report including appendices in .pdf format are available from: 
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/sjspsac99.htm.
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April 1999, NCJ 176333

U.S. Department of Justice
Bureau of Justice Statistics
Jan M. Chaiken, Ph.D.
Director

Contents

Message from the Director    
Purpose    
New direction    
Background    
    Goals    
    Objectives    
Program strategy    
Support to established SACs    
Themes for the Fiscal 1999 SJS cycle    
Eligibility requirements    
Selection criteria   
Award period    
Award amount    
When to apply    
Privacy certification    
Contact    

Application and administrative
requirements    
    Application content    
    Financial and administrative
        requirements    
    Civil rights obligations   
    Audit requirement   
    Disclosure of Federal 
        participation   
    Intergovernmental review
        of Federal programs    
     
Application forms    

Privacy certification     


Message from the Director

It is my pleasure to present you with the program
announcement for the State Justice Statistics (SJS) 
Program for Statistical Analysis Centers for  
Fiscal Year 1999.  On behalf of your BJS state 
monitors and the components of the Office of Justice
Programs that are our partners in funding this 
program, I want to tell you how pleased we are 
with the content of applications and research 
products under this program.

The themes selected for the SJS program each year 
enable SACs to apply for Federal funding to conduct 
research and analysis of the most critical and 
significant of criminal justice issues facing 
policy planners and decision makers today. These
themes also establish the framework within which 
topics are selected for the annual conference 
co-sponsored by the Justice Research and Statistics 
Association and the Bureau of Justice Statistics.

As you will see, the themes for this year remain 
unchanged from last year, although there has been 
some reordering and modification of them, increasing 
the emphasis on analysis of criminal history records.
As long ago as 1972, when the concept of state 
statistical analysis centers was first given life 
as part of a multi-component funding vehicle called 
the Comprehensive Data Systems program, it has been 
the belief of many people that criminal history 
record information databases offered justice 
researchers and analysts a rich opportunity for 
examining the fascinating correlates of crime and its
perpetrators.

Once again, this year's themes reflect the continued 
and strong support of the Office of Juvenile Justice 
and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP).  As it did last 
year, OJJDP is making funds available through the 
Juvenile Accountability Incentive Block Grant (JAIBG)
program.  Over the course of the last year, sixteen 
SACs have taken advantage of the funding opportunities 
of this theme.  We look forward to seeing the results 
of your work that has been made possible by the 
partnership between BJS and OJJDP.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the founding 
of the Justice Research and Statistics Association.  
BJS's continuing commitment to funding a portion of 
JRSA and SAC activities every year is testimony to 
the value of this partnership which is benefiting a 
diverse audience of policy makers and researchers.

As always, I welcome your suggestions and comments 
for improving and enhancing the State Justice 
Statistics program.

                  Jan M. Chaiken, Ph.D., Director
                  Bureau of Justice Statistics            


Fiscal Year 1999 Application Guidelines

A. Purpose  
    
This program announcement describes the
guidelines and requirements of the Fiscal
Year 1999 State Justice Statistics (SJS)
Program for Statistical Analysis Centers
(SACs).  The SJS Program, first announced
in Federal Fiscal Year 1997, supplants the
State-Level Statistical Analysis Centers and
Information Network Program.  Since 1972,
the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) and its
predecessor agency, the National Criminal
Justice Information and Statistics Service,
have provided partial support to State
governments for the establishment and
operation of Statistical Analysis Centers
(SACs) to collect, analyze, and report
statistics on crime and justice to Federal,
State, and local levels of government, and to
share State-level information nationally.  The
information produced by SACs and their
involvement in criminal justice projects has
been and will continue to be critical to State,
local, and Federal criminal justice agencies
and community organizations in their efforts
to combat drugs and crime and to improve the
administration of justice. 

This SJS Program is a shift from SAC
support funded exclusively by BJS to a
coordinated solicitation involving other Office
of Justice Programs (OJP) agencies.  During
the first two years of the SJS Program we
were pleased to have as a partner the Office
of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention (OJJDP), which again this year
has agreed to fund projects which examine
critical juvenile justice issues. 

BJS also administers the National Criminal
History Improvement Program (NCHIP),
which implements the grant provisions of the
Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, the
National Child Protection Act of 1993, the
Stalker and Domestic Violence Reduction
provisions of the Violence Against Women
Act, and related legislation.  In each State, a
single agency has been designated by the
governor to coordinate the State's NCHIP
applications, but BJS has encouraged SAC
directors to contact their State NCHIP
administrator so as to participate in their
State's application for NCHIP funds, and
NCHIP administrators were asked to
demonstrate that they had coordinated
requests related to statistical analyses with
their State's SAC.  Ongoing efforts to
evaluate or monitor progress in meeting
legislative or program goals through
statistical or other related means have been
allowed activities for SAC funding under BJS
grants to NCHIP agencies, and specific SAC
research studies relating to use of handguns
are also being funded separately under
NCHIP.
 
In Fiscal Year 1998, the National Sex
Offender Registry Assistance Program
(NSOR-AP) was established as an additional
component of NCHIP.  In Fiscal Year 1999
the NCHIP program will include funding for
activities related to establishing  sex offender
registries at the State level which  supports
the President's goals of establishing an
effective national registry of sex offenders. 
This registry, to be operated and maintained
by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI),
will depend upon the States' ability to
contribute to the FBI accurate and timely data
about convicted sex offenders.  Applicants
who choose Theme 98B (described below) are
eligible for supplemental funding if their
work is related to their State's sex offender
registry or to issues of sharing sex offender
registration information between states.

BJS's goal is to maintain and enhance each
State's capacity to address criminal justice
issues through collection and analysis of data.
The State Justice Statistics program simplifies
the process by which SACs can obtain
funding, possibly in partnership with other
agencies, from the full spectrum of funding
available through BJS and other components
of the Office of Justice Programs that pass
funds to BJS to enhance the SJS program. 
Examples included in this announcement are
the OJJDP-supported themes described in
Section F.  BJS also continues to support
those SACs located in States with a Safe
Kids-Safe Streets program, administered by
OJJDP, the Weed and Seed Office, and the
Violence Against Women Act grant office. 


B. Direction
   
The State Justice Statistics (SJS) Program for
Statistical Analysis Centers is oriented around
issues and products.  Each application for
funding under this program must identify the
participating organizations in the State and the
particular issues to be addressed. Each year,
BJS announces specific topics and products it
is encouraging (Section F, below) and asks
applicants to give careful consideration to
planning activities that fit within one or more
of the designated topics. If a SAC does not
feel that any of the topics is relevant to its
own State, it may identify a topic or statistical
activity of critical importance to its
jurisdiction.

The SJS program themes are selected jointly
by BJS and Justice Research and Statistics
Association (JRSA) staff and selected SAC
Directors as reflective of issues of current
concern and significance to criminal justice
practitioners.  JRSA will also play a lead role
in publishing a report based on a compilation
of state reports on one of the selected themes,
which will be highlighted in each
announcement.
 
BJS recognizes the value and importance of
clearinghouse activities historically exercised
by the SACs and continues to support
collection of statistical data and publication of
statistical reports on general topics related to
crime or the administration of justice.


C.  Background
   
In the United States, most criminal justice
activities take place at State and local levels
of government.  The systematic collection and
analysis of data on these activities enable BJS
to comply with its charter to publish and
disseminate statistical information on crime
and the operation of justice systems, giving
emphasis to State and local justice system
needs.  State and local governments use the
data for policy analysis, planning, and
conducting their justice system operations and
evaluations. 

BJS is specifically authorized by statute (42
U.S.C. 3732) to provide assistance in the
development of State and local government
justice information systems, and directed to
give primary emphasis to the problems of
State and local justice systems (42 U.S.C.
3731).  BJS works in cooperation with the
States through a network of SACs.  These
Centers were established with support from
BJS and its predecessor agency, the National
Criminal Justice Information and Statistics
Service (NCJISS).  Currently, there are SACs
in 47 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto
Rico, and the Northern Mariana Islands. 

1. Goals

!    Enhance the capabilities of the States to
     collect, analyze, and interpret data on
     justice issues relevant to the States and the
     Nation; 

!    Make maximum use of State statistical
     organizations and State-level data
     collected by BJS and other Department of
     Justice components;
     
!    Provide a mechanism which supports the
     collection and sharing of vital justice
     system data among the States and between
     the States and the Federal Government;
     and 

!    Better serve the information needs of the
     States and Federal Government by
     providing a core body of knowledge about
     the administration of criminal justice in
     each State.

2. Objectives
     
Provide support to the SACs to:

!    participate in projects whose research,
     data collection, and analysis is
     coordinated across states and which
     results in a publication by JRSA.  This
     theme will normally be of significant
     interest to policy makers, and the results
     of analysis done on this theme should
     support their efforts.


!    produce statistical reports on crime,
     criminal offenders, and the justice
     system;
     
!    develop improved justice statistical
     and information systems and maintain
     data service functions in the State; and 

!    support BJS data gathering efforts in
     individual States including statistics
     needed for all national data series and
     in support of NCHIP and NCHIP-related topics.
          
  
D. Program Strategy
   
The SJS program is designed to provide
financial support which will supplement State
funding of the SAC and will support activities
for both State and national benefit, as well as
provide technical and financial assistance for
related research and data collection projects. 
SACs are strongly encouraged to produce and
provide to BJS written products reflecting
analytical efforts undertaken as a part of this
program, and to document their plans for
such publications in the application for
funding under this program. 

BJS guidelines for the NCHIP grant program
recommend that the State agency applying for
these funds consult the SAC in conjunction
with the development of projects to support
the monitoring of State compliance with
legislative or programmatic goals of the
program.  BJS encourages SACs to support
such NCHIP activities; in addition, SACs
should explore funding opportunities
associated with monies coming into their State
from other components of the Office of
Justice Programs. 

To ensure that the SAC national program
efficiently meets its objectives, recipients of
BJS funds must agree to assist in any
evaluation and/or assessment efforts
associated with this program.  Such
evaluation activities should not result in any
significant or unreasonable costs or burdens
to the SACs that would interfere with the
performance of the cooperative agreement.


E. Support to Established SACs
    
All awards will be made as cooperative
agreements to a Statistical Analysis Center
and will indicate the substantial involvement
that BJS will have with each award. 
Applicants may transfer funds to other
organizations listed in their application; 
some of the theme activities may require such
cooperative arrangements.  Where SACs do
not have authority for such a transfer of
funds, applicants should contact their BJS
state monitor for advice; the purpose of this
requirement is to foster cooperation within
the State among agencies working on related
BJS- or OJP-funded activities, and BJS does
not want to foster cumbersome administrative
arrangements.  Activities in the SJS program
include:
     
1.   Collecting, analyzing, and publishing           
     criminal justice data, including activities
     related to the analysis or evaluation of    
     State efforts under the NCHIP;
     
2.   Conducting research on themes identified
     in Section F of this announcement or
     selected by the applicant in consultation
     with BJS, usually about a topic of current
     or emerging national concern;

3.   Providing JRSA with data on highlighted
     themes for compilation and production of
     a national report;  

4.   Maintaining contact with BJS to ensure
     the efficient development and sharing of
     information with BJS, other States, and
     various users;

5.   Informing BJS of the State's needs
     relative to statistical data;

6.   Pursuant to BJS request, providing
     information and automated data to the
     Justice Research and Statistics Association
     (JRSA), the National Archive of Criminal
     Justice Data, or other designated
     recipients;
  
7.   Establishing and maintaining contacts with
     State criminal justice agencies, the courts,
     and local governments and their criminal
     justice agencies; 
     
8.   Assisting criminal justice agencies in
     defining their needs for specific statistical
     and other information for the planning,
     implementation, and evaluation of
     criminal justice programs; 

 9.  Providing technical assistance in the
     collection, interpretation, utilization, and
     sharing of statistical information.

Travel funds for this program should be used
primarily for such activities within the State
as data collection, providing technical
assistance and training, liaison with other
criminal justice agencies, and conducting
statistical analysis.  Travel to attend the
annual Bureau of Justice Statistics
(BJS)/Justice Research and Statistics
Association (JRSA) national conference is
limited to one person each year, unless BJS
specifically authorizes additional conference
travel.  

Because of the limited funds available for
each State, the use of program funds for
indirect costs is discouraged.  All grant funds
should be used to achieve specific program
objectives.  

F. Themes for the Fiscal Year 1999 SJS Cycle 
    
SACs applying for funds under this
announcement may choose from among the
themes listed below.  Applicants may choose
any number of projects from within one
theme (unless otherwise specified), or a
combination of projects from more than one
theme.  It is recommended that not more than
three topics be selected for a given project
period.  If a SAC chooses its own theme, it
must provide persuasive documentation from
its advisory committee, one or more branches
of State government, or some other entity
which explains and supports the decision to
study this topic. 

With relation to any theme or topic proposed
for funding, please indicate the background of
your state's concern with the issue, a
complete explanation of the methodology to
be employed including databases and methods
of analysis, any participation by other state
agencies, and how conclusions and
recommendations will be framed.  Also,
indicate political constraints (if any) which
could impact the research, and what product
will result.  Since BJS contemplates that
JRSA will assemble national reports where
several states have addressed the same topic,
we will support efforts to improve the quality
of such compilations through coordination of
the individual states' research and analysis. 

Themes will be revised each year with the
issuance of the new fiscal year program
announcement.  In some instances, the
revised list of themes may be mailed to SACs
and other participating agencies separately in
advance of the release of the program
announcement.   The new list will also be
posted to the BJS World Wide Web site on
the Internet (www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/), so
SACs with access to the Internet can learn of
them in that manner as well.

As other OJP budget and priority
developments evolve, additional funding may
be available for one or more of the theme
topics.  The first theme in each funding
cycle's list is BJS's highlighted topic for the
fiscal year; we strongly urge each state to
consider this theme since BJS will be making
extra efforts to generate a nationally visible
document based on it.  If you choose the
highlighted topic and it carries additional
funding, we suggest that you contact your
BJS program manager for additional guidance
before submitting an application.

These are the themes/topics applicable to
Fiscal Year 1998 of the SJS Program:

99A. Analysis of criminal history records
(such as for patterns of criminal behavior
or stalking), offender tracking/system flow
studies, evaluation or review of the State's
criminal history record improvement
activities, or studies related to handgun
use.  Applications choosing this topic are
eligible for funding higher than the otherwise
normal award amount and must show separately 
the budgeted expenditures for this item.  
At most one topic may be proposed in this 
topic area.  The application must either
state that the applicant is also the State's
administrator of NCHIP funds or include a
letter or memorandum of endorsement from
the State agency administering NCHIP funds.

99B. Domestic and sexual violence data
collection and analysis, including victims
and offenders, the impact of arrest and
arrest policies, prosecution and sentencing
policies, related patterns and trends. 

Supplemental funding will be available for
studies based on records/information
contained in Sex Offender Registries, 
which can include the identification of the
characteristics of sexual predators, patterns 
of recidivism, issues of offender mobility,
especially across state boundaries, and
analysis of sexual offender community
notification systems.  Applications choosing
this topic are eligible for funding other than
the otherwise normal award amount and must
show separately the budgeted expenditures for
this task. At most one topic may be proposed
in this topic area.  The application must either
state that the applicant is also the State's
administrator of funds awarded by BJS to
establish or enhance the state's sex offender
registry or include a letter or memorandum of
endorsement from the State agency
administering funds for establishment or
enhancement of  the state's sex offender
registry.

99C. Drug control and drug abuse
monitoring and studies related to drug
abuse monitoring, studies related to the
relationship between drugs and violent
crime, gun use by offenders under the
influence of drugs, driving under the
influence of drugs, (licit or illicit), drug
courts, treatment, and evaluation of drug
control programs and strategies.

99D. Juvenile justice studies, research,
analysis and evaluation related to the
provisions of the Juvenile Accountability
Incentive Block Grants (JAIBG). (For a
complete description of this program, please
refer to the Office of Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Prevention's web site at
http://www.ncjrs.org/ojjhome.htm on the
grants and funding page.)   Projects
conducted under this theme may be related to
a State's certification that it is considering
legislation, policies, or practices that would
qualify it for the block grant, and/or to the
twelve Program Purpose Areas listed below
for promoting juvenile accountability.  SACs
can submit applications to undertake one or
more studies related to eligibility for grants or
the twelve study areas.  Each SAC is limited
to $40,000 in additional funding (for
example, one study for $40,000 or two
studies at $20,000 each.)  These projects must
be budgeted separately in the application. 

A. Topics related to State's certification for
JAIBG grants

     (1) States must consider legislation,
     policies or practices to ensure that
     juveniles who commit an act after
     attaining 15 years of age that would be a
     serious violent crime if committed by an
     adult are treated as adults for purposes of
     prosecution as a matter of law or that the
     prosecutor has the authority to do
     determine whether to prosecute such
     juveniles as adults.

     (2) States must consider legislation,
     policies or practices that impose sanctions
     on juvenile offenders for every delinquent
     or criminal act, or violation of probation,
     ensuring that such sanctions escalate in
     severity with each subsequent, more        
     serious delinquent or criminal act, or    
     violation of probation including such      
     accountability-based sanctions as      
     restitution, community service,               
     punishment imposed by community 
     accountability councils comprising 
     individuals from the offender's and victim's 
     communities, fines and short-term confinement. 

     (3) States must consider legislation,
     policies or practices to establish, at a
     minimum, a system of records relating to
     any adjudication of a juvenile who has a
     prior delinquency adjudication and who is
     adjudicated delinquent that, if committed
     by an adult, would constitute a felony
     under Federal or State law, which is a
     system equivalent to maintained for adults
     who commit felonies under Federal or
     State law.  States must also consider
     making such records available to the
     Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in a
     manner equivalent to adult records.

     (4) States must consider legislation,
     policies or practices to ensure that State
     law does not prevent a juvenile court
     judge from issuing a court order against a
     parent, guardian, or custodian of a
     juvenile offender regarding the
     supervision of such an offender and from
     imposing sanctions for a violation of such
     an order.
               
     (5) A State or unit of local government
     must have implemented, or agree to
     implement by January 1, 1999, a policy of
     testing appropriate categories of juveniles
     with the juvenile justice system for use of
     controlled substance.  The categories of
     juveniles that are appropriate for testing
     shall be determined by the Chief
     Executive Office of the State certifying
     compliance or by the applicant unit of
     local government.

B. Topics Related to JAIBG Program Purpose
Areas

     (1) Building, expanding , renovating, or
     operating temporary or permanent 
     juvenile correction or detention facilities, 
     including training of correctional personnel; 

     (2) Developing and administering
     accountability-based sanctions for juvenile
     offenders;

     (3) Hiring additional juvenile judges,
     probation officers, and court-appointed
     defenders, and funding pre-trial services
     for juveniles, to ensure the smooth and
     expeditious administration of the juvenile
     justice system;
               
     (4) Hiring additional prosecutors, so that 
     more cases involving violent juvenile      
     offenders can be prosecuted and backlogs 
     reduced;

     (5) Providing funding to enable
     prosecutors to address drug, gang, and
     youth violence problems more effectively;

     (6) Providing funding for technology,
     equipment, and training to assist
     prosecutors in identifying and expediting
     the prosecution of violent juvenile
     offenders;

     (7) Providing funding to enable juvenile
     courts and juvenile probation officers to
     be more effective and efficient in holding
     juvenile offenders accountable and     
     reducing recidivism;

     (8) The establishment of court-based     
     juvenile justice programs that target     
     young firearms offenders through the      
     establishment of juvenile gun courts for 
     the adjudication and prosecution of    
     juvenile firearms offenders;

     (9) The establishment of drug court
     programs for juveniles so as to provide
     continuing judicial supervision over
     juvenile offenders with substance abuse
     problems and to provide the integrated
     administration of other sanctions and
     services;

     (10)  Establishing and maintaining
     interagency information-sharing programs
     that enable the juvenile and criminal
     justice system, schools, and social
     services agencies to make more informed
     decisions regarding the early identification,
     control, supervision, and treatment of
     juveniles who repeatedly commit serious
     delinquent or criminal acts;

     (11) Establishing and maintaining
     accountability-based programs that work
     with juvenile offenders who are referred
     by law enforcement agencies, or which
     are designed, in cooperation with law
     enforcement officials, to protect students
     and school personnel from drug, gang and
     youth violence; and

     (12) Implementing a policy of controlled
     substance testing for appropriate
     categories of juveniles within the juvenile
     justice system.

     
99E. Internet infrastructure development
and linkages, including building a World
Wide Web page, computer support, and
preparing reports for dissemination via the
Internet.  Applicants may select an existing
Internet server as the location for their site; if
such an arrangement is impractical, applicants
should contact BJS and JRSA in preparing
their applications so that appropriate Internet
site locations can be made available to SACs.
It is recommended that applicants receiving
funds for this theme confer with BJS staff
who manage its homepage.
     
99F. Research using incident-based crime
data that are compatible with the National
Incident-Based Reporting System.

99G. Corrections studies related to
changing sentencing policies, including risk
assessment, performance measures, truth
in sentencing, and population analysis or
projections.  Applications including this
theme must include documentation
demonstrating support and/or cooperation of
the State agency that administers grants from
the Office of Justice Programs' Corrections
Program Office. 

99H. Any theme or topic that is identified
by the SAC applicant and is accompanied by
persuasive documentation and justification
that the subject is a top priority for the state's
Governor or criminal justice policy officials.
  

G. Eligibility Requirements
    
The applicant SAC must be authorized by
State legislation or executive order.  The SAC
must be a nonpartisan professional
organization which serves all branches of the
criminal justice system and all levels of
government in the State as well as the general
public.  Objectivity, independence, and
visibility are important considerations in
determining its placement in the State
government.  It is desirable that the SAC 
not be part of an agency that has line 
responsibilities in criminal justice programs;
if the SAC is located in such an agency (State
Police, Department of Corrections,
Administrative Office of the Courts, etc.),
special provisions must be made to ensure the
SAC's broad mission, objectivity,
independence, and visibility.  These
provisions must be documented in each
application for funding.  Examples of such
provisions are letters of agreement from
agencies that deal with other aspects of
criminal justice in the State, or a SAC
advisory board that includes policy-level
officials of such agencies.  The SAC must
inform BJS of any substantive changes in
these provisions, such as changes in the
advisory board's structure or revisions in the
scope of letters of agreement.

Applications for SAC funding must contain
an explanation of the placement of the SAC
within the State organization structure,
including the SAC's relationship to the
Governor's Office, to other relevant State
agencies, and any other organizations
included as recipients of funds in the
application.  

The SAC must be staffed by professionals
skilled in the statistical treatment of data for
policy analyses and familiar with the factors,
issues, and processes involved in crime and
the criminal justice system.  Each application
must identify the SAC director and other key
personnel and must provide brief summaries
of their qualifications.  However, a duplicate
qualification summary need not be provided if
it was submitted as part of an earlier
application.  In the case of vacant positions,
job descriptions must be provided.  If the
SAC directorship becomes vacant after an
award is made, the recipient agency must
notify BJS, and submit the position
description and required qualifications to be
used in recruiting a replacement.  When a
replacement is designated, a resume of the
individual's qualifications must be submitted
to BJS for approval.

State Statistical Analysis Centers are the only
entities eligible to apply for funds under the
SJS program.  General applicants must meet
the requirements for a SAC as specified in
these Guidelines.  The Catalog of Federal
Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number for the
SAC program is 16.550 (Criminal Justice
Statistics Development).  

It is permissible for some or all of the work
to be performed under the SAC's overall
direction by other persons or organizations,
such as other State agencies, universities,
nonprofit research firms, and private
consultants.  If work will be performed
outside of the SAC, the application must
include the qualifications of those performing
the work.  A SAC that wishes to apply for
funds in cooperation with another
organization but lack the authority to transfer
funds to the cooperating organization should
contact its BJS state monitor.

H. Selection Criteria
     
In making decisions to award funds under this
program, BJS will be the sole judge of
whether the application meets program
requirements and whether it is operating
satisfactorily and conforms to all applicable
Federal and State requirements.  The amount
of the award will be based on the strength of
the justification for what it is seeking to do
and accomplish during the award period. 
Final authority on funding decisions is vested
in the Director of BJS.  Each application
should contain a statement of the intended
project's goals and objectives; the proposed
strategy for achieving them, including
anticipated products; and an evaluation of the
project.

The criteria for review and selection include:

1.   Applications should be written so that
     each task or activity is costed separately
     and in priority order.  Applicants are
     encouraged to attach a product to each
     task, such as a report or publication.  

2.   Organizational integrity, technical
     competence, and organizational placement
     of the applicant and other organizations
     proposed for funding;

3.   Experience of applicant's personnel in
     similar work;

4.   Technical soundness and completeness of
     the proposed approach;

5.   Appropriateness of the project schedule 
     and budget; and

6.   Past record of applicant's performance
     with previous awards, including quality of
     work, completeness, and adherence to
     schedules.
     
7.   The extent to which the program narrative
     addresses specific objectives of the SJS
     program, and the dollar resources needed
     to achieve them.

I.     Award Period    
    
Awards made under this announcement will
be in the form of a cooperative agreement. 
Awards normally will be for twelve months,
but can be longer if the applicant chooses.  

No-cost extensions may be granted by BJS for
good cause (for example, under-spending due
to an unavoidable staff vacancy).  Extensions
should be requested in writing at least 30 days
in advance of the award's scheduled
expiration date; requests that are received
later may not be approved.  BJS will not
approve any extension of more than 1 year
beyond the original expiration date of the
award.

J.     Award Amount 
    
No minimum or maximum amount is
established for an award.  While the amount
of past SAC awards may be used as a guide
when preparing the application, sufficiently
strong justification of tasks and activities
could result in an award greater than that in
the past; a weak justification may result in a
smaller award.  Each award is intended to
supplement State financial support of the
SAC.

K. When to Apply
    
Applications should be submitted to BJS at
least 90 days before the requested starting
date for the initial award to a SAC applying
under this guideline. For funding in FY 1999,
applications should be received by BJS no
later than June 30, 1999.  Applications
received after June 30th may be deferred until
the next fiscal year, beginning October 1,
1999. 

A SAC may apply for funding at any time for
a theme which carries additional dollar
resources if, at the time it submitted its
normal annual application, that theme had not
been identified as such.  This means, for
example, that a SAC which submitted its
application prior to the issuing of this
announcement and now wants to pursue
activities related to Themes 98A, 98B or
98D, may apply for a supplemental award up
until such time as a new announcement is
released. 

L. Privacy Certifications

U.S, Department of Justice Regulation 28
CFR Section 22.23  requires that a Privacy
Certificate be submitted to BJS as part of any
application for a project in which information
identifiable to a private person will be
collected for research or statistical purposes.
Please see the appendix at the end of this
announcement for instructions and a copy of
the Privacy Certificate.  Please be sure to
submit the Certificate with your application
when required.   


M. Contact 
   
For further information, contact Paul White,
SJS Program Manager, at (202) 307-0771, or
your state monitor.

Application and Administrative Requirements

Application Content
    
All applicants must submit:

!    Standard Form 424, Application for
     Federal Assistance      
!    Budget Detail Worksheet (replaced the   
     Standard Form 424A, Budget Information) 
!    OJP Form 4000/3 (Rev. 1-93), Program
     Narrative and Assurances 
!    OJP Form 4061/6 Certifications  

Copies of these forms are provided in the
appendix of this application package.

Applicants are requested to submit an original
and two copies of the application and
certifications to the following address:

Application Coordinator
Bureau of Justice Statistics
810 7th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20531
Phone:  (202) 616-3500

Standard Form 424 (SF-424).  The SF-424,
a one page sheet with 18 items, serves as a
cover sheet for the entire application.  This
form is required for every application for
Federal assistance.  No application can be
accepted without a completed, signed original
SF-424.  Directions to complete each item are
included on the back of the form.

Budget Detail Worksheet.  Applicants must
provide a detailed justification for all costs,
including the basis for computation of these
costs.  For example, the detailed budget
would include the salaries of staff involved in
the project and the portion of those salaries to
be paid from the award; fringe benefits paid
to each staff person, travel costs related to the
project; equipment to be purchased with the
award funds; and supplies to complete the
project.  

Detailed Budget.  Applicants must provide a
detailed justification for all costs, including
the basis for computation of these costs.  For
example, the detailed budget would include
the salaries of  staff involved in the project
and the portion of those salaries to be paid
from the award; fringe benefits paid to each
staff person; travel costs related to the
project; equipment to be purchased with the
award funds; and supplies required to
complete the project.  

Budget Narrative.  The budget narrative
closely follows the content of the detailed
budget. The narrative should relate the items
budgeted to project activities and allowable
cost categories and should provide a
justification and explanation for the budgeted
items including the criteria and data used to
arrive at the estimates for each budget
category.  Please note applications that
include noncompetitive contracts for the
provision of specific services must contain a
sole source justification for any procurement
in excess of $100,000.
  
Program Narrative.  All applications
must include a program narrative which
fully describes the expected design and
implementation of the proposed program. 
In developing the narrative, refer to the
program design (permitted core and
noncore activities) as described in the
program announcement.  OJP Form
4000/3 (Rev. 1-93) provides additional
detailed instructions for preparing the
program narrative.  

The narrative should include a timeline of
activities indicating, for each proposed
activity, the projected duration of the
activity, expected completion date, and
any products expected.

The application should include an
explanation of the placement of the
applicant agency within the State
organization structure; a description of the
roles and responsibilities of key
organizational and/or functional
components involved in project activities;
and a list of key personnel responsible for
managing and implementing the major
elements of the program.  

Assurances.  OJP Form 4000/3 (Rev 1-93) 
must be included in the application
submission.  If submitting this form
separate from the SF-424, the applicant
must sign and date the form to certify
compliance with the Federal statutes,
regulations, and requirements as cited. 

Certification Regarding Lobbying;
Debarment, Suspension, and Other
Responsibility Matters; and Drug-Free
Workplace.  Applicants should refer to
the regulations cited in OJP Form, 4061/6
to determine the certification to which the
they are required to attest.  A copy of OJP
Form 4061/6 is provide in the appendices
of this application package.  Applicants
should also review the instructions for
certification included in the regulations
before completing this form.  Signature of
this form provides for compliance with
certification requirements under 28 CFR
Part 69, "New Restrictions on Lobbying,"
and 28 CFR Part 67, "Government-wide
Debarment and Suspension
(Nonprocurement) and Government-wide
Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace
(Grants)."  The certifications shall be
treated as a material representation of fact
upon which reliance will be placed when
the U.S. Department of Justice determines
to award the covered transaction, grant,
or cooperative agreement.

Financial and Administrative
Requirements
     
Discretionary grants are governed by the
provisions of OMB Circulars applicable to
financial assistance.  The circulars, in
addition to the information and guidance
in "OJP Financial Guide", are available
from the Office of Justice Programs.  This
guideline manual, provided upon request,
is intended to assist grantees in the
administration of funds and includes
information on allowable costs, methods
of payment, audit requirements,
accounting systems, and financial records.

Complete and accurate information is
required relative to the application,
expenditure of funds, and program
performance.  The consequences of failure
to comply with program guidelines and
requirements will be determined at the
discretion of the Department of Justice.  

Reporting Requirements

Semi-Annual Progress Reports. 
Recipients are required to submit semi-
annual progress reports.  The progress
reports describe activities during the
reporting period and the status or
accomplishment of objectives as set forth
in the approved award documents and/or
subsequently approved project time lines. 
Progress reports must be submitted within
30 days after the end of the reporting
periods, which are June 30 and
December 31 for the life of the award.

A final report which provides a summary
of progress toward achieving the goals of
the grant, major project activities,
significant results, and any products
developed, is due 120 days after the end
of the grant.

Financial Status Reports.  Financial
status reports  (SF 269A) are due
quarterly by the 45th day following the
end of each calendar quarter.  A report
must be submitted every full quarter that
the award is active.  The final report is
due 120 days after the end date of the
award.

Fund drawdowns and future awards may
be withheld if progress and financial
reports are delinquent.  An original and
two copies of all reports must be sent to
the Office of the Comptroller, Control
Desk, Room 5303, 810 7th Street, NW,
Washington, D.C. 20531-0001.  

Civil Rights Obligations
    
All applicants for Federal financial
assistance must sign Certified Assurances
that they are in compliance with the
Federal laws and regulations which
prohibit discrimination in any program or
activity that receives such Federal funds. 
Section 809(c), Omnibus Crime Control
& Safe Streets Act of 1968, 42 U.S.C.
3789d, provides that:

     No person in any State shall on the
     ground of race, color, religion,
     national origin, sex [or disability]*
     be excluded from participation in,
     be denied the benefits of, or be
     subjected to discrimination under,
     or denied employment in
     connection with any program or
     activity funded in whole or in part
     with funds made available under
     this title.

* Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of
1973, and Title II of the Americans With
Disabilities Act prohibit identical
discrimination on the basis of disability.  

The applicant agency must discuss how it
will ensure nondiscriminatory practices as
they relate to:

(1)  Delivery of Services or Benefits--to
     ensure that individuals will not be
     denied access to services or benefits
     under the program or activity on the
     basis of race, color, religion, national
     origin, gender, age, or disability; 
  
(2)  Employment Practices--to ensure that
     its personnel in the program or
     activity are selected for employment
     without regard to race, color, religion,
     national origin, gender, age, or
     disability; and

(3)  Program Participation--to ensure
     members of any planning, steering or
     advisory board, which is an integral
     part of the program or activity, are not
     excluded from participation on the
     basis of race, color, religion, national
     origin, gender, age or disability; and
     to encourage the selection of such
     members who are reflective of the
     diversity in the community to be
     served.

Audit Requirement
    
State and Local Governments and Non-Profit 
Organizations are now governed by
OMB Circular A-133, titled "Audits of
States, Local Governments and Non-Profit
Organizations."  In July 1996, the
President signed an amendment to the
Single Audit Act of 1984 which 
(1) mandates one audit circular for both
State and local governments, institutions
of higher education, and other non-profit
organizations; 
(2) raises the audit threshold for all
entities to $300,000 of federal funds 
expended (this requirement is effective
for audits conducted for fiscal years
beginning on or after July 1, 1996); and
(3) requires the submission of the audit
report within nine (9) months from the
end of the audit cycle (this requirement is
effective for audits conducted for fiscal
years beginning on or after July 1, 1998).

The completed audit reports should be
mailed to the Federal Audit
Clearinghouse, Bureau of the Census,
1201 East 10th Street, Jeffersonville, IN
7132.  In addition, a copy of the
transmittal letter should be mailed to the
Office of Justice Programs, Office of the
Comptroller, Control Desk, at the address
shown above.

Disclosure of Federal Participation
    
Section 8136 of the Department of
Defense Appropriations Act (Stevens
Amendment), enacted in October 1988,
requires that, "when issuing statements,
press releases for proposals, bid
solicitations, and other documents
describing projects or programs funded in
whole or in part with Federal money, all
grantees receiving Federal funds,
including but not limited to State and local
governments, shall clearly state 
(1) the percentage of the total cost of the
program or project which will be financed
with Federal money, and 
(2) the dollar amount of Federal funds for
the project or program."

Intergovernmental Review 
of Federal Programs
     
Federal Executive Order 12372,
"Intergovernmental Review of Federal
Programs," allows States to establish a
process for reviewing Federal programs in
the State, to choose which programs they
wish to review, to conduct such reviews,
and to make their views known to the
funding Federal agency through a State
"single point of contact."  

If the State has established a "single point
of contact," and if the State has selected
this program to be included in its review
process, the applicant must send a copy of
its letter or application to the State "single
point of contact" at the same time that it is
submitted to BJS.  The letter or
application submitted to BJS must indicate
that this has been done.  The State must
complete its review within 60 days.  The
review period will begin on the date that
the letter or application is officially
received by BJS.  If BJS does not receive
comments from the State's "single point
of contact" by the end of the review
period, this will be interpreted as a "no
comment" response.

If the State has not established a "single
point of contact," or if it has not selected
the BJS statistics development or criminal
history improvement programs in its
review process, this must be stated in the
letter or application.


Application Forms                            
                             
                         
(for the application forms see the PDF file)

Privacy Certification

U.S. Department of Justice regulations at 28 CFR 
Section 22.23 require that a Privacy Certificate 
be submitted to BJS as part of any application 
for a project in which information identifiable 
to a private person will be collected for research
or statistical purposes. Please note that BJS, 
as a matter of policy, requires that if the 
privacy certification regulations do not apply, 
a statement shall be submitted with the grant 
application declaring that no identifiable data
will be collected. If during the project period, 
it becomes necessary to collect data identifiable 
to a private person, a Privacy Certificate shall 
be submitted immediately to BJS and will be 
included in the official grant file.
    
The Privacy Certificate must fully describe the 
following:
    *  Procedures to ensure data confidentiality;
    *  Procedures to ensure the physical and 
administrative security of data;
    *  Procedures for subject notification or 
justification for waiver; and
    *  Procedures for final disposition of data.

The Privacy Certificate must also include the name 
and title of:
    *  the person with primary responsibility for 
ensuring compliance with the regulations;
    *  the person authorized to approve transfers 
of data; and
    *  the person authorized to determine final
disposition procedures for the data collected and 
developed by the project.
    
The following summarizes the requirements of 28 
CFR Part 22 and should be used as a guide to complete 
the Privacy Certificate.
    
1. Data identifiable to a private person will not 
be used or revealed unless it is research or 
statistical information being used for research 
and statistical purposes.
    
2. Identifiable data will be used or revealed 
only on a need-to-know basis to:
    a. Officers, employees, and subcontractors 
of the recipient of assistance;
    b. Persons and organizations receiving 
transfers of information for research and 
statistical purposes only if an information 
transfer agreement is entered into in which 
the recipient is bound to use the information 
only for research and statistical purposes and 
to take adequate administrative and physical 
precautions to ensure the confidentiality of 
the information.
    
3. Employees with access to data on a need-to-
know basis will be advised in writing of the 
confidentiality requirements and must agree 
in writing to abide by these requirements.
    
4. Subcontractors requiring access to 
identifiable data will only do so in accordance 
with an information transfer agreement which 
states that the confidentiality of the data 
must be maintained and that the information 
may only be used for research or statistical 
purposes.
    
5. Private persons from whom identifiable data 
are obtained or collected will be advised that 
the data will only be used for research and 
statistical purposes and that compliance with 
requests for information is not mandatory. 
That is, participation in the research is 
voluntary and may be withdrawn at any time. 
If the notification requirement is to be
waived, an explanation must be contained 
within or attached to the Privacy Certificate.
    
6. Adequate precautions will be taken to ensure 
the administrative and physical security of the 
identifiable data.
    
7. A log indicating that identifiable data has 
been transferred to persons other than those 
in BJS or other OR bureaus or to grantee, 
contractor, or subcontractor staff will be 
maintained and will indicate whether the data 
has been returned or if there is an alternative 
arrangement for the future maintenance of such 
data.
    
8. Project plans will be designed to preserve 
the anonymity of persons to whom the information 
relates, including where appropriate, name-
stripping, coding of data, or other similar 
procedures.
    
9. Project findings and reports prepared for 
dissemination will not contain information which 
can reasonably be expected to be identifiable 
to a private person.
    
10. Upon completion of the project, the security 
of research or statistical information will 
be protected by either:

    a. the complete physical destruction of all 
copies of the materials or the identifiable 
portions of the materials after the required 
retention period of three years or as soon as 
authorized by law; or
    b. the removal of identifiers from the 
data and separate maintenance of a name-code 
index in a secure location. If you choose to 
keep a name-code index, you must maintain 
procedures to secure such an index.


PRIVACY CERTIFICATE
    
Grantee(1), __________________________________
____________________________________________,
certifies that data identifiable to a private 
person(2) will not be used or revealed, except 
as authorized under 28 CFR Part 22, Sections 
22.21 & 22.22. 
____
(1)Please include the name of the Principal 
Investigator(s) for this project as well as 
the name of the person representing the 
institution receiving the grant funds.
(2)Information identifiable to a private person 
is defined in 28 CFR Section 22.2(e) as 
"Information which either 1) Is labelled by 
name or other personal identifiers, or 2) 
Can, by virtue of sample size or other 
factors, be reasonably interpreted as 
referring to a particular private person."
____
Grantee certifies that access to the data will be 
limited to those employees having a need for such 
data and that such employees shall be advised of 
and agree in writing to comply with the regulations 
in 28 CFR Part 22.
    
Grantee certifies that all contractors, 
subcontractors, and consultants requiring access 
to identifiable data will agree, through conditions 
in their subcontract or consultant agreement, to 
comply with the requirements of 28 CFR Sections 
22-24 regarding information transfer agreements. 
Grantee also certifies that BJS will be provided 
with copies of any and all transfer agreements 
before they are executed as well as the name and 
title of the individual(s) with the authority to
transfer data.
    
Grantee certifies that, if applicable, a log will 
be maintained indicating that (1) identifiable 
data have been transferred to persons other than 
employees of NIJ, BJA, BJS, OJJDP, OVC, OJP, or 
grantee/contractor/subcontractor staff; and (2) 
such data have been returned or that alternative 
arrangements have been agreed upon for future 
maintenance of such data, in accordance with 28 
CFR Section 22.23(b)(6).
    
Grantee certifies that any private person from 
whom identifiable information is collected or 
obtained shall be notified, in accordance with 
28 CFR Section 22.27, that such data will only 
be used or revealed for research or statistical 
purposes and that compliance with the request 
for information is not mandatory.
    
Grantee certifies that project findings and 
reports prepared for dissemination will not 
contain information which can reasonably be 
expected to be identifiable to a private person, 
except as authorized by 28 CFR Section 22.22.
    
Grantee certifies that adequate precautions 
will be taken to ensure administrative and 
physical security of identifiable data and 
to preserve the anonymity of the private
persons to whom information relates.
     
Grantee certifies that all project personnel, 
including subcontractors, have been advised 
of and have agreed, in writing, to comply 
with all procedures to ensure the 
confidentiality of data identifiable to a 
private person.
    
To comply with the regulations in 28 CFR Part 
22, please submit the following information 
with the grant application.

Brief Description of Project:


Procedures to notify subjects, as required 
by 28 CFR Section 22.23(b)(4) or an explanation 
if notification is to be waived, pursuant to 
28 CFR Section 22.27(c):


Procedures developed to preserve the anonymity 
of private persons to whom information relates, 
as required by 28 CFR Section 22.23(b)(7):
    

Procedures for data collection and storage, 
as required by 28 CFR Section 22.23(b)(5):

Procedures for the final disposition of data, 
as required by 28 CFR Section 22.23(c) and 
Section 22.25 and:


Access to data is restricted to the following 
individuals, as required by 28 CFR 22.23(W (2):

    Principal Investigator(s):

    Project Staff:


    Subcontractors and/or Consultants:

Grantee certifies that the procedures are 
accurately described above and will be adhered 
to by project staff, as well as subcontractors.
    
Grantee certifies that BJS shall be notified 
of any material change in any of the information 
provided in this Privacy Certificate.
    


Signature(s): 
_______________________(Principal Investigator)  
_______________________(Principal Investigator)  
_______________________(Institutional Representative)
    
Date:_______________________

(end of file)