Grants Network : Opportunities

BJA FY 12 Smart Probation: Reducing Prison Populations, Saving Money, and Creating Safer Communities

Submission Due Date: 2012-05-21

At yearend 2010, there were an estimated 4,887,900 adults under supervision in the community either on probation or parole—the equivalent of about 1 out of every 48 adults. Many people on supervision do not successfully complete their community supervision.1 According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), 16 percent of probationers were incarcerated as the result of a new sentence or revocation of their current probation. These failure rates are a key reason prison populations continue to swell nationally. State-level data from BJA’s Justice Reinvestment Initiative indicate that in some states probation and parole revocations account for up to 65 percent of prison and jail admissions annually.The purpose of this program is to improve probation success rates, which would in turn improve public safety, reduce returns to prisons and jails, and save taxpayer dollars. Funds can be used to implement evidence-based supervision strategies to improve outcomes for probationers.FY 2012 appropriations under the Second Chance Act made funding available for Smart Probation projects, in addition to providing federal awards to state and local governments and federally recognized Indian tribes for demonstration reentry projects. Read more & comments

BJA FY 12 Second Chance Act Adult Offender Comprehensive Statewide Recidivism Reduction Demonstration Program

Submission Due Date: 2012-05-21

The Second Chance Act of 2007 (Pub. L. 110-199) provides a comprehensive response to the increasing number of incarcerated adults who are released from prisons and jails returning to communities. There are currently over 2.3 million individuals serving time in our federal and state prisons, and millions of people cycling through local jails every year. Ninety-five percent of all offenders incarcerated today will eventually be released and will return to communities. The Second Chance Act Programs are designed to help communities develop and implement comprehensive and collaborative strategies that address the challenges posed by offender reentry and recidivism reduction. “Reentry” is not a specific program, but rather a process that starts when an offender is initially incarcerated and ends when the offender has been successfully reintegrated in his or her community as a law-abiding citizen. Proposals under this solicitation should be systemic in nature and reflect a phased approach in the planning, capacity building, and specific programmatic interventions comprising a comprehensive strategy to achieve a reduction in a historical baseline recidivism rate. In December 2011, the Council of State Governments Justice Center—with the support of BJA, the Pew Center on the States, and the Public Welfare Foundation—convened a State Leaders’ National Forum on Reentry and Recidivism in Washington, DC. The forum was attended by teams (corrections directors, statewide reentry coordinators, and reentry champions) for each of the 50 states, DC, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. A comprehensive web page of the event was developed and includes videos, presentations, and other information about the event. At the Forum, departments of corrections from states and territories were asked to develop comprehensive statewide plans to reduce recidivism in collaboration with other criminal justice stakeholders. BJA announced that it was setting aside up to $5,000,000 from the FY 2012 Section 101 Second Chance Act Appropriation to support awards to departments of correction to plan and implement comprehensive statewide recidivism reduction plans that meet the eligibility requirements under the Second Chance Act outlined below. Read more & comments

BJA FY 12 Smart Probation: Reducing Prison Populations, Saving Money, and Creating Safer Communities - MODIFICATION 1

Submission Due Date: 2012-05-21

Desistance From Crime Over the Life Course

Submission Due Date: 2012-05-23

This solicitation seeks proposals to conduct research that enhances knowledge of the process of desistance from crime. NIJ encourages applicants to submit proposals for bold, innovative approaches to enhancing understanding of the processes underlying desistance from crime. Several areas in need of research have been identified (see “Program-Specific Information” below). However, applications are not limited to the specified topics.Authorizing Legislation: Title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (sections 201 and 202), Department of Justice Appropriations Act, 2012 (Public Law 112–55). Read more & comments

Research on Domestic Radicalization

Submission Due Date: 2012-05-29

NIJ seeks proposals for funding research to support Federal, State, local, and tribal criminal justice agencies in meeting the challenges posed by domestic radicalization to violence. Proposals should develop and analyze information and data that have clear implications for criminal justice in the following focus areas: (1) Empirical Evaluation of Theories of Domestic Radicalization; (2) Examination of Radicalization Processes for Individuals; (3) Comparative Analysis of Violent Extremists, Organized Criminals, Gangs, Hate Groups and/or Cults; and (4) Influence of Community and Other Policing Strategies on Domestic Radicalization to Violence. Read more & comments

Teen Court Program

Submission Due Date: 2012-05-30

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment is accepting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2012 Teen Court Program grants (TCP). The purpose of this program is to provide substance abuse treatment services and related recovery support services to youth with substance abuse and/or co-occurring treatment needs involved in a teen court program. SAMHSA is focusing on preventing crimes by diverting youth with substance abuse treatment needs, from deeper penetration into the traditional juvenile justice system. Expected outcomes for this program for the participating youth include reduced substance use; reduced criminal activity; improved health; better quality of life; and increased productivity. For the purposes of this RFA, teen court, youth court, student court and peer court will collectively be referred to as "teen court."Â Teen courts are peer-run courts where youth sentence their peers for minor delinquent and status offenses and other problem behaviors. These programs provide positive alternative sanctions for first-time offenders by providing a peer-driven sentencing mechanism, which allows young people to take responsibility, to be held accountable, and to make restitution. Currently, teen courts do not provide substance abuse treatment, and most do not provide referrals to substance abuse treatment. This program is designed to divert youth with substance abuse treatment needs from entry into the traditional juvenile justice system by providing such treatment. Teen court programs are administered by a variety of agencies including juvenile courts, juvenile probation departments, law enforcement, private nonprofit organizations, and schools. There are four primary teen court models: Adult Judge, Youth Judge, Peer Judge, and Youth Tribal Models. For more information on teen courts, see Appendix J. Applicant teen courts must be operational on or before October 1, 2012. Operational is defined as a having a set of cases and seeing respondents in the teen court. In alignment with the goals of SAMHSA’s Strategic Initiative: Trauma and Justice, this program will help reduce the pervasive, harmful, and costly health impact of violence and trauma by integrating trauma-informed approaches throughout health, behavioral health, and related systems and addressing the behavioral health needs of people involved in or at-risk of involvement in the criminal and juvenile justice systems. By providing needed treatment services, this program is intended to reduce the health and social costs of substance abuse and dependence to the public, and increase the safety of America’s citizens by reducing substance abuse related crime and violence. TCP is one of SAMHSA’s services grant programs. SAMHSA intends that its services grants result in the delivery of services as soon as possible after award. Service delivery should begin by the 4th month of the project at the latest. Â Teen Court Program grants are authorized under 509 of the Public Health Service Act, as amended. This announcement addresses Healthy People 2020 Substance Abuse Topic Area HP 2020-SA. Read more & comments

Evaluation of the Implementation of the Sex Offender Treatment Intervention and Progress Scale (SOTIPS)

Submission Due Date: 2012-05-31

As part of a collaborative effort with the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART), NIJ seeks competitive proposals for a single award that will support an evaluation of the implementation of the Sex Offender Treatment Intervention and Progress Scale (SOTIPS). Developed by the state of Vermont, SOTIPS combines static and dynamic risk measures into an overall assessment tool to predict sexual recidivism. It was hypothesized that SOTIPS, used in conjunction with the Static-99R, would better predict sexual recidivism than either type of measure (static or dynamic) alone. Results from a recent NIJ-funded evaluation found the combined static (Static-99R) and dynamic risk measure (SOTIPS) consistently predicted recidivism and outperformed either instrument when used alone. Based on these positive findings, SMART will fund the implementation of SOTIPS in up to three sites. The proposed evaluation should include an implementation and process evaluation, as well as an assessment of relevant outcome measures, including but not limited to treatment efficacy and recidivism. Read more & comments

Evaluation of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention FY 2010 Second Chance Act Juvenile Offender Reentry Demonstration Projects

Submission Due Date: 2012-05-31

NIJ seeks applications for a comprehensive evaluation of up to five juvenile offender demonstration projects funded under the Second Chance Act of 2007. This solicitation seeks to award a grant to measure the processes, outcomes, costs, and impacts of the juvenile offender reentry programs that received funding in FY 2010 from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), and to assess the effectiveness of the Second Chance Act in reducing recidivism among juvenile offenders. Read more & comments

OJJDP FY2012 EUDL Field-Initiated Research and Evaluation Program

Submission Due Date: 2012-06-04

OJJDP’s Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws (EUDL) Field-Initiated Research and Evaluation (FIRE) Program will support methodologically rigorous research and evaluation studies that inform policy and practice consistent with the Department of Justice’s mission. OJJDP will fund field-initiated studies to understand the factors that influence the prevention of underage drinking, the enforcement of underage drinking laws, and individuals’ and communities’ attitudes and behaviors about underage drinking. Read more & comments

BJA FY 12 Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation Program

Submission Due Date: 2012-06-07

Healthy, vibrant communities are places that provide the opportunities, resources, and an environment that children, youth, and adults need to maximize their life outcomes, including high-quality schools and cradle-to-career educational programs; high-quality and affordable housing; thriving commercial establishments; access to quality health care and health services; art and cultural amenities; parks and other recreational spaces; and the safety to take advantage of these opportunities. Unfortunately, millions of Americans live in distressed neighborhoods2 where a combination of crime, poverty, unemployment, poor health, struggling schools, inadequate housing, and disinvestment keep many residents from reaching their full potential. The complexity of these issues has led to the emergence of comprehensive place-based and community-oriented initiatives that involve service providers from multiple sectors and disciplines, as well as community representatives from all types of organizations, to work together to reduce and prevent crime and to revitalize communities. Read more & comments

Evaluation of the FY 2011 Bureau of Justice Assistance Second Chance Act Adult Offender Reentry Demonstration Projects

Submission Due Date: 2012-06-11

NIJ seeks proposals to examine the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Second Chance Act (SCA) adult offender reentry demonstration projects funded in Fiscal Year (FY) 2011. The specific focus areas under this solicitation include: (1) an evaluability assessment of eight adult offender reentry demonstration projects (anticipates one award of up to $400,000) and; (2) a comprehensive evaluation of eight adult offender reentry demonstration projects (anticipates one award of up to $3 million). Application titles should clearly indicate the focus area. Applicants may submit to either or both focus areas. Read more & comments

SMART FY 12 Promoting Evidence Integration in Sex Offender Management: Circles of Support and Accountability Training and Technical Assistance Project

Submission Due Date: 2012-06-12

COSA-Specific InformationEvery day, sex offenders are released from incarceration without any formalized community supervision to control their behavior once in the community. These individuals are free to leave the state (or jurisdiction) and are not subject to any restrictions on their residential and employment choices, interactions with community members, or travel. This population poses a risk to the community to which they return, raises community concerns about safety, and is difficult to monitor and provide the necessary stabilizing services to. The COSA model fills a gap in services for some offenders left by criminal justice policy; essentially, those at highest risk of reoffense who are being released at the end of their sentences without a formal process of aftercare. COSA programs were created, in part, to address the threat perceived by communities that sex offenders pose when they return from prison. The COSA initiative emerged in Canada in the 1990s as a community-based, restorative justice movement that “focuses on the need to engage the community in the reintegration process.” At its core, COSA enlists volunteers from the community to aid in the management of high-risk sex offenders. COSA typically targets male offenders who have a long history of offending, failure in treatment, antisocial values and attitudes, are at high-risk for reoffending (for new sex or other offenses), and who are likely held until the expiration of their prison sentence and released with no probation or parole supervision. Each Circle consists of a Core Member (sex offender) and four to six community volunteers. A COSA volunteer meets with the Core Member daily and the Circle meets once a week during the initial 60 – 90 days. The key to the program is “a relationship scheme based on friendship and accountability for behavior.” COSA programs have been initiated and implemented by faith-based organizations, community volunteer groups, and as an adjunct to criminal justice community corrections programs. In those programs working in tandem with corrections professionals, a Circle is typically made up of volunteers, a Core Member (sex offender), and an Outer Circle (professionals); Circle volunteers work in teams of four to six with a Core Member and are supported by an Outer Circle.More information about the Canadian COSA model is available here: www.csc-scc.gc.ca/text/prgrm/chap/docs-eng.shtml#4Goals, Objectives, and DeliverablesThe COSA Training and Technical Assistance Program will support projects funded under the Promoting Evidence Integration in Sex Offender Management: Circles of Support and Accountability for Project Sites Grant Program by providing training and technical assistance to jurisdictions that wish to develop COSA programs in conjunction with community corrections programs and to provide ad hoc training and technical assistance to community volunteer groups, faith-based organizations or others seeking to develop COSA programs.The successful applicant will plan and deliver training and technical assistance to three award recipients under the COSA Grant Program and develop and carry out training and technical assistance in response to ad hoc requests from jurisdictions and sex offender management practitioners interested in the COSA model. FY 12 COSA grantee technical assistance needs may vary depending on the jurisdiction’s sex offender supervision practices, whether the jurisdiction has implemented some form of COSA program or not, and if the jurisdiction has experience with using volunteers in sex offender management. As a result, applicants should be able to demonstrate: 1) expertise in sex offender management practices, 2) experience in developing and implementing the COSA model, 3) proficiency in developing and providing technical assistance in sex offender management, 4) ability to complete program assessments, 5) knowledge of recruiting, training and managing volunteers, and 6) experience in educating the public about sex offenders and sexual violence, including community notification schemes, public education campaigns, and victim support programs. The successful applicant will also assist COSA grantees in collecting the following information to be included in the jurisdiction’s final report to the SMART Office: • Descriptive information about sex offenders in the jurisdiction, including those eligible for COSA.• Recidivism (new charges for sexual, violent, and any criminal offenses, and returns to prison).• Changes in offender criminal behavior, measured as pro-criminal attitudes or antisocial behavior. • Employment and education opportunities. • Housing opportunities. • Drug and alcohol use. • Participation in sex offender treatment, substance abuse and mental health services. • Program cost effectiveness.Other activities and deliverables will include:• Onsite delivery of training and technical assistance to three COSA grantees, including the development of training materials.• Program assessment of each COSA grantee.• Training and technical assistance delivery plan based on identified needs of each COSA grantee.• Individual training and technical assistance plans for each COSA grantee.• Provision of ad hoc training and technical assistance on COSA, including onsite, email, and phone support, to requesting entities.A report for possible future publication and dissemination will be the final deliverable for this project. The report should document the process of developing COSA programs in each COSA grantee site and contain, but not be limited to, descriptions of the process involved in developing and conducting the training and technical assistance, descriptive information on the number and types of training and technical assistance provided to jurisdictions and the number and types of ad hoc training and technical assistance provided to community volunteer groups, faith-based organizations or others implementing COSA programs. Read more & comments

SMART FY 2012 Promoting Evidence Integration in Sex Offender Management: Circles of Support and Accountability for Project Sites

Submission Due Date: 2012-06-12

Every day, sex offenders are released from incarceration without any formalized community supervision to control their behavior once in the community. These individuals are free to leave the state (or jurisdiction) and are not subject to any restrictions on their residential and employment choices, interactions with community members, or travel. This population poses a risk to the community to which they return, raises community concerns about safety, and is difficult to monitor and provide the necessary stabilizing services to. The COSA model fills a gap in services for some offenders left by criminal justice policy; essentially, those at highest risk of reoffense who are being released at the end of their sentences without a formal process of aftercare. COSA programs were created, in part, to address the threat perceived by communities that sex offenders pose when they return from prison. The COSA initiative emerged in Canada in the 1990s as a community-based, restorative justice movement that “focuses on the need to engage the community in the reintegration process.” At its core, COSA enlists volunteers from the community to aid in the management of high-risk sex offenders. COSA typically targets male offenders who have a long history of offending, failure in treatment, antisocial values and attitudes, are at high-risk for reoffending (for new sex or other offenses), and who are likely held until the expiration of their prison sentence and released with no probation or parole supervision. Each Circle consists of a Core Member (sex offender) and 4 to 6 community volunteers. A COSA volunteer meets with the Core Member daily and the Circle meets once a week during the initial 60 – 90 days. The key to the program is “a relationship scheme based on friendship and accountability for behavior.” COSA programs have been initiated and implemented by faith-based organizations, community volunteer groups, and as an adjunct to criminal justice community corrections programs. In those programs working in tandem with corrections professionals, a Circle is typically made up of volunteers, a Core Member (sex offender), and an Outer Circle (professionals); Circle volunteers work in teams of 4 to 6 with a Core Member and are supported by an Outer Circle. Goals, Objectives, and Deliverables The purpose of this project is to support the development of COSA initiatives in conjunction with community corrections programs. That is, programs working in tandem with corrections professionals consisting of volunteers, a Core Member (sex offender), and an Outer Circle (community corrections professionals). Additionally, there is a need to provide descriptive information on those sites and/or jurisdictions providing services to sex offenders based on the COSA model. This information will improve the field’s understanding of the programmatic, service, and policy needs of sex offenders when released in the community. Jurisdictions at the state or local level may apply and must agree to work with a SMART Office designated technical assistance provider to ensure COSA implementation fidelity and proper training of community volunteers. Specific information on COSA volunteer training is available at www.csc-scc.gc.ca/text/prgrm/chap/circ/cs_guide_final-eng.shtml. Sites will be selected for SMART Office funding based upon their responses to the Selection Criteria listed on page 14 and their commitment to: • Building knowledge and new evidence. • Implementing COSA with fidelity. • Participating in an evaluation at a later date (should funds become available). • Collecting program data. • Working collaboratively with the SMART Office and the COSA training and technical assistance provider. Read more & comments