Protecting Inmates And Safeguarding Communities Discretionary Grant Program (16.735)

Program

16.735 Protecting Inmates And Safeguarding Communities Discretionary Grant Program

Federal Agency

Agency: Department of Justice
Office: Bureau Of Justice Assistance

Authorization

Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003.

Program Number

16.735

Last Known Status

Active

Objectives

To make grants to States and to assist those States in ensuring that budgetary circumstances (such as reduced State and local spending on prisons) do not compromise efforts to protect male and female inmates in adult and juvenile correctional facilities from prison rape as well as safeguarding the communities to which inmates return.

Types of Assistance

PROJECT GRANTS

Uses and Use Restrictions

This program is divided into two parts: Protecting Inmates and Safeguarding Communities. Protecting Inmates focuses on providing funding to State and local agencies for the costs of personnel, training, technical assistance, data collection, and equipment necessary for the proper prevention, investigation, and prosecution of prison rape and the provision of victim service and treatment. Safeguarding Communities focuses on training and technical assistance to states on moderating the growth of prison populations without compromising public safety; developing and utilizing analyses of prison populations and risk assessment instruments to educate State and local governments' understanding of risks to the community of inmate reentry; preparing and updating maps that provide on a community-by-community basis a roster of returning offenders; promoting collaborative efforts with State and local governments to understand and address the risks involved when a large number of inmates reenter a community; and developing policies and programs that reduce spending on prisons by effectively reducing rates of parole and probation revocation without compromising public safety. Grant awards of up to $1,000,000 will be made, with a grant period not to exceed 24 months.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

Eligible applicants are States which are interested in: (1) protecting inmates by undertaking efforts to more effectively prevent, investigate, and prosecute prison rape incidents and providing the appropriate victim services and treatment, and (2) safeguarding communities through various mediums such as intergovernmental collaboration, assessment, training, and technical assistance. Applicants in varying stages of developing a prison rape initiative are eligible and encouraged to apply. Applicants must coordinate their proposal with other stakeholders in their State to ensure a collaborative response to this solicitation and ensure that agencies within a single jurisdiction are not competing against one another in the grant process. The Chief Executive of the State shall submit one application which designates which State agency will manage the grant. (Note: The Chief Executive must certify that his/her State has adopted, or will consider adopting, the national prison rape standards.) States are encouraged to make sub-awards to local jurisdictions (e.g., jails, lock-ups, detention centers) for such purposes consistent with this solicitation.

Beneficiary Eligibility

Eligible applicants are States.

Credentials/Documentation

The applicant must submit a completed Application for Federal Assistance (Standard Form 424), including signed assurances that it will comply with statutory and administrative requirements. The applicant is also required to submit a description that includes: (1) program goals; (2) implementation process; (3) timetable for implementation; and (4) documentation that includes organizational experience, name of grantee agency or fiscal agent, identification of management structure, letters of support/commitment and/or memoranda of understanding, and description of previous collaboration. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-87.

Application and Award Process

Preapplication Coordination

Applicants must coordinate their proposal with other stakeholders in their State to ensure a collaborative response to this solicitation and ensure that agencies within a single jurisdiction are not competing against one another in the grant process. The Chief Executive of the State shall submit one application which designates which state agency will manage the grant. (Note: The Chief Executive must certify that his/her state has adopted, or will consider adopting, the national prison rape standards.) States may make sub-awards to local jurisdictions (e.g., jails, lock-ups, detention centers) for such purposes consistent with this solicitation. Environmental impact information is not required for this program. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Application Procedure

This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-102. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-110. Applicants must submit a completed Standard Form 424 and other information outlined in the Application Kit to the Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance. The receipt, review, and analysis of applications will follow Office of Justice Programs policies and procedures for the administration of grant applications. Applications must be submitted on-line through the Office of Justice Programs Grant Management System at: https://grants.ojp.usdoj.gov/.

Award Procedure

A letter with copies of the grant award are sent to the applicant agency upon approval by the Office of Justice Programs. One copy of the grant award must be signed by the authorized official and returned to the Office of Justice Programs.

Deadlines

Contact the headquarters or regional office, as appropriate, for application deadlines.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

Not Applicable.

Appeals

Not Applicable.

Renewals

Not Applicable.

Assistance Considerations

Formula and Matching Requirements

Statutory formulas are not applicable to this program.

Matching requirements are not applicable to this program.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this program.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance

24 months. See the following for information on how assistance is awarded/released: Reimbursement.

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

Recipients are required to submit Individual Project Reports as sub-awards are made, and an annual Evaluation Report. No cash reports are required. No progress reports are required. Quarterly Financial Reports. To assist in fulfilling the Departments responsibilities under the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA), P.L. 103-62, applicants who receive funding under this solicitation must provide data that measures the results of their work.

Audits

In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133. .

Records

In accordance with the requirement set forth in 28 CFR Parts 66 and 70, grantees must maintain all financial records, supporting documents, statistical records, and all other records pertinent to the award for at least 3 years following the close of the most recent audit.

Program Accomplishments

Not Applicable.

Financial Information

Account Identification

15-0404-0-1-754.

Obligations

(Project Grants (Discretionary)) FY 08 $16,378,262; FY 09 est $2,100,000; FY 10 est not reported.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

No Data Available.

Regulations, Guidelines and Literature

Program Guidance and Application Kit, and the OJP Financial Guide.

Related Programs

Not Applicable.

Information Contacts

Regional or Local Office

None.

Headquarters Office

Elizabeth Griffith Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, Department of Justice, 810 Seventh Street, N.W., Washington, District of Columbia 20531 Phone: (202) 616-6500

Web Site Address

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/

Examples of Funded Projects

Not Applicable.

Criteria for Selecting Proposals

Applications will be scored based upon ability to clearly articulate strategy in the following areas: Budget Applicants must provide a budget that is complete, allowable, and cost effective in relation to the activities to be undertaken. Program Narrative Project Abstract Applicants must briefly describe in 200 words or less the project's purpose, goals and objectives, and summarize the activities that will be implemented to achieve the goals and objectives, as well as the infrastructure and collaboration necessary to manage the proposed activities. Problem To Be Addressed -- Applicants must demonstrate an understanding of the problem; discuss historical and current efforts for addressing the problem; provide statistical evidence of the problem; illustrate what the applicant is proposing to do and how the applicant intends to do it; and provide qualitative and quantitative data to evaluate outcomes. Goals and Objectives Applicants must identify the progressive steps to be taken in order to accomplish the goal; identify how the agency's purpose area goal will enhance or expand an existing strategy; and include how achievement of the enhancement of expansion will be measured. Project Design/Strategy Applicants must provide a strategy that discusses the program's concept, identifies the program's target population(s) and target area(s), and explains how this strategy will achieve the project's goals and objectives. Management and Organizational Capability.