Deadline: 28 April 2020
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is seeking applications to support Second Chance Act (SCA) grantees and reentry practitioners in the field to improve reentry and reduce recidivism.
This program furthers the Department’s mission by providing training and technical assistance (TTA) services to state, local, and tribal jurisdictions to facilitate the successful reentry of people from detention and incarceration to communities.
The SCA Training and Technical Assistance Program will fund organizations to provide state and local governments and federally recognized Indian tribes with resources and project management support to improve their reentry systems and reduce crime and recidivism among people returning from detention and incarceration to their communities.
SCA funding helps jurisdictions around the country develop, implement, and test strategies and programs to assist youth and adults as they transition out of detention and incarceration and reenter their communities.
Objectives and Deliverables
The TTA providers will work with BJA and OJJDP staff to provide knowledge, resources, and project management guidance to all BJA- and OJJDP-awarded SCA program grantees to meet the objectives and deliverables of their projects. Specifically, the TTA providers will be expected to deliver the following:
- Identify and maintain a list of TTA consultants/subject matter experts and their qualifications whose subject matter expertise and experience can best meet grantees’ needs.
- Following approval from BJA and OJJDP, assign a subject matter expert/consultant to each grantee to help it complete its proposed grant activities and align operations with best- and evidence-based practices relevant to the grant program. Report on and monitor the TTA assistance provided.
- Host webinars related to SCA site-based grant programs, including orientation webinars for each grant program to onboard new grantees within 60 days of their receiving SCA awards, and field-wide webinars to market new funding opportunities.
- Assist grantees during the initial 6 months of the project period to develop an action plan that is updated by the grantees and approved by BJA.
- Work with BJA and OJJDP to develop individualized TTA plans for each grantee based on its project, state of readiness, and other grantee-specific considerations (e.g., staffing).
- Assess grantee performance and provide coaching through monthly calls to:
- Review grantees’ progress toward their goals and deliverables in accordance with the project timeline.
- Spot issues and provide feedback to grantees.
- Discuss and review draft deliverables and other grant-related materials.
- Assist grantees with collecting and reporting on performance measures, and identify and explain trends resulting from the performance measure data submissions.
- Assess grantee capacity for data collection reporting during site visits and phone calls and make recommendations for improvement.
- All BJA grantees submit aggregated data quarterly into BJA’s Performance Management Tool (PMT). These data will be shared with the TTA provider who will be expected to meet with BJA to interpret the data, identify trends and TTA needs, and recommend adjustments to the TTA strategy for both individual grantees and grantee cohorts to help improve performance.
- From the grantees, collect and document lessons learned and other useful examples for the field at large, then disseminate them via publications, media, and conference presentations in collaboration with the National Reentry Resource Center. Assist grantees in disseminating information and updates about their projects within their departments or agencies throughout the life of their projects.
- Provide subject matter expertise to, and collaborate with, the National Reentry Resource Center and the other SCA TTA providers on reentry events such as regional or national conferences for BJA, OJJDP, and other federal partner reentry grantees that advance evidence-based practices and feature innovations in the reentry field.
- Participate in BJA- and OJJDP-led grant performance reviews that track grantee or program performance along several key indicators.
- Collaborate with the BJA TTA provider selected to deliver Evaluation and Sustainability Support for SCA Grants and with a provider to be selected by the National Institute of Justice to evaluate SCA implementation in accordance with the First Step Act.
Through this solicitation, BJA and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention seek three providers to support site-based SCA grantees for each of the following categories:
- Category 1: Corrections and Community Engagement TTA Provider
- Category 2: Education, Employment, and Community Engagement TTA Provider
- Category 3: Behavioral Health, Housing, and Family Support TTA Provider
Funding Information
- Total amount anticipated to be awarded under this solicitation: $6,500,000
- Estimated maximum dollar amount for each award:
- Category 1– Corrections and Community Engagement TTA: up to $3,000,000
- Category 2– Education and Employment TTA: up to $1,000,000
- Category 3– Behavioral Health, Housing, and Family Supports TTA: up to $2,500,000
- Period of performance duration: 36 months
Eligibility Criteria
- For profit organizations other than small businesses
- Private institutions of higher education
- Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
- Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
How to Apply
Applicants must register in and submit applications through Grants.gov.
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=324866