Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 112 / Friday, June 9, 2000 / Notices 36723

Background

In the early 1990s, the Bureau of

Justice Statistics funded a project

entitled the World Factbook of Criminal

Justice Systems. When the Factbook was

first compiled, it consisted of articles on

42 countries, each written to a common

template by someone fluent in the

language of, and having detailed

knowledge of, that country. These

profiles are available on the BJS website

at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/

abstract/wfcj.htm. This project was

undertaken to improve the availability

and comparability of descriptions of the

criminal justice systems in various

countries. Such descriptions are

necessary to enable the appropriate

collection and accurate analysis of

crime and justice data from these

countries, as well as to inform

researchers and officials who plan to

work with such countries with regard to

their criminal justice operations.

Scope of Work

The objectives of the proposed project

are to expand the World Factbook

template for maximum utility, update

the pre-existing profile of the criminal

justice system in Costa Rica accordingly,

and to create criminal justice system

profiles for four additional Latin

American countries based on the

revised template. Applicants should

familiarize themselves with the current

template which appears at

www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/ascii/

wfbcjint.txt and should carefully read

the entire introduction as well as one or

two of the profiles.

Phase One of the project will consist

of collaborating with BJS and other

interested parties in order to revise the

template, so that resulting profiles will

include all the information that a

researcher or visitor would reasonably

need to know to accurately analyze and

understand crime and justice data. The

grantee will then update the profile of

Costa Rica according to the revised

template. Upon completion of this task

to BJS’’ satisfaction, the grantee will

proceed to Phase Two.

Phase Two will consist of preparing

new criminal justice system profiles for

four Latin American countries (other

than Costa Rica).

Preparation of the country profiles

will require significant contact with

persons at all stages of the criminal

justice system within each country. It is

strongly suggested, but not required,

that the applicant collaborate with a

local criminal justice researcher in each

profiled country. The grantee is

encouraged to propose which four Latin

American countries will be profiled;

however BJS will make the final

selection by considering the following

factors: (1) Representation of the

diversity of criminal justice systems in

Latin America (Central America,

Mexico, South America), (2) recent

systemic changes that have policy

relevance and merit documentation, (3)

availability of reliable contacts and

statistical data, and (4) importance as a

source of transnational crime.

Statistical material for each country

will be the latest available official data

from the country. Sources and contacts

made for each country will be carefully

documented. The profiles should

include descriptions of how statistics

are collected and maintained in each

country and how the public can access

them. The profiles should incorporate

important information from and/or

reference similar country profiles, such

as those provided by the CIA and the

Library of Congress, and any countryspecific sources of crime or criminal

justice data.

Products

The grantee will deliver to BJS Webready electronic versions of the template

and all five country profiles on diskette

in text file format. These files will be

posted on the BJS Website and may be

used for subsequent publications.

Application and Award Process

An original and three (3) copies of a

full proposal must be submitted with a

Standard Form 424, Application for

Federal Assistance, Budget Detail

Worksheet, OJP Forms 4000/3, and

4061/6. These forms can be obtain

online www.ojp.usdoj.gov/forms.htm. In

addition, fund recipients are required to

comply with regulations designed to

protect human subjects and ensure

confidentiality of data. In accordance

with 28 CFR Part 22, a Privacy

Certificate must be submitted to BJS.

Furthermore a Screening Sheet for

Protection of Human Subjects must be

completed prior to the award being

issued. Questions regarding Protection

of Human Subjects and/or privacy

certificate requirements can be directed

to the Human Subject Projection Officer

(HPSO) at (202) 616–3282 [This is not

a toll-free number].

Proposals must include both narrative

description and a detailed budget. The

narrative shall describe activities as

discussed in the previous section. The

budget shall contain detailed costs of

personnel, travel, equipment, supplies

and other expenses. The grant award

will be in the form of a copperative

agreement. It is anticipated that the

entire project can be completed for less

than $30,000.

Timing

This award will be made for a period

of 12 months. The first phase will be

concluded and evaluated within two

months. The second phase will

commence upon the successful

completion of the first phase and will be

completed within 12 months of the

award date.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must be reasonably

proficient in the Spanish language. If

applicants contemplate preparing each

profile themselves, they need to have

demonstrated fluency in speaking,

reading, and writing both Spanish and

English. Applicants should have a

background in criminal justice.

Knowledge of Latin American

organizations and governmental

structures, including political events

which might influence the criminal

justice system, and contacts with

individuals in these countries will be

extremely beneficial. Familiarity with

Latin America through travel, residence,

and/or study is highly desirable.

BJS will evaluate proposals based on

(1) the credentials of the applicant (how

experienced the applicant is in work

related to criminal justice in Latin

America), (2) the merit of the proposal

(how the applicant intends to satisfy the

needs described in this announcement),

and (3) the competitiveness of the

proposed budget.

Jan M. Chaiken,

Director, Bureau of Justice Statistics.

[FR Doc. 00–14486 Filed 6–8–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4410–18–P

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Bureau of Justice Assistance

[OJP (BJA)—1278]

Announcement of the Availability of

the State Criminal Alien Assistance

Program for FY2000

AGENCY: Office of Justice Programs,

Bureau of Justice Assistance, Justice.

ACTION: Notice of solicitation.

SUMMARY: Announcement of the

availability of the Bureau of Justice

Assistance State Criminal Alien

Assistance Program (SCAAP) funding

for FY2000.

DATES: Applications for payments may

be made through a new Internet-based

system beginning Thursday, June 1,

2000 and continuing until Monday, July

17, 2000.

36724 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 112 / Friday, June 9, 2000 / Notices

ADDRESSES: Bureau of Justice

Assistance, 810 Seventh Street, NW,

Washington, DC 20531.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

program guidance and technical

assistance, please log on to the Office of

Justice Programs Home Page at: http://

www.ojp.usdoj.gov and select ‘‘Funding

Opportunities’’ and then ‘‘SCAAP,’’ or

call the Office of Justice Programs

Grants Management System Hotline at

1–888–549–9901. For general

information about on-line application

procedures for solicitations, please call

the U.S. Department of Justice Response

Center 1–800–421–6770.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority

This action is authorized under the

Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets

Act of 1968, Sections 201–03, as

amended, 42 U.S.C. 3721–23 (1994).

Background

SCAAP provides Federal assistance to

states and units of local government for

costs incurred for the imprisonment of

undocumented criminal aliens who are

convicted of felony or misdemeanor

offenses. Potential applicants no longer

may submit hard copy application forms

and diskettes. For FY2000, state and

local governments apply for payment

via a paperless, electronic, end-to-end

distributive, Internet-based web-site.

BJA anticipates providing over 390

payments of varying amounts from a

FY2000 funding total of $585,000,000.

Potential applicants with questions

should call the U.S. Department of

Justice Response Center at 1–800–421–

6770 or the Office of Justice Programs

Grants Management System Hotline at

1–888–549–9901. For access to program

guidance and the on-line application,

connect to http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov and

select ‘‘Funding Opportunities’’ and

then ‘‘SCAAP.’’

Nancy E. Gist,

Director, Bureau of Justice Assistance.

[FR Doc. 00–14530 Filed 6–8–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4410–18–P

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

National Institute of Corrections

Solicitation for a Cooperative

Agreement—Critical Issues in

Managing Women Offenders

AGENCY: National Institute of

corrections, Department of Justice.

ACTION: Solicitation for a cooperative

agreement.

SUMMARY: The Department of Justice

(DOJ), National Institute of Corrections

(NIC), announces the availability of

funds in FY 2000 for a cooperative

agreement to develop a 24–36 hour

curriculum on Critical Issues in

Managing Women Offenders. The

cooperative agreement represents the

first part of a two-phased project to

develop and deliver the curriculum in

the next 15 months. NIC will award this

project in two parts: in the current year

(FY 2000), NIC will award a cooperative

agreement for a six month project to

develop the curriculum. Based on

satisfactory performance in the

development phase, in FY 2001 NIC

will award a supplement to deliver the

curriculum as a regional training

program at two different locations.

$50,000 is available for part one of the

project, and $50,000 will be available in

FT 2001 for training program delivery

under a regional partnership format.

Regional partnerships are funded in part

by participating agencies. The funding

for FY 2001 is contingent on

congressional approval of the federal

budget at the beginning of the fiscal

year.

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 a

clearer articulation of gender-responsive

strategies which are grounded in current

theory and research, drawn from

different relevant disciplines and

agencies, and applied to the realities of

correctional practice in prisons, jails,

and community corrections. No funds

are transferred to state or local

governments.

Background

Women offenders and related gender

issues are gaining increased focus from

policy makers in corrections for

numerous reasons. During the last

decade, the women offender population

has nearly tripled in every sector of

corrections. Changes in mandatory

sentencing for drug offenders on the

federal and state levels are resulting in

larger numbers of women serving longer

periods of time in correctional facilities.

A variety of critical issues such as crossgender supervision, appropriate

relationships between staff and

offenders, management of population

growth, parity in programming, and

appropriate interventions are increasing

in numbers and visibility within the

criminal justice community and with

the public, many due to residual court

action.

NIC has a five year history of

designing and delivering a seminar on

Critical Issues in Managing Women

Offenders. The first seminar occurred in

July, 1994; a group of highly motivated

and experienced practitioners convened

to consider the issues facing them in

promoting more effective correctional

practice with women offenders. Over

time, through four seminars, the

program has solidified its focus on

policy makers and top managers as the

primary audience. Its purpose is to

provide a solid grounding in policy and

practice issues which face criminal

justice agencies in addressing the

unique circumstances and needs of

women offenders from a system-wide

perspective. Participants include agency

administrators and deputy directors

from jails, community corrections and

prisons; judges, prosecutors, public

defenders, and other court personnel.

Participants attend as individuals and

not as agency teams.

The goals of the seminar (as defined

for the April, 1999, session) were to:

• Better understand and articulate the

emerging and critical issues to consider

in shaping policy for women offenders;

• Be able to identify the benefits of

applying a systems perspective in

planning for women offenders;

• Have increased knowledge of the

information and resource (research,

expertise, and practical strategies)

available to address women offender

issues and how to access them;

• Articulate a vision for improving

criminal justice policy and practice

regarding women offenders in their

jurisdiction and develop three action

steps for moving toward that vision.

Based on the success of this program,

NIC seeks to expand its capacity to

deliver the seminar through a multistate regional format. The audience will

remain individuals from across the

system who are policy makers.

NIC assumes that the successful

applicant will review the materials

developed for the prior 5 seminars

including the agendas, participant

manuals and handouts, and records of

meeting, and will work closely with the

Project Manager in designing the

curriculum.

Purpose

The National Institute of Corrections

is seeking an applicant organization or

team which offers curriculum design

expertise, overall knowledge of women

offenders and corrections, experience

with training of policy level

participants, expertise in competencybased curriculum including writing,

editing, formation, assembling and