Opportunity Information: Apply for SMART 2012 3328
Apply for SMART 2012 3328
- The Department of Justice in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "SMART FY 12 Promoting Evidence Integration in Sex Offender Management Circles of Support and Accountability for Project Sites" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.203 Promoting Evidence Integration in Sex Offender Management Discretionary Grant Program.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 27, 2012 and posted on Apr 27, 2012.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 12, 2012. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $600,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $200,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 3 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: City or township governments County governments State governments.
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Opportunity Summary:
The SMART FY 12 Promoting Evidence Integration in Sex Offender Management Circles of Support and Accountability (COSA) for Project Sites grant opportunity, offered by the U.S. Department of Justice SMART Office, was designed to help state and local jurisdictions build or strengthen COSA programs in partnership with community corrections. The underlying problem the grant targets is a well-known gap in many jurisdictions: some people convicted of sex offenses are released at the end of their sentences with no probation or parole supervision and few structured supports. Once back in the community, they may face little formal oversight over where they live or work, who they interact with, or whether they remain in the area. This can elevate community anxiety, complicate monitoring, and leave high-risk individuals without stabilizing services that reduce the chance of reoffending.
COSA is presented in the announcement as a practical, community-based approach meant to fill that aftercare gap for a specific subset of individuals: those considered at high risk of reoffending and who are often released at sentence expiration rather than transitioning through supervised release. The model originated in Canada in the 1990s and grew out of a restorative justice framework that emphasizes community engagement in reintegration rather than treating reentry as solely a correctional agency function. The basic structure is a "Circle" built around one "Core Member" (the person reentering the community) and typically four to six trained community volunteers. Early in the process, volunteers may have frequent contact with the Core Member (described as daily contact), while the Circle as a group meets weekly during an initial intensive period of roughly 60 to 90 days. The defining feature is a balance of support and control: relationships that feel like pro-social connection and mentorship, paired with clear expectations and accountability for behavior.
The opportunity emphasizes that COSA has been implemented in different ways across jurisdictions, including through faith-based organizations and volunteer community groups, but this funding is focused on COSA initiatives that operate in tandem with corrections professionals. In the corrections-linked version, the program includes not only the Core Member and the volunteer Circle, but also an "Outer Circle" of professionals, typically community corrections staff and other service or supervision partners. The Outer Circle supports the volunteers, helps manage risk, and connects the Circle to supervision practices and services. In other words, the grant is pushing jurisdictions toward a model that combines community volunteer engagement with formal correctional expertise, rather than a standalone volunteer effort.
A second major theme of the grant is evidence integration and field-building. Beyond simply funding local service delivery, the SMART Office is looking to improve the broader understanding of what COSA sites do, how they do it, and what programmatic and policy needs show up when high-risk individuals are released into the community without traditional supervision. Applicants are expected to help generate descriptive information about their sites and jurisdictions and to contribute to a stronger base of practice-informed knowledge. The announcement also signals a longer-term interest in evaluation: sites must be willing to participate in an evaluation at a later date if additional funds become available, which reflects an intent to move toward more measurable outcomes and comparable implementation across locations.
To keep sites aligned with the model, jurisdictions funded under this opportunity must agree to work with a SMART Office-designated training and technical assistance provider. This requirement is meant to promote implementation fidelity, meaning the program is delivered in a way that matches the intended COSA design rather than drifting into an informal or inconsistent volunteer effort. Volunteer training is highlighted as a core component, and the announcement points applicants to established COSA training guidance resources. The grant also expects grantees to collect program data and to collaborate actively with the SMART Office and the technical assistance provider, reinforcing that this is both a service implementation and a learning initiative.
In practical funding terms, this was a discretionary grant program under CFDA 16.203 (Promoting Evidence Integration in Sex Offender Management Discretionary Grant Program). The total estimated funding amount was $600,000, with up to three awards anticipated. The award ceiling was $200,000 per site, there was no stated award floor, and there was no cost sharing or matching requirement, which can make participation more feasible for jurisdictions with limited local funds. Eligible applicants were state governments and local units of government, including cities or townships and county governments. The opportunity was posted on April 27, 2012, with an application closing date of June 12, 2012, and it was later archived on July 12, 2012.
Selection for funding, as described, would be based on how well applicants met the stated selection criteria in the full announcement and on demonstrated commitment to several non-negotiables: building knowledge and new evidence, implementing COSA with fidelity, collecting program data, collaborating closely with SMART and the designated technical assistance provider, and being open to a future evaluation. The overall message of the opportunity is that SMART was not just funding a reentry program, but trying to standardize and strengthen a particular community-corrections partnership model for managing high-risk reentry, while laying groundwork for stronger evidence about what works and under what conditions.
FAQs: SMART FY 12 Promoting Evidence Integration in Sex Offender Management COSA for Project Sites
What is this grant opportunity?
This was the SMART FY 12 Promoting Evidence Integration in Sex Offender Management Circles of Support and Accountability (COSA) for Project Sites opportunity offered by the U.S. Department of Justice SMART Office. It was a discretionary grant program under CFDA 16.203.
What problem was this grant intended to address?
The grant targeted a common gap in many jurisdictions: some people convicted of sex offenses are released at the end of their sentences with no probation or parole supervision and few structured supports. Without supervision, there may be limited formal oversight of housing, employment, contacts, or whether the person remains in the area, which can increase community anxiety and leave high-risk individuals without stabilizing services that help reduce reoffending.
What does COSA stand for, and what is it?
COSA stands for Circles of Support and Accountability. It is described as a practical, community-based approach designed to provide structured aftercare for a specific group of people reentering the community, balancing support (pro-social connection and mentorship) with accountability (clear expectations for behavior).
Who is COSA meant to serve under this opportunity?
The model is aimed at a subset of individuals considered at high risk of reoffending, particularly those who are often released at sentence expiration rather than transitioning through a period of supervised release.
Where did the COSA model originate?
The COSA model originated in Canada in the 1990s and grew out of a restorative justice framework that emphasizes community engagement in reintegration.
How is a COSA Circle structured?
A COSA Circle is built around one "Core Member" (the person reentering the community) and typically four to six trained community volunteers.
What is a "Core Member"?
The Core Member is the person reentering the community who is supported and held accountable through the COSA process.
How many volunteers typically participate in the Circle?
The announcement describes a typical Circle as having four to six trained community volunteers supporting one Core Member.
How often do volunteers and the Core Member interact?
Early in the process, volunteer contact may be frequent, described as daily contact. The Circle as a group typically meets weekly during an initial intensive period.
What is the intensive period described in the announcement?
The initial intensive period is described as roughly 60 to 90 days, during which weekly Circle meetings occur.
What does "support and accountability" mean in this model?
The defining feature described is a balance: relationships that provide pro-social support and mentorship, alongside clear expectations and accountability for behavior.
Is this grant intended to fund any COSA model, including standalone volunteer programs?
No. While COSA has been implemented in various ways (including through faith-based organizations and volunteer community groups), this funding emphasized COSA initiatives that operate in tandem with corrections professionals rather than as standalone volunteer efforts.
What does "in tandem with corrections professionals" mean for COSA sites?
The corrections-linked version includes an "Outer Circle" of professionals, typically community corrections staff and other service or supervision partners, who support volunteers, help manage risk, and connect the Circle to supervision practices and services.
What is the "Outer Circle"?
The Outer Circle is the group of professionals (often community corrections and other partners) who support the volunteer Circle, assist with risk management, and help connect the work to supervision practices and services.
What is the grant's focus on "evidence integration" and "field-building"?
Beyond funding local service delivery, the opportunity sought to improve understanding of what COSA sites do, how they operate, and what program and policy needs arise when high-risk individuals are released without traditional supervision. Applicants were expected to generate descriptive information about their site and jurisdiction and contribute to practice-informed knowledge.
Are grantees expected to collect data?
Yes. The announcement expected grantees to collect program data and to collaborate actively with the SMART Office and the designated training and technical assistance provider.
Is participation in an evaluation required?
Sites were required to be willing to participate in an evaluation at a later date if additional funds became available, reflecting a longer-term interest in measurable outcomes and more comparable implementation across locations.
Is training and technical assistance (TTA) required?
Yes. Funded jurisdictions had to agree to work with a SMART Office-designated training and technical assistance provider to promote implementation fidelity.
What does "implementation fidelity" mean in this context?
Implementation fidelity refers to delivering COSA in a way that matches the intended design, rather than drifting into an informal or inconsistent volunteer effort.
Does the opportunity emphasize volunteer training?
Yes. Volunteer training is highlighted as a core component, and the announcement points applicants to established COSA training guidance resources.
How much total funding was available under this opportunity?
The total estimated funding amount was $600,000.
How many awards were anticipated?
Up to three awards were anticipated.
What was the maximum award amount per site?
The award ceiling was $200,000 per site.
Was there a minimum award amount?
No award floor was stated in the information provided.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. There was no cost sharing or matching requirement stated.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants were state governments and local units of government, including cities or townships and county governments.
When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?
It was posted on April 27, 2012, and the application closing date was June 12, 2012.
Is this opportunity still open?
No. The opportunity was later archived on July 12, 2012.
How were applications expected to be selected for funding?
Selection was described as based on how well applicants met the selection criteria in the full announcement and on demonstrated commitment to key expectations, including: building knowledge and new evidence, implementing COSA with fidelity, collecting program data, collaborating closely with SMART and the designated technical assistance provider, and being open to a future evaluation.
What was the overall intent of the SMART Office in funding this work?
The opportunity framed the purpose as more than funding a reentry program. It emphasized strengthening and standardizing a community-and-corrections partnership model for managing high-risk reentry, while laying groundwork for stronger evidence about what works and under what conditions.
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