5280 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 23 / Tuesday, February 4, 1997 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Office of Juvenile Justice and

Delinquency Prevention

[OJP (OJJDP) No. 1108]

RIN 1121–ZA55

Training and Technical Assistance for

National Innovations to Reduce

Disproportionate Minority Confinement

(The Deborah Ann Wysinger Memorial

Program)

AGENCY: Office of Justice Programs

(OJP), Office of Juvenile Justice and

Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), U. S.

Department of Justice.

ACTION: Resolicitation for award of

cooperative agreement.

SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is

to announce the public resolicitation of

the above-cited program. Peer review of

applications responding to the initial

solicitation resulted in the finding that

none was sufficiently responsive to

warrant funding.

DATES: Applications must be

postmarked or delivered on or before

April 7, 1997. Mailed applications must

be received by April 14, 1997.

ADDRESSES: The application and five

copies should be mailed to: the Office

of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency

Prevention c/o Juvenile Justice Resource

Center, 1600 Research Boulevard, Mail

Stop 2K, Rockville, MD 20850; 301/235–

5535.

Note: In the lower left-hand corner of the

envelope, you must clearly write, ‘‘Training

and Technical Assistance for National

Innovations to Reduce Disproportionate

Minority Confinement.’’

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Robin V. Delany-Shabazz, Program

Manager, Training and Technical

Assistance Division, (202) 307–9963, or

by e-mail to: delany@ojp.usdoj.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Purpose:

To reduce the disproportionate

confinement of minority juveniles in

secure detention and confinement

facilities nationwide.

Background

This program implements Section

261(a)(8) of the Juvenile Justice and

Delinquency Prevention (JJDP) Act of

1974, as amended. National data and

studies have shown that children of

color are over-represented in secure

juvenile and criminal justice facilities

across the country in comparison to

their percentage in the local population.

A major contributing factors is that the

structure of justice decision making

often disadvantages minority youth.

This is true even when controlling for

socio-economic characteristics and legal

variables such as types of offense and

prior delinquent history. Accordingly,

in the 1988 reauthorization of the JJDP

Act, Congress amended the Part B

Formula Grants Program State plan

requirements to include a new State

plan requirement addressing the

disproportionate confinement of

minority juveniles where it exists. The

Office of Juvenile Justice and

Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) issued

regulations requiring States

participating in the Formula Grants

Program to gather and analyze data on

disproportionate minority confinement

(DMC) and, depending on the findings,

to design strategies to address the issue.

A Special Emphasis discretionary grant

program was developed to demonstrate

model approaches in five competitively

selected pilot States (Arizona, Florida,

Iowa, North Carolina, and Oregon).

Funds also were awarded to a national

contractor to provide technical

assistance to both the pilot States and

other States, to evaluate their efforts,

and to share relevant information

nationwide. By 1995, Special Emphasis

awards had been made to support 12

demonstration projects to test

innovative DMC interventions designed

by States and local communities.

Despite these activities, many factors

contributing to over representation of

minorities in secure facilities remain

unchanged, or are even more prevalent,

as reflected in the widespread disparity

in juvenile case processing,1 the paucity

and poor quality of support services and

resources, increased numbers of

children living in poverty, continuing

disintegration of family structure, teen

pregnancy, drug use, truancy and

dropouts, gang activity, and increased

availability of guns and drugs. The

impact of these factors is greatest in

minority communities. The

consequence of not addressing

contributing factors was highlighted in

the October 1995 report from the

Sentencing Project, Young Black

Americans and the Criminal Justice

System: Five Years Later. This report

revealed that nationwide one in three

black men in the 20–29 age group is

under the supervision of the justice

system (in prison or jail; on probation or

parole)—up from one in four in 1990.2

Many of these are graduates of

dependency courts, social services and

juvenile justice systems that failed to

address their needs and prevent

recurring crime.

Current and previous efforts to

address over representation yield two

fundamental lessons. One is that

systemic, community wide

interventions are necessary to reduce

DMC. The other is that each jurisdiction

must assess the magnitude, extent, and

nature of the disparity. The experience

of the pilot States makes it clear that

people are able to reach consensus on

corrective actions only by gaining a full

understanding of what leads to

disproportion, including social

conditions, social and justice policies

and the juvenile justice system.

Specifically this entails assessing at

what points within and prior to juvenile

justice system processing

disproportionality begins to appear or

increase. How does police discretionary

action prior to arrest (decision to divert)

or the processes and decisions relative

to detention, adjudication, probation,

sentencing or aftercare affect

disproportionality? What impact do

environmental and social factors have

on disproportionality? Field

assessments and State site evaluations

have also generated useful information.

OJJDP recognizes the need to foster

development and documentation of

innovative and effective strategies

nationwide using training, technical

assistance, information dissemination,

provision of practical and targeted

resource tools, and public education.

To help meet that need, OJJDP is

issuing this competitive solicitation for

innovative proposals to implement a

three-year national training, technical

assistance, and information

dissemination initiative. It will be

focused on improving the ability of

States, selected local jurisdictions and

OJJDP key grantees to address from

systemic and community wide

perspectives the issue of

disproportionate confinement of

minority juveniles. An award of

$300,000 will support this program in

its first year.

Goal: To help State and local

jurisdictions reduce the over

representation of minority children and

youth in secure detention and

correctional facilities, jails, and lockups

by providing jurisdictions with

knowledge that will enable them to

successfully address those factors that

contribute to the problem, including

information about inventive practices

and programs and technical assistance

in implementing successful community

wide approaches.

Objectives: In year one, the selected

grantee will:

1. Review and synthesize the existing

knowledge base and research on DMC

including State and local practices and

policies designed to address DMC.

2. Develop an intensive, interactive

core training curriculum for juvenile

justice system policy and decision
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 23 / Tuesday, February 4, 1997 / Notices 5281

makers and practitioners on effective

interventions and impediments to

successful action (refer to item #2 under

Program Strategy), and initially deliver

to juvenile justice specialists, State

Advisory Group (SAG) chairs, and

selected grantees.

3. Develop and begin to deliver a

system of technical assistance to key

OJJDP grantees to incorporate DMC

issues, practices and policies into their

training and education programs,

especially a knowledge of and

appreciation for the impact that police

practices and community development

have on DMC. (Key grantees are those

training and technical assistance

providers working with police, the

courts, and juvenile detention staff;

SafeFutures sites; Title V recipients, and

States using State Challenge Program

funds to address DMC.) The technical

assistance system should be innovative

and varied in concept and execution.

4. Develop and begin the process of

assisting DMC grantees implementing

local program interventions to better

manage, institutionalize, and sustain

their programs over the long-term. This

process is to include a needs

assessment.

5. Collaborate with OJJDP’s Formula

Grants Program technical assistance

contractor and OJJDP staff on

developing effective approaches and

strategies for assisting States to improve

DMC compliance plans and their

strategic planning, program design,

program implementation, and policy

formulation as it addresses DMC in the

long and short term.

6. Plan, develop and implement a

national dissemination and education

effort that builds on the training and

technical assistance system proposed to

facilitate development of effective DMC

efforts at the State and local levels.

7. Identify five to seven people to

serve on an advisory group to support

project implementation. The specific

tasks of the advisory group are to

provide consultation and advice to the

grantee on current DMC policy and

practice issues and to advise on the

impact and progress of DMC program

planning and implementation. Members

are to be selected to ensure diversity of

perspectives, experience, gender and

cultural orientation. Grantee is expected

to convene two annual meetings of the

advisory group.

Objectives for years two and three are

to: (1) build on year one efforts and

continue to deliver training and

technical assistance to the key

constituents (as noted in objectives #2,

3 and 5, above) of the core curriculum;

(2) continue to support and assist DMC

intervention grantees (as noted in

objective #4, above); (3) implement the

national dissemination and education

campaign (as noted in objective #6); and

(4) develop other appropriate products

and resource tools to help OJJDP’s key

constituencies to improve their abilities

to assess and effectively address

disproportionate confinement of

minorities.

Program Strategy: OJJDP will make a

single award for $300,000 under a

cooperative agreement. The award will

be for a one-year budget period under a

three-year project period. The purpose

of this award is to equip States and local

units of government to address

disproportionate confinement of

minority youth, where it is determined

to exist, through systemic, community

wide, interdisciplinary and strategic

approaches. This will be accomplished

through (1) development of resource

materials, guidelines, and programs

suitable for targeted dissemination; (2)

development of a core curriculum on

DMC issues, barriers, supports, and

successful interventions suitable for use

with elected officials, judges, law

enforcement agencies, prosecutors,

public defenders, court personnel, State

Advisory Groups, and juvenile justice

specialists; (3) delivery of technical

assistance to State and local agencies to

support strategic planning, program

design, program implementation, and

policy formulation that addresses DMC

both in the long and short term; and (4)

support for OJJDP grantees, including

the use of DMC materials and the core

curriculum, to make their programs

responsive to this issue.

Because DMC is an issue that affects

and is affected by all juvenile justice

policies and practices, the grantee will

coordinate the work of this cooperative

agreement with other OJJDP grantees

addressing delinquency prevention,

juvenile justice system improvement,

and research and data collection. This

coordination entails ensuring that

information is shared and that

collaboration occurs where appropriate.

Note that materials developed under

other grants and contracts that either

relate to this issue or have potential for

supporting the work of this initiative

will be made available to this grantee.

These materials will allow the grantee to

avoid duplication and expand the

impact of work being done to enhance

and strengthen efforts to reduce DMC.

The materials, protocols, curriculums,

and resource and dissemination

networks of the Juvenile Justice

Clearinghouse, the OJJDP National

Training and Technical Assistance

Center, Community Research Associates

(the national technical assistance

contractor for the Formula Grants

Program), and other key OJJDP grantees

and contractors will support

development of products identified in

this solicitation.

Products

The grantee will be required to

produce a number of products over the

3-year project period. During the first

project year, the grantee will:

• Create a protocol for delivery of

training and technical assistance which

informs and supports the constituencies

noted previously, including selected

communities.

• Produce a summary document

synthesizing what is known about DMC

policy and practice throughout the

Nation.

• Develop a training curriculum on

DMC requirements, issues, and effective

interventions, including components on

ethnic and cultural competence,

systems change, community

development and police practices.

• Compile a report on the results of

the needs assessments conducted with

the DMC implementation grantees and

plans to support and assist each grantee.

Products for years two and three will

be agreed to by the grantee and program

office after award.

Eligibility Requirements

OJJDP invites applications from

public and private agencies,

organizations, and institutions. Private

for-profit organizations must waive any

fee or profit to be eligible for this

program. This is a competitive training

and technical assistance program. Funds

will be awarded under a cooperative

agreement to an organization or

collaboration of organizations

demonstrating a thorough

understanding of DMC issues and the

implications for policy and practice.

The applicant must also have significant

experience in the assessment and

development of programs designed for

disadvantaged and culturally diverse

youth living in communities lacking

culturally sensitive services; expertise

in delivery of training and technical

assistance to tribal, rural, and urban

communities; demonstrated competence

in management of intercommunity

group relations and cultural issues; and

experience in creating and

implementing broad-based public

education efforts. Given the

combination of skills required,

organizations are encouraged to

collaborate in applying for this program.

The award would be made to a lead

agency, which would be responsible for

distributing funds as described in the

application.
5282 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 23 / Tuesday, February 4, 1997 / Notices

Selection Criteria

Applications will be rated by a peer

review panel on the extent to which

they meet the following criteria.

Applicants are to organize applications

in accord with these criteria.

Problem(s) To Be Addressed (25 points)

Applicants must concisely describe

the problems to be addressed by the

proposed program and convey a clear

understanding of the purposes, work

requirements, and expected results of

the project. In particular, the applicant

must demonstrate a thorough

understanding of DMC issues, the

barriers and supports to DMC reduction,

the implications for policy and practice,

especially in the areas of law

enforcement (community policing) and

community development, and the

importance of ethnic and cultural

competence to program success.

Applicants must also address issues

associated with providing DMC training

and technical assistance to States and

localities.

Goals and Objectives (10 points)

Applicants must demonstrate an

understanding of the overall goals,

objectives and tasks of this solicitation

through a clear description of how the

applicant’s proposed program meets the

solicitation’s goals and objectives.

Project Design (25 points)

Applicants must detail a project

design that is innovative, viable and

within their ability to carry out.

Applicants must delineate quantitative

and qualitative measures by which

progress in meeting project objectives

will be assessed. Applications must

indicate how project objectives and

work requirements will be achieved and

must describe a cohesive and wellthought-out plan for transferring

knowledge to the field about DMC and

best practices for reducing DMC.

Management and Organizational

Capability (25 points)

Management structure, staffing, and

experience working with State agencies

and local entities must be shown to be

adequate and appropriate to implement

and complete the project successfully,

efficiently, and cost effectively.

Commitments of collaboration with

other organizations must clearly and

specifically show their respective

project responsibilities, dollar amounts,

number of hours, and the manner in

which ongoing communication and

collaboration will be managed. Key

project staff and consultants should

have significant experience in the areas

addressed in this initiative, including

juvenile justice system processing and

multicultural programming for youth.

Descriptive r ́esum ́ es must be provided

for all key staff.

The applicant organization must

document its ability to implement the

project, being certain to address all of

the eligibility requirements. This section

should include a succinct description of

organizational experience with respect

to the program objectives and proposed

activities.

Budget (15 points)

Applicants must provide a budget for

the activities to be undertaken that is

complete, detailed, reasonable,

allowable, and cost effective and a

budget narrative that describes and

justifies proposed costs. Note that the

applicant is to provide program budget

support for two annual meetings of the

advisory group as noted in objective #7.

Award Period

This project will be funded for 36

months in three 12-month budget

periods. After the first budget period,

funding depends on grantee

performance, availability of funds, and

other criteria established at the time of

award.

Award Amount

Up to $300,000 is available for the

initial 12-month budget period.

Format Requirements

Applicants are to limit the Program

Narrative (this includes Problem to be

Addressed, Goals and Objectives,

Project Design and the Management and

Organizational Capability) to 25 pages,

double-spaced in 10- or 12-point font

size. The application abstract cannot

exceed one, single-spaced page. There is

no page limit on the budget section

including the budget worksheets and

budget narrative pages. Appended

material, including re ́sum ́ es, is limited

to 20 pages and should not include

letters of support except where such

letters describe the roles and

responsibilities of applicant partners in

the proposed effort.

Delivery Instructions

All application packages should be

mailed or delivered to the Office of

Juvenile Justice and Delinquency

Prevention, c/o Juvenile Justice

Resource Center, 1600 Research

Boulevard, Mail Stop 2K, Rockville, MD

20850; 301–251–5535. Note: In the

lower left-hand corner of the envelope,

you must clearly write ‘‘Training and

Technical Assistance for National

Innovations to Reduce Disproportionate

Minority Confinement.’’

Due Date

Applicants are responsible for

ensuring that the original and five

copies of the application package are

postmarked or delivered on or before

April 7, 1997. Mailed applications must

be received by April 14, 1997.

Applications must be submitted with

SF424 (Rev. 1988), Application for

Federal Assistance, as the cover sheet.

Proposals must also be accompanied by

OJP Form 7150/1 (50–95), Budget Detail

Worksheet; OJP Form 4061/6,

Certifications Regarding Lobbying;

Debarment, Suspension and Other

Responsibility Matters; and Drug-Free

Workplace Requirements; and OJP Form

4000/3, Assurances. All applicants must

sign and submit the Assurances form

indicating that they are in compliance

with Federal laws and regulations

which prohibit discrimination in any

program or activity that receives Federal

funds.

To obtain the appropriate forms, call

the Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse at

(800) 638–8736 or (301) 251–5500.

Applicants may also download these

forms from the Application Kit:

Competitive Discretionary Grant

Programs, located on the Office of

Juvenile Justice and Delinquency

Prevention web site at http://

www.ncjrs.org/toc.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Robin V. Delany-Shabazz, Program

Manager, Training and Technical

Assistance Division, on 202–307–9963,

or send an e-mail to

delany@ojp.usdoj.gov.

Dated: January 21, 1997.

Shay Bilchik,

Administrator, Office of Juvenile Justice and

Delinquency Prevention.

Endnotes

1. Howard N. Snyder and Melissa

Sickmund, Juvenile Offenders and Victims: A

National Report (Washington, DC: Office of

Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention,

August 1995), p. 92; William Feyerherm,

Lessons Learned (Washington, DC: Office of

Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention,

1996, in press).

2. Marc Mauer and Tracy Huling, Young

Black Americans and the Criminal Justice

System: Five Years Later (Washington, DC:

The Sentencing Project, 1995), 1–2.

References

American Bar Association. America’s

Children at Risk: A National Agenda for

Legal Action. Report of ABA Working

Group on the Unmet Legal Needs of

Children and Their Families, 1993.

Annie E. Casey Foundation. Kids Count Data

Book. Baltimore, MD: Casey Foundation,

1995.
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 23 / Tuesday, February 4, 1997 / Notices 5283

Bishop, D.M., and C.E. Frazier. A Study of

Race and Juvenile Processing in Florida.

A report submitted to the Florida

Supreme Court Racial and Ethnic Bias

Study Commission, 1990.

Children’s Defense Fund. State of America’s

Children. Washington, DC: Children’s

Defense Fund, 1996.

Community Research Associates. Status of

the States Reports: A Review of State

Materials Regarding Over-Representation

of Minority Youth in the Juvenile Justice

System. Washington, DC: Office of

Juvenile Justice and Delinquency

Prevention, in press. (Source of

preliminary and anecdotal information

from State status reports on DMC.)

Kempf, K.L., S.H. Ecker, and R.L. Bing. An

Analysis of Apparent Disparities in the

Handling of Black Youth Within

Missouri’s Juvenile Justice System. St.

Louis: Department of Administration of

Justice, University of Missouri, 1990.

Lockhart, L.L., P.D. Kurtz, R. Stephen, and K.

Gauger. Georgia’s Juvenile Justice

System: A Retrospective Investigation of

Racial Disparity. Research report to the

Georgia Juvenile Justice Coordinating

Council: Part I of the Racial Disparity

Investigation. School of Social Work,

University of Georgia, 1990.

Pope, C.E. ‘‘Blacks and Juvenile Crime: A

Review’’ in D.E. Georges-Abeyie (ed.),

The Criminal Justice System and Blacks.

San Francisco, CA: Chandler Publishing,

1984.

Pope, C.E., and W. Feyerherm. ‘‘Minorities

and the Juvenile Justice System.’’ OJJDP

Research Summary. Washington, D.C.:

U.S. Department of Justice, 1993.

Pope, C.E., and W. Feyerherm. ‘‘Minority

Status and Juvenile Justice Processing.’’

Criminal Justice Abstracts 22 (2): 327–

336 (part I); 22 (3): 527–542 (part II),

1990.

[FR Doc. 97–2704 Filed 2–3–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4410–18–P