58884 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 191 / Monday, October 2, 2000 / Notices

1For information on the National Girls Institute,

consult the OJJDP Web site at www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org/

grants/current.html for a description of the

program.

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Office of Juvenile Justice and

Delinquency Prevention

[OJP (OJJDP)–1299]

Program Announcement for the Girls

Study Group

AGENCY: Office of Justice Programs,

Office of Juvenile Justice and

Delinquency Prevention, Justice.

ACTION: Notice of solicitation.

SUMMARY: The Office of Juvenile Justice

and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) is

issuing a solicitation for applications

from public or private agencies or

organizations to assemble and convene

a Girls Study Group to develop a sound

theoretical and empirical foundation to

guide future development, testing, and

dissemination of strategies to effectively

prevent and reduce girls’ involvement

in delinquency and violence and

consequences of such involvement. It is

anticipated that the Girls Study Group,

in collaboration with OJJDP’s new

National Girls Institute, will provide

State and local policymakers and

practitioners with theoretically sound,

culturally and developmentally

appropriate, and empirically grounded

strategies (program elements, principles,

and policies) to prevent and reduce

female delinquency and its

consequences.

DATES: Applications must be received

no later than 5:00 p.m. ET on December

1, 2000.

ADDRESSES: All application packages

should be mailed or delivered to the

Office of Juvenile Justice and

Delinquency Prevention, c/o Juvenile

Justice Resource Center, 2277 Research

Boulevard, Mail Stop 2K, Rockville, MD

20850; 301–519–5535. Faxed or emailed applications will not be

accepted. Interested applicants can

obtain the OJJDP Application Kit from

the Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse at

800–638–8736. The Application Kit is

also available at OJJDP’s Web site at

www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org/grants/

about.html#kit. (See ‘‘Format’’ later in

this announcement for instructions on

application standards.)

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Barbara Allen-Hagen, Social Science

Analyst, Research and Program

Development Division, Office of

Juvenile Justice and Delinquency

Prevention, at 202–307–1308 or Anne

Bergan, Program Manager, Research and

Program Development Division, Office

of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency

Prevention, at 202–514–5533.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Purpose

One purpose of this project is to assist

the Office of Juvenile Justice and

Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) in

furthering its understanding of the risk

and protective factors associated with

female juvenile offending and of the

consequences of such offending.

Another is to identify effective strategies

for communities to use in their efforts

to prevent and reduce female

involvement in delinquency and

violence.

The successful applicant will convene

a study panel, called the Girls Study

Group, to review the research literature

on the epidemiology and etiology of

female juvenile offending and its

consequences; develop a female-focused

conceptual framework for the project;

conduct secondary data analyses;

identify effective prevention and

intervention programs, policies, and

strategies that promise, either through

initial empirical evidence or sound

theory, to be effective in preventing

female delinquency and violence;

identify gaps in existing research and

programs; and recommend new research

and program development. The Girls

Study Group will collaborate with

OJJDP’s new National Girls Institute 1 on

program development, evaluation

issues, and dissemination of the Girls

Study Group findings to policymakers,

practitioners, and the research

community.

Overview

The ultimate goal of this project is to

develop the research foundation that

communities need to make sound

decisions on how best to prevent and

reduce delinquency and violence by

girls. The Girls Study Group will

establish the theoretical and empirical

basis for disseminating or testing

prevention and intervention strategies

(i.e., policies, practices, and programs)

for girls—effective and promising

strategies that are developmentally and

culturally appropriate.

This Study Group will consist of 12

to 15 individuals, such as

criminologists, sociologists,

statisticians, developmental

psychologists, mental health

professionals, juvenile justice

researchers and practitioners,

adolescent health specialists, domestic

violence experts, and youth workers,

reflecting the necessary collective

expertise (both practical and theoretical)

in female development and juvenile

justice system involvement to undertake

a comprehensive study of this kind.

The Study Group’s major tasks will be

to:

• Systematically review the research

literature on juvenile female antisocial,

delinquent, and violent behavior; child

abuse and neglect; and criminal

victimization.

• Develop a comprehensive

theoretical framework for the project

based on an examination of both the

applicability of gender-neutral risk and

protective factors related to girls’

involvement in delinquency and the

evidence for female-specific risk and

protective factors.

• Explore what is known about the

developmental pathways that lead to

female delinquent and criminal

behavior.

• Conduct secondary analyses of data

sets that may shed new light on risk and

protective factors, female pathways to

delinquency, or effective prevention and

intervention strategies for girls.

• Examine the research literature on

program evaluation to identify

programs, program elements, and

implementation principles that are

particularly effective or promising in

preventing or reducing female

delinquency. Also, examine child

welfare, mental health, and juvenile

justice public policies and practices that

achieve the same. Special attention

should be paid to identifying key

juvenile justice system processing

decisions that may have

disproportionately negative

consequences on female offenders and

to exploring remedial policies.

In addition, the successful applicant

must possess the necessary leadership,

organizational, and analytical

capabilities essential for the Group’s

success. The tasks require the ability to

organize and convene a group of

researchers and practitioners with

recognized expertise in diverse area(s)

of female juvenile delinquency,

prevention research, child development,

child victimization, domestic violence,

treatment, and program evaluation. The

successful applicant must also

demonstrate the ability to lead and

interact with group members in order to

coordinate a comprehensive literature

review, synthesize information from

diverse sources, recommend future

research topics, and produce interim

and final reports and related

publications that effectively

communicate the results to a broad

audience of policymakers, practitioners,

and researchers.

Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 191 / Monday, October 2, 2000 / Notices 58885

Background

According to the Federal Bureau of

Investigation Uniform Crime Reporting

(UCR) Program (1999), between 1994

and 1998, the number of arrests of

juvenile females increased more (or

decreased less) than male arrests in

most offense categories (Snyder, 1999).

In 1980, females represented 11 percent

of all juvenile arrests for violent

offenses. By 1998, that proportion

increased to 17 percent. Although the

majority of juvenile crime arrests in

1998 were of males, females represented

more than one-quarter of juvenile

arrests. There has been growing concern

that while most juvenile arrests have

been decreasing, the number of female

juvenile arrests in some key offense

categories such as drug and alcohol

violations continues to rise.

Between 1994 and 1998, arrests of

juvenile females for robbery, weapons

violations, and vandalism decreased

less than arrests of juvenile males in the

same offense categories. In contrast,

arrests of juvenile females for aggravated

assault and simple assault increased (up

7 percent and 29 percent, respectively),

while assault arrests for juvenile males

either dropped or rose more slowly

during the same period (down 18

percent and up only 4 percent,

respectively). Other offenses, such as

drug abuse, liquor law, curfew, and

loitering violations, continued to

increase for girls at a rate considerably

higher than for boys. These arrest

patterns are also reflected in status

offenses, such as running away. Females

represented more than half (58 percent)

of all juveniles arrested for running

away in 1998.

Additional data demonstrate the

increased involvement of females in the

juvenile justice system. For example, an

examination of trends in juvenile court

statistics shows an increase in the

number of delinquency cases involving

females. Between 1988 and 1997, the

number of delinquency cases involving

males increased 39 percent, while the

number of cases involving females

increased 83 percent. Over this period,

the relative change in delinquency case

rates was greater for females than for

males in all major offense categories

(Stahl, March 2000). Among females,

the largest increases were in the number

of person offense and drug offense cases

(155 percent and 132 percent increases,

respectively).

Characteristics of female juvenile

offenders in the juvenile court have also

changed over time (Snyder et al., 1999).

The majority (62 percent) of females

charged with delinquent acts in 1997

were under age 16. Between 1988 and

1997, the number of delinquency cases

involving females under age 16

increased 89 percent, while the number

of cases involving females age 16 or over

increased 74 percent. In 1997, white

females accounted for 67 percent of all

female juvenile delinquency cases,

while black females accounted for 30

percent and females of other races

accounted for 4 percent. Between 1988

and 1997, the number of cases involving

females increased in all racial groups:

whites, 74 percent; blacks, 106 percent;

and other races, 102 percent.

Property offense cases (42 percent)

accounted for the largest share of

formally processed female cases in

1997. Just over one-fourth (27 percent)

were person offenses, slightly less than

one-fourth (24 percent) were public

order offenses, and 7 percent were drug

offenses. Female juvenile offenders were

securely detained in 15 percent of the

delinquency cases processed in 1997.

This is an increase of 65 percent in the

number of detention cases involving

female juveniles since 1988. The

number of detained cases grew more for

black females (123 percent) than for

white females (41 percent) during this

period. Detention was used in 21

percent of public order offenses, 18

percent of person offenses, 16 percent of

drug law violations, and 10 percent of

property offense cases.

More than half (53 percent) of the

cases involving females that were

formally processed in 1997 resulted in

a delinquency adjudication. Once

adjudicated delinquent, female

offenders received probation in the

majority (60 percent) of cases. In 22

percent of the cases, female offenders

were placed out of the home in a

residential facility. Between 1988 and

1997, the number of cases in which the

court ordered delinquent females to be

placed in a residential facility increased

105 percent, while the number of formal

probation cases increased 129 percent.

In 1997, females represented 14 percent

of juvenile offenders in residential

custody facilities (Sickmund and Wan,

1999).

These increases in arrests, juvenile

court cases, and formal handling of

female juvenile offenders have clearly

affected the composition of offenders

who are involved in the juvenile justice

system. Although female juvenile arrest

rates are growing faster than the rates for

males, the proportion of females in the

juvenile justice population remains a

relatively small minority. Little research

has been conducted to explain why

females are increasingly coming into the

juvenile justice system or to examine

strategic responses. Although States and

local jurisdictions have traditionally

designed programs and interventions

primarily for males, they are now faced

with a growing number of female

juvenile offenders. Little is known about

how juvenile females respond to these

interventions, and many communities

are unprepared to address the specific

needs of girls who are involved or at

risk of becoming involved in the

juvenile justice system.

Not only are there a limited number

of studies that focus specifically on

female offending, many important

studies either do not include females in

their samples or do not analyze the

female data separately (Kruttschnitt,

1994; Loeber and Farrington, 1998;

West, Houser, and Scanlan, 1998).

While the literature is incomplete and

warrants further development, even for

what currently exists, there could be

more theoretical integration and

practical application to guide

prevention and intervention efforts at

critical life/developmental stages

(Guerra, 1998).

Explanations of female delinquency

and criminal careers flow from vastly

different disciplinary perspectives,

creating a patchwork of understanding.

Studies of female delinquency and

crime have examined biological,

psychological, and developmental

factors (Pollack, 1950; Caspi et al.,

Federal Register 1993; Wasserman,

1995; Broidy and Agnew, 1997; Gilligan,

1982; Hoyt and Scherer, 1998; Girls Inc.,

1996); the residual effects of

victimization, maltreatment, and neglect

(Widom, 1989; Broidy and Agnew,

1997; Accoca and Austin, 1996; Girls

Inc., 1996; Giordano et al., 1999);

involvement in high-risk behaviors and

gangs (Weiher et al., 1991; Accoca,

1999; Thornberry, 1998; Fagan, 1990;

Moore and Hagedorn, 1996); gender

dynamics of socialization (Steffensmeier

and Broidy, forthcoming; Chesney-Lind,

1997; Fagan and Wexler, 1987); macrolevel changes in the social, cultural,

economic, and political status of women

and their roles in society (Adler, 1975;

Hartnagel, 1982); and differential

processing in the juvenile justice and

criminal justice systems (Ensminger,

1987; Kempf-Leonard and Sample,

2000). Some of these studies explain

female delinquency and crime through

contrasts with male delinquency/crime

levels, patterns, and trends—with

varying attention to developmental

aspects of girls lives and only limited

use of nonquantitative methods

(Kruttschnitt, 1994). Almost none deal

with the life consequence of offending,

other than the criminal justice

consequences, and few address the

combined role of gender and race

(Visher and Roth, 1986). In addition,

58886 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 191 / Monday, October 2, 2000 / Notices

while there are many promising

programs for girls, there is little

literature on the effectiveness of various

approaches (Greene, Peters, &

Associates and Northwest Regional

Educational Laboratory, 1998; Muller

and Mihalic, 1999; Morash, Bynum, and

Koons, 1998; Owen and Bloom, 2000).

Clearly, more information is needed

regarding female development, the

nature of female-specific risk and

protective factors, and the effectiveness

of intervention and prevention

programs, so that those with

responsibility for intervening with

delinquent girls can make the most

appropriate decisions and provide the

best services and treatment to juvenile

females.

OJJDP has had considerable

involvement in issues related to girls in

the juvenile justice system. The lack of

gender-specific programming for

females was noted in the 1992

amendments to the Juvenile Justice and

Delinquency Prevention (JJDP) Act of

1974, as amended. Specifically, States

are required to provide an analysis of

gender bias in the juvenile justice

system and of gender-specific service

needs and set forth a plan for providing

services to this population. This

analysis must be completed in order for

a State to be eligible to receive funds

under OJJDP’s Part B Formula Grants

program. The 1992 amendments also

established the State Challenge

Activities Program under Title II, Part E

of the JJDP Act, under which States

participating in OJJDP’s Formula Grants

program are offered additional grant

funds to support a wide range of genderspecific policies and programs (Hsia and

Beyer, 2000). ‘‘Though States have made

progress in serving the female juvenile

population, much more needs to be

done to fill continuing gaps in services’’

(Office of Juvenile Justice and

Delinquency Prevention, 1998, p. 6).

In 1996, the Office of Juvenile Justice

and Delinquency Prevention funded

Girls Inc. for the purpose of convening

a national conference on girls’ issues.

The report from the conference,

Prevention and Parity: Girls in the

Juvenile Justice System, identified key

issues that need to be examined if the

juvenile justice system is to meet the

needs of girls and young women. The

report relied on available research on

female juvenile delinquency and at-risk

behavior and highlighted promising

prevention and intervention programs

identified by practitioners in the field.

In 1996, OJJDP funded the development

of a statistical summary by the National

Center for Juvenile Justice, Girls in the

Juvenile Justice System, which

examined trends in female involvement

in different stages of the juvenile justice

system (Poe-Yamagata and Butts, 1996).

Information from these two

publications, along with an Accoca

article (1999) and other reports, leads to

the conclusion that there is still much

that is not known regarding the

pathways to female delinquency and

effective prevention and intervention

strategies with this population and that

there is a critical need in the field for

sound, defensible solutions for dealing

with this emerging problem.

To systematically address these

concerns in FY 2000, OJJDP is funding

two related programs: the National Girls

Institute, designed to provide training

and technical assistance to the field on

girls’ delinquency issues, and the Girls

Study Group, the subject of this

solicitation for applications. It is

anticipated that there will be close

collaboration between the two projects

in providing critical information to the

field. In addition, the Study Group will

coordinate its activities with other

Office of Justice Programs bureaus and

other Federal agencies with an interest

in this project.

Goals

The immediate goal of the Girls Study

Group is to develop a sound theoretical

and empirical foundation to guide

future development, testing, and

dissemination of strategies to effectively

prevent and reduce girls’ involvement

in delinquency and violence and reduce

the consequences of such involvement.

Ultimately, it is intended that the Girls

Study Group, in collaboration with the

National Girls Institute, will provide

State and local policymakers and

practitioners with theoretically sound,

culturally and developmentally

appropriate, and empirically grounded

strategies (program elements, principles,

and policies) to prevent and reduce

female delinquency and its

consequences.

Although traditional, gender-neutral

theories of crime causation provide

reasonable explanations for less serious

forms of female criminality and for

gender differences in specific crime

categories (e.g., prostitution, status

offenses, and shoplifting), existing

theories do not adequately explain

gender differences in the commission of

serious offenses, contextual differences

in criminal behavior (Steffensmeier and

Broidy, forthcoming), or the recent

divergence of juvenile female arrest

trends from male trends. Other

theoretical constructs that describe the

specific role that being female plays in

girls’ vulnerability or invulnerability to

delinquency and violence should also

be explored. It will be important for the

Study Group to distinguish between

markers and malleable conditions,

attitudes, behaviors, and relationships

that are amenable to intervention

strategies.

The Study Group should examine not

only the epidemiology and etiology of

female delinquency, but also the life

consequences of adolescent girls’

involvement in crime and the juvenile

justice system. The results of this new

research synthesis will be used to

inform the dissemination and

development of effective genderappropriate prevention and intervention

strategies that address gender-neutral

and gender-specific risk and protective

factors and causes and correlates of

female delinquency. The use of a

developmental context for

recommending new research, program

development, and programming should

be considered.

Objectives

The objectives of the Girls Study

Group are:

• To develop a better understanding

of the trends, developmental patterns,

causes, and correlates of female

delinquency and violence and the social

and justice system consequences of their

involvement in delinquency by:

—Increasing empirical knowledge about

the risk and protective factors related

to female delinquency.

—Charting the developmental pathways

to female offending for which girls

face serious legal and/or social

consequences.

—Determining the patterns and

consequences of juvenile justice

decisionmaking on female offenders

and their lives, both short and long

term.

• To develop a comprehensive,

integrated theory of female

delinquency (initiation, persistence,

and desistance) that is derived from:

—Examination of the applicability of

gender-neutral theories of

delinquency and of theories derived

from primarily male samples to

pathways to and patterns of serious

female offending.

—Exploration of gender-specific

theories and processes for their utility

in developing and testing new

prevention and intervention

strategies.

• To evaluate the literature on the

efficacy of existing prevention and

intervention programs and policies

through the lens of a female-focused

theory or theories of delinquency

(described in the preceding objective)

in order to determine which

programs, program components, or

program principles have

Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 191 / Monday, October 2, 2000 / Notices 58887

demonstrated effectiveness in

preventing and reducing juvenile

delinquency in females. The results of

this review may support the need for

further investigation and testing of

programs or strategies having

theoretical or demonstrated promise.

• To identify the characteristics (racial,

ethnic, and cultural) and needs

(developmental, psychosocial,

behavioral, educational, spiritual,

physical and mental health) of female

juvenile offenders in the juvenile

justice system for the purpose of

incorporating that information into

developmentally sensitive program

development.

• To identify where critical information

is lacking about the nature and

development of female delinquency

and effective prevention and

intervention strategies and to

recommend future research,

programming, and testing to address

these gaps in knowledge.

Program Strategy

A 2-year cooperative agreement will

be competitively awarded to carry out

the program strategy described below.

It will be the responsibility of the

grantee to assemble, convene, and chair

a multidisciplinary study group

representing a cross section of

disciplines. The group will conduct an

indepth review of existing literature that

accomplishes the following: (1) Reviews

and synthesizes empirical and

theoretical literature related to the

development and characteristics of

female juvenile delinquency; (2)

explores the nature and role of risk and

protective factors specifically related to

female juvenile delinquency across the

domains of individual characteristics

and development, family, peer

relationships, school, and community;

(3) conducts secondary analyses of

existing data; (4) identifies promising

and effective programs for prevention

and intervention; and (5) recommends

future research, program development,

and evaluation to address gaps in

current knowledge about this

population. The applicant will produce

an indepth final report on the findings

and recommendations of the Girls Study

Group and various interim and

subsequent practitioner-oriented

products.

An applicant seeking funding under

this initiative must address and be

willing to undertake, at a minimum, the

tasks described below. Specific tasks

may be contracted by the applicant to

other groups or individuals. An

applicant that plans to use consultants

in this manner should (1) clearly spell

out the terms of the contract in the

application and (2) address the

qualifications of the contractor/

consultant(s) selected to perform each

task.

In developing the Program Narrative

section of the application, applicants

must provide a comprehensive proposal

describing how they plan to achieve the

goals, objectives, and tasks of the Girls

Study Group as outlined in this program

announcement. Greater specificity is

required for the first year of the project

in terms of detailed objectives,

timelines, products, and budget

narratives.

Task I: Assemble and Convene the Girls

Study Group

The successful applicant should

assemble the Girls Study Group and

convene at least two meetings within

the first year of the grant. The successful

applicant will have the organizational

capacity to organize and facilitate these

meetings. The applicant must

demonstrate its ability to bring together

individuals with proven expertise and

excellence in fields including, but not

limited to, criminology, sociology,

statistics, developmental psychology,

mental health, adolescent health,

juvenile justice research and practice,

domestic violence, and youth work.

Together the membership of the Girls

Study Group and assigned project

personnel must possess knowledge of

and experience with issues of female

development and familiarity with at-risk

and delinquent girls. The Study Group

will provide substantive and technical

advice over the course of the study and

perform selected tasks as determined by

the applicant. For purposes of the

application submission, the applicant

must identify and obtain letters of

agreement and re ́sume ́s from at least six

individuals (of a proposed 12- to 15-

member group) to serve on the Study

Group, describing how their background

and skills meet the requirements of this

project. Such commitments by

prospective Study Group members are

not required to be exclusive agreements

with that applicant; that is, consultants

may agree to participate with other

applicants for the project. The applicant

must briefly discuss the qualifications of

each Study Group member and

articulate how each member’s

knowledge and expertise will contribute

to the overall mission of the Study

Group. For the remaining positions

needed to complete the Study Group,

the applicant must identify only the

types of disciplines, skills, and

experience that are needed, not the

names.

In addition to the 12 to 15 projectfunded members of the Study Group, it

is anticipated that representatives from

the National Girls Institute will serve as

ex officio members of the Girls Study

Group. Designated staff from OJJDP, the

Violence Against Women Office, the

National Institute of Justice, and the

Bureau of Justice Statistics will be

invited to serve as Federal agency

coordinating representatives to the Girls

Study Group along with others, as

OJJDP deems appropriate.

Task II: Review the Literature Review

The Study Group should review both

the theoretical and empirical literature

from relevant fields, including, but not

limited to, criminology, sociology,

developmental psychology, mental

health, adolescent health, substance

abuse, juvenile justice, and domestic

violence, as they pertain to female

delinquency. In particular, the literature

review should address the objectives of

the Girls Study Group, as stated above.

Applicants must succinctly describe

their approach to the literature in

relation to the objectives listed above.

Task III: Conduct Secondary Analyses

In the course of the Study Group’s

work, is expected that the successful

applicant will be responsible for

conducting secondary analyses of data

sets that are likely to contribute to the

goals and objectives of the Study Group.

Applicants must describe their plans for

identifying potential data sets that may

be proposed for analysis, determining

both the scope and priority of the

analysis, and conducting such analyses.

Task IV: Provide Deliverables

The applicant should describe several

distinct reports and other products that

it envisions being derived from the work

of the Study Group. It is expected that

the publications and products

developed by the successful applicant

will provide information relevant to the

Study Group’s goals and objectives.

While the reports must be of a quality

that would merit publication in a

refereed journal, the authors must also

address the needs of various practitioner

audiences in the field. The authors will

be expected to work closely with the

National Girls Institute in facilitating

the dissemination of various Study

Group reports and products to relevant

practitioner and policymaker audiences

in the juvenile justice, child welfare,

education, pediatric and adolescent

health, mental health, and youth work

fields.

At a minimum, the Girls Study Group

should produce a number of interim,

final, and summary reports on the

results of its work. Three reports will be

published as OJJDP Bulletins: (1) A

58888 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 191 / Monday, October 2, 2000 / Notices

summary based on national studies and

statistical series on the trends in female

juvenile delinquency; antisocial, highrisk behavior; and victimization; and the

systems’ response; (2) a summary of the

results of the literature review with

respect to new perspectives on risk and

protective factors for delinquent

behavior having serious consequences

for female offenders; and (3) a report on

effective and promising prevention and

intervention programs related to femalespecific risk and protective factors. It is

expected that the third report, a final

report, and an executive summary will

be produced during the second phase of

the project. The final report will present

the results of the Study Group’s work

and provide well-substantiated support

and recommendations for further

research and programming in this area.

Applicants should discuss their plans

for developing reports and products in

the Project Design section of the

Program Narrative.

Eligibility Requirements

OJJDP invites applications from

public or private agencies,

organizations, institutions, or

individuals. Private, for-profit

organizations must agree to waive any

profit or fee. Applicants must

demonstrate that they have experience

in coordinating and convening meetings

of subject matter experts, conducting

extensive literature reviews, carrying

out secondary analyses, and writing

reports.

In the case of joint applications, one

applicant must be clearly indicated as

the primary applicant (for

correspondence and award purposes)

and the other(s) listed as coapplicants.

If contractors will be used for specific

project tasks, evidence of their

qualifications and willingness to

undertake the specified task(s) should

be provided.

To be eligible for consideration,

applicants must strictly adhere to the

guidelines for preparing and submitting

applications regarding page length,

layout, and submission deadlines.

Selection Criteria

Applicants will be evaluated and

rated by a peer review panel according

to the selection criteria outlined below.

In addition, the extent to which the

project narrative makes clear and logical

connections among the components

listed below will be considered in

assessing a project’s merits. It is further

recommended that applications be

organized and presented in a way that

enables application reviewers to

evaluate the proposal in terms of the

selection criteria outlined below.

Issues To Be Addressed (25 points)

The applicant must include a clear

and concise discussion of the issues

related to understanding, preventing,

and responding to female juvenile

delinquency and its consequences for

girls. The applicant must identify the

most important research questions for

the Girls Study Group to address. This

discussion should reflect the applicant’s

understanding of the need for

undertaking this initiative now; the

anticipated challenges that face the Girls

Study Group in successfully

accomplishing the stated goals and

objectives and ways to address those

issues; and the potential utility of this

project and its products for those who

are dealing with or studying troubled

girls, dangerous girls, and girls in the

juvenile justice system.

Goals and Objectives (10 points)

The applicant must describe how it

will address the stated goals and each of

the objectives outlined in the

solicitation. The goals and objectives

must relate to the identified research

questions and issues to be addressed.

Any significant modification of the

stated goals and objectives should be

clearly justified and the implications of

any variation carried through in the rest

of the proposal. Objectives should

specify clearly defined, measurable

tasks that will enable the applicant to

achieve the goals of the project.

Project Design (35 points)

Applicants should present a well

developed project design that clearly

delineates the specific activities, the

people and other resources involved,

and the time lines for accomplishing the

tasks outlined in the Program Strategy,

and for developing the Deliverables

described above. The narrative must

discuss how and when major activities

for each task will be accomplished and

how these tasks will build on each other

to reach the project’s goal and

objectives. A time task chart should be

included in appendix A of the

application.

Management and Organizational

Capability (20 points)

The applicant should include a

discussion of how it will assemble,

coordinate, and manage the Girls Study

Group in a way that promises to achieve

the stated goals and objectives. The

applicant must clearly define the roles

and responsibilities of key project staff,

members of the Girls Study Group, and

its chair(s). An organizational chart

must be included in appendix B.

Applicants should also discuss how

they will ensure the quality and utility

of the products generated from the Girls

Study Group and propose how they will

coordinate their activities with the

National Girls Institute. The applicant

must describe knowledge and

experience of key staff relevant to this

initiative and any organizational

experience demonstrating its ability to

accomplish the project objectives and to

work with experts from diverse

disciplines and perspectives to

accomplish a common goal. The

applicant must describe the process of

facilitating Study Group meetings and

tasks and describe in detail the panel of

experts the applicant would convene for

the project. Together the key project

staff and the membership of the Girls

Study Group must collectively possess

knowledge of and experience with

issues of female development and

familiarity with difficult and troubled

girls and girls already in the juvenile

justice system, as described in the

discussion of Task 1. Each proposed

Study Group member must submit a

letter of agreement stating his/her

commitment to participate in and

contribute to the goals and objectives of

the Girls Study Group. Such

commitments by prospective Study

Group members are not required to be

exclusive agreements. Group members’

statement-of-participation letters and

re

 ́

sume ́s must be attached in appendix

B, along with all staff re ́sume ́s. The

Study Group panel should number 12 to

15 participants.

Budget (10 points)

Applicants must provide a proposed

budget that is complete, detailed,

reasonable, allowable, and cost effective

in relation to the activities to be

undertaken during the first 12-month

budget period. A detailed budget

narrative should be included in

appendix C and conform to the

guidelines in the OJJDP Application Kit.

For the second 12-month budget period,

the applicant should present a

preliminary budget in appendix C

without a detailed budget narrative.

Applications must also conform to

Federal requirements with respect to

travel, equipment, and procurement

policies.

Format

A program narrative, not to exceed 40

pages (excluding forms, table of

contents, project abstract, certificates of

confidentiality, coordination of Federal

efforts, assurances, and appendix) must

be submitted on 81⁄2- by 11-inch paper,

double spaced on one side of the paper

in a standard 12-point font. The

narrative should be preceded by a onepage project abstract, which must also

Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 191 / Monday, October 2, 2000 / Notices 58889

be submitted on 81⁄2- by 11-inch paper,

double-spaced on one side of the paper

in a standard 12-point font. The abstract

should not exceed a maximum length of

400 words. A table of contents is also

required. Appendix A should contain

the project’s timeline with dates for

initiation and completion of critical

project tasks and products. Appendix B

should contain an organizational chart,

re

 ́

sume ́s, and letters of support from

each of the proposed Study Group

members and re ́sume ́s for any key

project staff who are not considered

members of the Study Group. Appendix

C should contain the detailed budge

narrative. These standards are necessary

to maintain fair and uniform standards

among all applicants. If the application

does not conform to these standards,

OJJDP will deem the application

ineligible for consideration.

Award Period

This project will be funded for 2 years

in two 1-year budget periods.

Applicants should submit a 2-year

project plan. Funding after the first

budget period depends on performance

of the grantee, availability of funds, and

other criteria established at the time of

the award.

Award Amount

Up to $300,000 is available for the

initial 12-month budget period. It is

anticipated that year two will be funded

at a similar level of support.

Privacy Certificate

U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)

regulations require that a Privacy

Certificate be submitted as part of any

application for a project in which

information identifiable to a private

person will be collected for research or

statistical purposes. The purpose of the

Privacy Certificate is to ensure that the

applicant will comply with the

confidentiality requirements of 42

U.S.C. 3789g and 28 CFR part 22, which

essentially require that private

information collected in the course of

research activities be used only for

research purposes.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

(CFDA) Number

For this program, the CFDA number,

which is required on the Application for

Federal Assistance, Standard Form 424,

is 16.542. Form 424 can be found in the

OJJDP Application Kit, which can be

obtained by contacting the Juvenile

Justice Clearinghouse at 800–638–8736

or sending an e-mail request to

puborder@ncjrs.org The Application Kit

is also available online at

www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org/grants/

about.html#kit.

Coordination of Federal Efforts

To encourage better coordination

among Federal agencies in addressing

State and local needs, DOJ is requesting

applicants to provide information on the

following: (1) Active Federal grant

award(s) supporting this or related

efforts, including awards from DOJ; (2)

any pending application(s) for Federal

funds for this or related efforts; and (3)

plans for coordinating any funds

described in items (1) or (2) with the

funding sought by this application. For

each Federal award, applicants must

include the program or project title, the

Federal grantor agency, the amount of

the award, and a brief description of its

purpose. This statement of coordination

of Federal efforts should be placed in

appendix E. Include in appendix E a list

of authors (by section) of this proposal

and indicate whether this proposal, or

portions of it, have been submitted to

other Federal agencies for funding.

The term ‘‘related efforts’’ is defined

for these purposes as one of the

following:

• Efforts for the same purpose (i.e.,

the proposed award would supplement,

expand, complement, or continue

activities funded with other Federal

grants).

• Another phase or component of the

same program or project (e.g., to

implement a planning effort funded by

other Federal funds or to provide a

substance abuse treatment or education

component within a criminal justice

project).

• Services of some kind (e.g.,

technical assistance, research, or

evaluation) to the program or project

described in the application.

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, 2277 Research

Boulevard, Mail Stop 2K, Rockville,

Maryland 20850; 301–519–5535. Faxed

or e-mailed applications will not be

accepted. Note: In the lower left-hand

corner of the envelope, the applicant

must clearly write ‘‘Girls Study Group.’’

Due Date

Applicants are responsible for

ensuring that the original and five

copies of the application package are

received by 5:00 p.m. ET on December

1, 2000.

Contact

For further information, contact

Barbara Allen-Hagen, Social Science

Analyst, Research and Program

Development Division, OJJDP, at 202–

307–1308, or send an e-mail inquiry to

barbara@ojp.usdoj.gov; or contact Anne

Bergan, Program Manager, Research and

Program Development Division, OJJDP,

at 202–514–5533, or send an e-mail

inquiry to bergana@ojp.usdoj.gov.

References

Accoca, L. 1999. Investing in girls: A 21st

century strategy. Juvenile Justice 6(1):3–

13.

Accoca, L. 1998. Outside/inside: The

violation of American girls at home, on

the streets, and in the juvenile justice

system. Crime and Delinquency

44(4):561–589.

Accoca, L., and Austin, J. 1996. The Hidden

Crisis: Women in Prison. San Francisco,

CA: National Council on Crime and

Delinquency.

Adler, F. 1975. Sisters in Crime: The Rise of

the New Female Criminal. New York,

NY: McGraw-Hill, pp. 21–22.

Broidy, L., and Agnew, R. 1997. Gender and

crime: A general strain theory

perspective. Journal of Research in

Crime and Delinquency 34(3):275–299.

Caspi, A., Lynam, D., Moffitt, T.E., and Silva,

P. 1993. Unraveling girls’ delinquency:

Biological, dispositional, and contextual

contributions to adolescent misbehavior.

Developmental Psychology 29(1):19–30.

Chesney-Lind, M. 1997. The Female

Offender. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage

Publications.

Chesney-Lind, M. 1998. What to do about

girls? Promising perspectives and

effective strategies. Paper prepared for

ICCA’s 6th Annual Research Conference.

Arlington, VA. (Copies available from

the author at the Center for Youth

Research, University of Hawaii at

Ma ̃noa.)

Ensminger, M.E. 1987. Adolescent sexual

behavior as it relates to the transition

behaviors in youth. In Risking the

Future: Adolescent Sexuality, Pregnancy

and Childbearing. Volume II: Working

Papers and Statistical Appendices,

edited by S.L. Hoffert and C.D. Hayes.

Washington, DC: National Academy

Press, pp. 36–55.

Fagan, J. 1990. Social processes of

delinquency and drug use among urban

gangs. In Gangs in America, edited by

C.R. Huff. Newbury Park, CA: Sage

Publications.

Fagan, J., and Wexler, S. 1987. Crime at home

and crime in the streets. The relationship

between family and stranger violence.

Violence and Victimization 2(1):5–23.

Federal Bureau of Investigation. 1999. Crime

in the United States. Washington, DC:

U.S. Department of Justice, Federal

Bureau of Investigation.

Gilligan, C. 1982. In a Different Voice:

Psychological Theory and Women’s

Development. Cambridge, MA: Harvard

University Press.

58890 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 191 / Monday, October 2, 2000 / Notices

Giordano, P.C., Millhollin, T.J., Cernkovich,

S.A., Pugh, M.D., and Rudolph, J.L. 1999.

Delinquency, identity, and involvement

in relationship violence. Criminology

37(1):17–40.

Girls Inc. 1996. Prevention and Parity: Girls

in the Juvenile System. Washington, DC:

U.S. Department of Justice, Office of

Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile

Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

Greene, Peters, & Associates and Northwest

Regional Educational Laboratory. 1998.

Guiding Principles for Promising Female

Programming and Inventory of Best

Practices. Washington, DC: U.S.

Department of Justice, Office of Justice

Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and

Delinquency Prevention.

Guerra, N.G. 1998. Serious and violent

juvenile offenders: Gaps in knowledge

and research priorities. In Serious and

Violent Juvenile Offenders: Risk Factors

and Successful Interventions, edited by

R. Loeber and D. Farrington. Thousand

Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Hartnagel, T. 1982. Modernization, female

social roles, and female crime: A crossnational investigation. Sociological

Quarterly 23:477–490.

Hoyt, S., and Scherer, D.G. 1998. Female

Juvenile Delinquency: Misunderstood by

the Juvenile Justice System, Neglected by

Social Science. New York, NY: Law and

Human Behavior.

Hsia, H.M., and Beyer, M. 2000. System

Change Through State Challenge

Activities: Approaches and Products.

Bulletin. Washington, DC: U.S.

Department of Justice, Office of Justice

Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and

Delinquency Prevention.

Kempf-Leonard, K., and Sample, L.L. 2000

(March). Disparity based on sex: Is

gender specific treatment warranted?

Justice Quarterly 17(1).

Kruttschnitt, C. 1994. Gender and

interpersonal violence. In Understanding

and Preventing Violence, Volume 3:

Social Influences, edited by A.J. Reiss,

Jr., and J.A. Roth. Washington, DC:

National Academy Press.

Loeber, R., and Farrington, D., eds. 1998.

Serious and Violent Juvenile Offenders :

Risk Factors and Successful

Interventions. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage

Publications.

Moore, J.W., and J.M. Hagedorn. 1996. What

happens to girls in the gang? In Gangs in

America, edited by C.R. Huff. Thousand

Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Morash, M., Bynum, T.S., and Koons, B.A.

1998. Women Offenders: Programming

Needs and Promising Approaches.

Research in Brief. Washington, DC: U.S.

Department of Justice, Office of Justice

Programs, National Institute of Justice.

Muller, J., and Mihalic, S. 1999. Blue Prints:

A Violence Prevention Initiative. Fact

Sheet. Washington, DC: U.S. Department

of Justice, Office of Justice Programs,

Office of Juvenile Justice and

Delinquency Prevention.

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency

Prevention. 1998. Juvenile Female

Offenders: Status of the States Report.

Washington, DC: U.S. Department of

Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office

of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency

Prevention.

Owen, B., and Bloom, B. 2000. Profiling the

needs of young female offenders:

Instrument development and pilot study.

Unpublished final report to the National

Institute of Justice. Fresno, CA:

California State University, Fresno.

(Photocopies of this report are available

for a nominal fee from the National

Criminal Justice Reference Service, 800–

851–3420.)

Poe-Yamagata, E., and Butts, J.A. 1996.

Female Offenders in the Juvenile Justice

System. Statistics Summary.

Washington, DC: U.S. Department of

Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office

of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency

Prevention.

Pollack, O. 1950. The Criminality of Women.

Philadelphia, PA: University of

Pennsylvania Press (as cited in

Steffensmeier, D., and Broidy, L.

Forthcoming. Explaining female

offending. In Women, Crime and

Criminal Justices: Contemporary Issues,

edited by L. Goodstein. Los Angeles, CA:

Roxbury Press).

Sickmund, M., and Wan, Yi-chun. 1999.

Census of juveniles in residential

placement: 1997 databook. Online:

www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org/ojstatbb/Cjrp97/

OpenPage.asp.

Snyder, H.N. 1999. Juvenile Arrests 1998.

Bulletin. Washington, DC: U.S.

Department of Justice, Office of Justice

Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and

Delinquency Prevention.

Snyder, H., Finnegan, T., Stahl, A., and

Poole, R. 1999. Easy Access to Juvenile

Court Statistics: 1988–1997 [data

analysis and presentation package].

Pittsburgh, PA: National Center for

Juvenile Justice [producer]. Washington,

DC: Office of Juvenile Justice and

Delinquency Prevention [distributor].

Stahl, A.L. 2000. Delinquency Cases in

Juvenile Courts, 1997. Fact Sheet.

Washington, DC: U.S. Department of

Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office

of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency

Prevention.

Steffensmeier, D., and Broidy, L.

Forthcoming. Explaining female

offending. In Women, Crime and

Criminal Justices: Contemporary Issues,

edited by L. Goodstein. Los Angeles, CA:

Roxbury Press.

Thornberry, T.P. 1998. Membership in youth

gangs and involvement in serious and

violent offending. In Serious and Violent

Juvenile Offenders: Risk Factors and

Successful Interventions, edited by R.

Loeber and D. Farrington. Thousand

Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Visher, C., and Roth, J.A. 1986. Appendix A:

Participation in criminal careers. In

Criminal Careers and ‘‘Career

Criminals,’’ vol. 1, edited by A.

Blumstein, J. Cohen, J.A. Roth, and C.

Visher. Washington, DC: National

Academy Press, pp. 211–291.

Wasserman, G.A. 1995. Is there an alternate

pathway for girls’ antisocial behavior?

Paper presented at the annual meeting of

the American Academy of Child and

Adolescent Psychiatry, Philadelphia, PA.

Weiher, A.W., Huizinga, D., Lizotte, A.J., and

van Kammen, W. 1991. The relationship

between sexual activity, pregnancy,

delinquency and drug use. In Urban

Delinquency and Substance Abuse:

Technical Report, vol. 1, edited by D.

Huizinga, R. Loeber, and T. Thornberry.

Washington, DC: U.S. Department of

Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office

of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency

Prevention, pp. 6–1 to 6–27.

West, K.K., Hauser, R.M., and Scanlan, T.M.,

eds. 1998. Longitudinal Surveys of

Children. Committee on National

Statistics, Board on Children, Youth, and

Families, Commission on Behavioral and

Social Sciences, National Research

Council, Institute of Medicine.

Washington, DC: National Academy

Press.

Widom, C.S. 1989. Child abuse, neglect and

violent criminal behavior. Criminology

27:251–271.

Dated: September 27, 2000.

John J. Wilson,

Acting Administrator, Office of Juvenile

Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

[FR Doc. 00–25239 Filed 9–29–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4410–18–P