Opportunity Information: Apply for SMART 2012 3329
Apply for SMART 2012 3329
- 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 Training and Technical Assistance Project" 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 May 11, 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 $500,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Private institutions of higher education Public and State controlled institutions of higher education For profit organizations other than small businesses.
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Opportunity Summary:
The SMART FY 12 Promoting Evidence Integration in Sex Offender Management Circles of Support and Accountability (COSA) Training and Technical Assistance Project was a U.S. Department of Justice funding opportunity focused on helping jurisdictions and community partners build or strengthen COSA programs as part of sex offender management and reentry work. The core problem the announcement highlights is that many people convicted of sex offenses are released after completing their prison sentences with no probation or parole supervision and few formal controls on housing, employment, travel, or daily activities. That situation can heighten community fear, increase practical monitoring challenges, and leave high-risk individuals without stable supports that can reduce risk and promote reintegration. COSA is presented as a way to fill that gap, particularly for the subset considered highest risk and most likely to be released at sentence end with no structured aftercare.
COSA itself is described as a community-based model that began in Canada in the 1990s and grew out of restorative justice approaches that emphasize the community having a role in reintegration and public safety. The basic structure is a "Circle" built around a "Core Member" (the individual returning from prison) and typically four to six trained community volunteers. In early phases, a volunteer may have daily contact with the Core Member, and the full Circle meets weekly during roughly the first 60 to 90 days, when risk and instability can be especially high. The central idea is a relationship-based approach that blends support and accountability: volunteers offer consistent human connection and practical help while also holding the Core Member to clear expectations and pro-social behavior. Many implementations also include an "Outer Circle" of professionals (for example, corrections, treatment providers, and other service partners) who support the volunteer team and help manage risk. The solicitation notes that COSA programs have been run by faith-based groups, community volunteer organizations, and in partnership with community corrections agencies.
Unlike a typical direct-services grant to run COSA circles, this particular award was designed to fund a single organization to act as the training and technical assistance provider for other COSA project sites. The intent was to support jurisdictions funded under the related COSA Project Sites Grant Program and also to respond to broader, ad hoc requests from agencies or organizations interested in starting or improving a COSA program. The successful applicant was expected to plan and deliver training and technical assistance to three COSA grantees, recognizing that each location might start from a different baseline depending on existing sex offender supervision practices, whether a COSA-like effort already existed, and how familiar the jurisdiction was with using trained volunteers in this type of work.
To be competitive, applicants needed to demonstrate strong subject-matter and implementation capacity across several areas: expertise in sex offender management practices; real experience developing and implementing the COSA model; skill in providing structured technical assistance; ability to conduct program assessments; knowledge of how to recruit, train, and manage volunteers; and experience communicating with the public about sex offender issues and sexual violence in a responsible way, including understanding community notification approaches, public education strategies, and victim support resources. In other words, the award emphasized not just knowledge of the COSA concept, but the practical ability to help sites build safe, credible programs that can operate in real community conditions and withstand public scrutiny.
The opportunity also laid out specific deliverables and work products. The funded technical assistance provider was expected to deliver onsite training and support to the three COSA grantee sites and to develop training materials as part of that work. They also needed to assess each site, create an overall training and technical assistance delivery plan based on the needs identified, and then produce individualized plans for each grantee. Beyond the three funded sites, the provider had to offer ad hoc training and technical assistance to other requesting entities through onsite visits as well as remote support by email and phone. This structure made the project a kind of national support hub intended to spread consistent, evidence-informed practice for COSA implementation.
A major component of the technical assistance role was helping grantees collect and report data for the SMART Office, with an emphasis on both outcomes and practical stabilization factors that influence reoffending risk. The solicitation specifically called for assisting sites in gathering descriptive information about the jurisdiction's sex offender population and who would be eligible for COSA; recidivism data covering new sexual, violent, and any criminal charges as well as returns to prison; and indicators of behavioral change such as shifts in pro-criminal attitudes or antisocial behavior. It also highlighted the importance of tracking concrete reintegration supports and barriers, including employment and education opportunities, housing stability, drug and alcohol use, and participation in sex offender treatment and related mental health or substance use services. Program cost effectiveness was also listed, signaling an expectation that sites consider not only whether COSA works, but whether it can be delivered efficiently relative to public safety benefits.
The final deliverable for the award was a written report intended for possible publication and broader dissemination. That report was expected to document how COSA programs were developed across the grantee sites and to describe the training and technical assistance process in detail. It also needed to summarize the volume and types of assistance delivered to the three grantees and to catalog the ad hoc support provided to other jurisdictions, volunteer groups, and faith-based or community organizations pursuing COSA implementation. The overall message of the solicitation is that DOJ wanted to accelerate and standardize high-quality COSA practice by funding one well-qualified entity to coach multiple sites, strengthen data collection, and capture lessons learned that could guide future COSA expansion.
Key administrative details from the announcement include that it was a discretionary DOJ SMART Office opportunity issued under CFDA 16.203, using a cooperative agreement mechanism, with an estimated total funding amount of up to $500,000 (award ceiling $500,000) and an expectation of one award. There was no cost sharing or matching requirement. Eligible applicants included 501(c)(3) nonprofits (excluding institutions of higher education), public and private institutions of higher education, and for-profit organizations other than small businesses. The opportunity was posted April 27, 2012, with a closing date of June 12, 2012, and it was archived July 12, 2012. The listed program contact was Jacqueline OReilly at the Department of Justice SMART Office.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the SMART FY 12 Promoting Evidence Integration in Sex Offender Management COSA Training and Technical Assistance Project?
It was a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) SMART Office discretionary funding opportunity (CFDA 16.203) focused on supporting the development and strengthening of Circles of Support and Accountability (COSA) programs by funding one organization to provide training and technical assistance (TTA) to other jurisdictions and community partners.
What problem was this funding opportunity trying to address?
The solicitation highlighted that many individuals convicted of sex offenses are released after completing their prison sentences without probation or parole supervision and with few formal controls related to housing, employment, travel, or day-to-day activities. This can increase community fear, create monitoring challenges, and leave high-risk individuals without stable supports that may reduce risk and aid reintegration.
What is COSA (Circles of Support and Accountability)?
COSA is a community-based model that originated in Canada in the 1990s and is rooted in restorative justice approaches. It is designed to support community safety and reintegration by combining support and accountability for individuals returning from prison (called the "Core Member") through structured relationships with trained community volunteers.
Who is the "Core Member" in a COSA program?
The Core Member is the individual returning from prison around whom the Circle is built. The model is presented as particularly relevant for people considered highest risk and likely to be released at sentence end with no structured aftercare.
How is a COSA Circle typically structured?
A typical Circle includes the Core Member and about four to six trained community volunteers. The approach is relationship-based and blends practical support with clear expectations and accountability.
How often does a COSA Circle meet in the early stages?
The solicitation described early phases where a volunteer may have daily contact with the Core Member, and the full Circle may meet weekly during approximately the first 60 to 90 days, a period when risk and instability can be especially high.
What is the "Outer Circle" mentioned in COSA implementations?
Many COSA implementations include an Outer Circle made up of professionals (such as corrections and treatment providers) who support the volunteer team and help manage risk.
What kinds of organizations have operated COSA programs?
The solicitation noted COSA programs have been run by faith-based groups, community volunteer organizations, and in partnership with community corrections agencies.
Was this grant meant to directly fund COSA circles and services?
No. This particular award was designed to fund a single organization to serve as the training and technical assistance provider for COSA project sites, rather than operating COSA circles as a direct-service program.
How many awards were expected under this opportunity?
The announcement indicated an expectation of one award.
What was the estimated funding amount and award ceiling?
The estimated total funding amount was up to $500,000, and the award ceiling was $500,000.
What funding mechanism was used?
The opportunity used a cooperative agreement mechanism.
Was there a cost sharing or matching requirement?
No. The solicitation stated there was no cost sharing or matching requirement.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants included 501(c)(3) nonprofits (excluding institutions of higher education), public and private institutions of higher education, and for-profit organizations other than small businesses.
What was the role of the organization funded under this award?
The funded organization was expected to act as a national-style support resource by planning and delivering training and technical assistance to three COSA grantees funded under a related COSA Project Sites Grant Program, and also responding to broader ad hoc requests from other entities interested in starting or improving a COSA program.
How many COSA grantee sites was the training and technical assistance provider expected to support directly?
The provider was expected to plan and deliver training and technical assistance to three COSA grantees.
Why did the solicitation emphasize that sites may start from different baselines?
The announcement recognized that each site could differ based on current sex offender supervision practices, whether a COSA-like effort already existed, and how familiar the jurisdiction was with using trained volunteers in this type of work.
What expertise did applicants need to demonstrate to be competitive?
Applicants needed to demonstrate expertise and implementation capacity in several areas, including sex offender management practices; experience developing and implementing COSA; providing structured technical assistance; conducting program assessments; recruiting, training, and managing volunteers; and communicating responsibly with the public about sex offender issues and sexual violence (including understanding community notification approaches, public education strategies, and victim support resources).
What were the key deliverables for the training and technical assistance provider?
The solicitation described deliverables including onsite training and support to the three COSA grantee sites; development of training materials; assessment of each site; creation of an overall TTA delivery plan based on identified needs; and individualized plans for each grantee.
What did "ad hoc" technical assistance include under this opportunity?
Beyond supporting the three funded sites, the provider was expected to offer ad hoc training and technical assistance to other requesting entities through onsite visits and remote support by email and phone.
What data collection and reporting support was the technical assistance provider expected to help with?
A major component was helping grantees collect and report data for the SMART Office. The solicitation emphasized outcomes and stabilization factors related to reoffending risk, including descriptive information on the jurisdiction's sex offender population and COSA eligibility; recidivism data (new sexual, violent, and any criminal charges, plus returns to prison); behavioral change indicators (such as changes in pro-criminal attitudes or antisocial behavior); and reintegration factors such as employment/education opportunities, housing stability, drug and alcohol use, and participation in sex offender treatment and related mental health or substance use services.
Did the solicitation mention cost effectiveness?
Yes. Program cost effectiveness was listed as an area of interest, signaling that sites were expected to consider not only whether COSA is effective, but whether it can be delivered efficiently relative to public safety benefits.
What was the final reporting requirement under this award?
The final deliverable was a written report intended for possible publication and broader dissemination. It was expected to document how COSA programs were developed across the grantee sites, describe the training and technical assistance process in detail, summarize the volume and types of assistance delivered to the three grantees, and catalog the ad hoc support provided to other jurisdictions and organizations pursuing COSA implementation.
When was this opportunity posted and when did it close?
It was posted on April 27, 2012, with a closing date of June 12, 2012.
When was the opportunity archived?
The opportunity was archived on July 12, 2012.
Who was the listed program contact?
The listed program contact was Jacqueline OReilly at the Department of Justice SMART Office.
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