[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 31 (Wednesday, February 15, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8736-8737]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-3701]



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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
National Institute of Corrections


Cooperative Agreement Announcement

AGENCY: National Institute of Corrections, Justice.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The NIC announces the solicitation of applications for the 
study of the District of Columbia Department of Corrections.

DATES: Applications for this cooperative agreement will be available 
beginning February 15, 1995. Applications are due no later than 4 p.m. 
Eastern time, March 20, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Request copies of the solicitation (application) from NIC, 
320 First St., N.W. (HOLC), Washington, D.C. 20534, by FAX to 202-307-
3361.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. John E. Moore or Ms. Anna Z. 
Thompson, (202) 307-1300, ext. 147 or 145.

Cooperative Agreement Announcement

District of Columbia Department of Corrections Study

I. Overview

    Congress has appropriated $200,000 to the National Institute of 
Corrections (NIC) for Federal Fiscal Year 1995 to fund an in-depth 
study of the District of Columbia Department of Corrections (DC DOC). 
Therefore, the National Institute of Corrections is soliciting 
applications from organizations or individuals knowledgeable about 
correctional management, programs and operations. The project to be 
funded involves an analysis and evaluation of specific areas of the 
District of Columbia Department of Corrections. Some areas will also 
require attention in the development of a program design as well as 
implementation strategies. The project should include, but not be 
limited to, a compilation and review of existing data and relevant 
information; analysis of the data, to include previous and/or on-going 
court ordered evaluations and findings; evaluation of areas listed 
below; and recommendations for programmatic and operational improvement 
in the DC DOC based on current and ``best'' practices.

II. Scope

    The successful applicant will document findings and recommendations 
in a report to be made available to NIC. The report will be based on a 
comprehensive study of each of the areas listed below:
    * Analysis of the rated capacity of the system, to include an 
analysis of the appropriate number of inmates to be housed in each 
facility;
    * Design and implementation of an objective classification system 
and a community risk assessment system;
    * Staffing analysis;
    * A review of the policies, procedures, standards, regulations and 
laws currently governing human resource issues within the D.C. 
Department of Corrections including hiring, training, assignment, and 
promotion of personnel with a special emphasis on hiring and training 
standards;
    * Assessment of the physical plant, to include, but not be limited 
to, state of repair and safety and health considerations;
    * Security analysis of those facilities which are not under court 
order, to include, but not be limited to, internal security, perimeter/
external security, and assessment of emergency preparedness; (through 
and comprehensive security audits as well as assessments of emergency 
preparedness have been conducted at Central, Maximum and the Jail by 
Court consultants. This effort will be extended to all other facilities 
by the cooperative agreement recipient);
    * Facility safety and health assessments, primarily of an 
environmental nature, to include, but not be limited to, food service 
sanitation, vector control, air quality, water supply and sewage 
disposal, lighting, and noise control, and communicable disease and 
infection control. (Comprehensive assessments are currently being 
conducted at Central, Maximum, Modular and the Jail by the Department 
of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) with thorough, detailed 
reports issued every four months by highly qualified environmental 
health and safety experts. The concerns at the facilities under court 
scrutiny are probably similar to those at all DC facilities and these 
issues can be addressed by auditing the facilities not under court 
scrutiny and extrapolating the relevant findings of the DCRA reports to 
them);
    * Assessment of the adequacy of existing financial resources;
    * Review and recommendations as to new and/or additional policies 
and procedures relative to the above mentioned areas.
    Funding for this project has been set at $200,000 which will 
support one cooperative agreement. Activities funded through this 
agreement are to be completed within six months after the project 
award. Those eligible for application consideration include state 
agencies; public for profit or non-profit organizations; associations; 
educational institutions; other organizations and individuals. This 
project is on an expedited time frame and the award recipient should be 
prepared to begin work within 45 days of the closing date of the 
announcement. Applications for this project must be received by the 
Prisons Division no later than 4 p.m. Eastern time, March 20, 1995.

    Note: It is acceptable for two or more organizations to join 
together to submit a joint application for this award or for an 
applicant to propose some type of a subcontract. There are specific 
provisions which apply to these types of arrangements. Any 
applicants planning on proposing such an arrangement should contact 
NIC and specifically request the briefing materials related to this 
issue, see Section VI.

III. Application Procedures

    The applicant must complete OMB Standard Form 424, Application for 
Federal Assistance; the certification of a drug-free workplace; and the 
[[Page 8737]] certification regarding debarment (Copies of these forms 
are included in the Institutes' Annual Program Plan.) Detailed 
procedures for preparing financial assistance applications are given in 
the NIC Guidelines Manual: Instructions for Applying for Federal 
Assistance. Each of the above referenced documents will be made 
available upon request, see Section VI.
    Applications should be submitted in six copies. At least one of the 
six copies must bear the original signature, in ink, of the 
administrator or chief executive officer of the applicant organization. 
A cover letter must identify the responsible audit agency for the 
applicant's financial accounts. Applications must be written concisely 
and typed double spaced.
    Applications must detail the project, the objectives, and the plan 
for implementing the proposal. Projected costs and description of the 
qualifications of the applicant(s) must be included. The projected cost 
of conducting the project is a critical element in the decision making 
process, and the Institute urges applicants to keep indirect costs, in 
particular, to a minimum. In addition, applicants must assure that they 
have the personnel resources to complete this project within the 
specified timeframes.
    Applications being sent by mail should be addressed to the National 
Institute of Corrections, Grant Office, 320 First Street, N.W., 
Washington, D.C. 20534. Applications transmitted by fax will not be 
accepted or acknowledged. Applications for grants should not be sent to 
NIC Longmont, Colorado, offices. Applications being sent by personal 
delivery or Federal Express should be directed to the National 
Institute of Corrections, 500 First Street, N.W., Grants Office, 
Seventh Floor, Washington, D.C. 20534.

IV. Application Review Procedures

    Applications for grants and cooperative agreements are reviewed by 
a team of Institute staff members. The applications are subsequently 
approved or disapproved by the Director of the National Institute of 
Corrections. Four categories of criteria are used in reviewing 
applications: programmatic, organizational, project management, and 
financial/administrative. Among the specific criteria used to evaluate 
the applications are:
    * Indication of a clear understanding of the specific areas of 
corrections to be addressed by this project and the key issues;
    * Well-defined project objectives, tasks, and resources necessary 
to meet the objectives;
    * Technical soundness of the design and methodology for achieving 
the project goals;
    * Description of all elements and tasks of the project, and 
realistic timeframes necessary to complete the tasks;
    * Background, experience, and expertise of the proposed project 
staff, including any subcontractors;
    * Sufficient and realistic time commitments from key project staff;
    * Reputation or recognized skill of the applicant organization and 
any proposed subcontractors;
    * Financial and administrative integrity of the proposal, including 
adherence to federal financial guidelines and processes;
    * Adequate detail and narrative about the cost elements in the 
proposed budget.

V. Project Outcome

    The final product will be a camera-ready document that is fully and 
professionally edited and prepared in accordance with NIC and federal 
publications guidelines. A copy of the ``General Conditions'' for 
projects entailing the preparation of a report for publication and 
public dissemination is available upon request, see section VI.
    Monthly briefings, quarterly progress reports and a three month 
interim product will be required. The Cooperative Agreement recipient 
will be expected to work closely with the NIC Project Monitor as well 
as the designated Project Coordinator from the DC Department of 
Corrections.

VI. Additional Information

    To obtain additional information including OMB Standard Form 424, 
Application for Federal Assistance; the certification of a drug-free 
workplace; certification regarding debarment (Copies of these forms are 
included in the Institutes' Annual Program Plan), as well as, NIC 
Guidelines Manual: Instructions for Applying for Federal Assistance and 
``General Conditions'' for the preparation of printed material you may 
contact John E. Moore or Anna Z. Thompson, Correctional Program 
Specialists, Prisons Division, National Institute of Corrections, 320 
First St., N.W. (HOLC), Washington, D.C. 20534, Phone: 202-307-1300, 
ext. 147 or 145 or fax 202-307-3361.
Morris L. Thigpen,
Director.
[FR Doc. 95-3701 Filed 2-14-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-36-M