Sex Offender Management Discretionary Grant Program, FY 2003

Amount and Length of Awards

BJA seeks to award up to 10 grants to a diverse group of jurisdictions. Grant awards of up to $250,000 will be made, with a grant period of 2 years beginning October 1, 2003.

Review Process

BJA will establish peer review teams that will review each proposal based on the following components:

Budget (15 points)

The budget will be evaluated and scored based on the program's cost effectiveness. BJA will compare the funds requested to the scope of activities to be performed under the grant. The budget also should include a clear description of cash or in-kind contributions from local sources.

Understanding and Commitment to the Principles of Sex Offender Management (20 points)

The application must clearly demonstrate an understanding of the principles of sex offender management as outlined in this solicitation and provide examples of how those principles are applied in current practice or where their absence will be remedied by the grant effort. These principles are:

• A victim-centered approach.
• Collaboration.
• Specialized knowledge.
• Program monitoring and evaluation.

Clear Description of Current Sex Offender Management Practice (20 points)

The application must include a clear and thorough description of current practice in the following six areas:

• Investigation, prosecution, and adjudication.
• Offender assessment.
• Treatment.
• Reentry.
• Supervision.
• Registration and community notification.

Need for the Project and Commitment to System Change (20 points)

The application must include information on the nature and extent of sexual offending in your jurisdiction, including available data on the known offender population. The application also must exhibit a clear understanding of the nature and urgency of problems posed by this population and by the jurisdiction's current approach to sex offender management.

Management and Organizational Capabilities (20 points)

The application must:

• Identify the public sector agency that will serve as the grantee and fiscal agency responsible for the grant's administration.
  
  
• Identify the staffing and management structure that will support the project work, including naming a specific grant coordinator and research coordinator.
  
  
• Describe the collaborative team that will lead the work of this project, including the name, title, and agency affiliation of each team member.
  
  
• Include a memorandum of understanding among all the agencies represented on the collaborative team.
  
  
• Provide documentation of the collaboration that has previously occurred around the topic of sex offender management.

Related Federal Projects (5 points)

The application must include:

• A list of active federal grant awards (from the U.S. Department of Justice or other federal agencies) already supporting this or related efforts, including the program/project title, the federal grantor agency, the federal award amount, and a very brief description of its purpose.
  
  
• Information on any pending applications for federal funding for this or related efforts.
  
  
• How other efforts would be coordinated with the funding sought through this application.

Award Process

The rankings of the peer review will form the funding recommendations sent to the Director of BJA, who in turn will make recommendations to the Assistant Attorney General, Office of Justice Programs. Once funding decisions are made, a list of selected applicants will be available on the OJP home page.