Opportunity Information: Apply for SMART 2015 4285
Apply for SMART 2015 4285
- The Department of Justice in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "SMART FY 15 Promoting Evidence Integration in Sex Offender Management Applying Circles of Support and Accountability in Indian Country 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 May 26, 2015 and posted on May 26, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 15, 2015. (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 $250,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized).
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Opportunity Summary:
The SMART FY 15 Promoting Evidence Integration in Sex Offender Management grant opportunity focuses on expanding Circles of Support and Accountability (COSA) into Indian Country by helping tribal communities build or adapt COSA-style reintegration and accountability programs for people convicted of sexual offenses who are returning home. COSA began in Canada in the 1990s as a community-based restorative justice approach that treats community engagement as a core part of reducing risk and supporting reentry. The SMART Office previously funded COSA efforts in places like Durham, North Carolina and Multnomah County, Oregon, and noted that additional COSA projects were underway across multiple states. This funding opportunity extends that concept to tribal jurisdictions, emphasizing that the restorative, circle-based philosophy behind COSA aligns closely with many Tribal and First Nations justice traditions and community healing practices.
At the heart of the COSA model is a structured support system designed to address a specific service gap: individuals assessed as high risk who complete their prison terms and are released without probation or parole supervision and without meaningful aftercare. COSA typically targets men with long offending histories, past treatment failures, antisocial attitudes, and elevated risk of reoffending. Each Circle centers on a "Core Member" (the returning individual) and is supported by four to six trained community volunteers. Volunteers maintain frequent contact (often daily), and the full Circle generally meets weekly. The program is built on a relationship model that balances practical support and human connection with clear expectations and accountability for behavior, aiming to reduce risk while encouraging stable, prosocial living.
The opportunity highlights why COSA is viewed as a strong fit for tribal communities: it is grounded in restorative justice, which seeks to address harm by involving the community, recognizing the needs of victims and survivors, and creating a pathway for behavioral change and healing. The announcement points to Indigenous contributions to restorative justice in North America and describes "circle" approaches that consider the broader context of harm, involve those affected, and emphasize balance across spiritual, physical, emotional, and intellectual dimensions. As an illustrative example, it references the Community Holistic Circle Healing (CHCH) project from the Hollow Water First Nation in Manitoba, describing its community contract approach and shared responsibility model, and noting a ten-year evaluation where only two out of 107 participants reoffended. That example is used to reinforce the idea that culturally grounded, community-driven accountability and healing models can be effective in addressing sexual harm and preventing future abuse.
In practical terms, the purpose of the grant is to support tribal jurisdictions in developing COSA-type initiatives that combine community volunteers with professional support. The program structure described includes a volunteer-driven inner Circle working directly with the Core Member, alongside an "Outer Circle" of trained professionals who provide guidance, expertise, and coordination with services like treatment or behavioral health supports. Beyond implementation, the SMART Office also emphasizes building knowledge for the field by generating descriptive information about how COSA is adapted and delivered in tribal contexts, what service and policy needs emerge, and what outcomes can be observed when these programs operate in Indian Country.
Applicants must be federally recognized Native American tribal governments, and funded sites are required to collaborate with a SMART Office-designated training and technical assistance provider. This requirement is intended to ensure that each site adapts the model appropriately to local tribal traditions while maintaining implementation fidelity and ensuring volunteers are properly trained. Selection is based on the application criteria in the solicitation and on an applicant's commitment to several core expectations: building new knowledge and evidence, implementing a COSA program tailored to the tribal community, collecting program data, working closely with SMART and the technical assistance provider, and participating in a future evaluation if funding becomes available.
A major deliverable expectation is thoughtful monitoring and evaluation planning. Project plans must include a monitoring and evaluation approach for collecting and analyzing information, and applicants are encouraged to track outcomes such as: descriptive details about the tribal community and its justice processes; descriptive information about sex offenders in the jurisdiction and who is eligible for COSA; characteristics of participating offenders and volunteers; recidivism events (including new sexual, violent, or other charges and returns to prison) and how those incidents are resolved; changes in criminogenic behavior and risk-related factors (for example, antisocial behavior, pro-criminal attitudes, substance use, and engagement in treatment and supportive services); improvements in prosocial behavior and attitudes; community-level changes such as awareness, healing processes, prevention efforts, and victim support; and overall program cost effectiveness. The final required product is a report that documents how the COSA model was culturally adapted, how many and what types of volunteers were trained, who the participating offenders were (including demographics and risk/needs assessment information), what treatment and any adjunct supervision or oversight arrangements existed, how often volunteers and professionals contacted Core Members, what those contacts looked like qualitatively, and whatever outcome information the site is able to gather during the project period.
Administratively, this was a Department of Justice discretionary grant under CFDA 16.203 (Promoting Evidence Integration in Sex Offender Management Discretionary Grant Program). The funding opportunity number is SMART 2015 4285, with an estimated total funding amount of $500,000 to support approximately two awards. The award ceiling is $250,000 and the floor is $10,000, with no cost sharing or matching requirement. The solicitation was posted May 26, 2015, with an application closing date of June 15, 2015, and it was archived July 15, 2015. The announcement also provided an additional information link through SMART and listed a program contact at DOJ for access and submission support.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) What is this grant opportunity about?
This SMART FY 15 Promoting Evidence Integration in Sex Offender Management grant opportunity supports the expansion of Circles of Support and Accountability (COSA) into Indian Country. The goal is to help tribal communities build or adapt COSA-style reintegration and accountability programs for people convicted of sexual offenses who are returning home.
2) What is COSA (Circles of Support and Accountability)?
COSA is a community-based restorative justice approach that began in Canada in the 1990s. It treats community engagement as a central part of reducing risk and supporting reentry. A COSA program pairs structured, relationship-based support with clear expectations and accountability to encourage stable, prosocial living and reduce risk.
3) Why is COSA being promoted in tribal jurisdictions?
The solicitation emphasizes that the restorative, circle-based philosophy behind COSA aligns closely with many Tribal and First Nations justice traditions and community healing practices. It highlights Indigenous contributions to restorative justice in North America and describes circle approaches that consider the broader context of harm, involve those affected, and seek balance across spiritual, physical, emotional, and intellectual dimensions.
4) Who is eligible to apply?
Applicants must be federally recognized Native American tribal governments.
5) What population does COSA typically serve?
COSA is designed to address a specific service gap: individuals assessed as high risk who complete prison terms and are released without probation or parole supervision and without meaningful aftercare. The opportunity notes COSA typically targets men with long offending histories, past treatment failures, antisocial attitudes, and elevated risk of reoffending.
6) What is a “Core Member” in the COSA model?
The “Core Member” is the returning individual (the person convicted of a sexual offense) who is at the center of the Circle. The Circle is structured around supporting and holding this person accountable during reintegration into the community.
7) Who makes up the inner Circle, and what do they do?
Each Circle is supported by four to six trained community volunteers. Volunteers maintain frequent contact with the Core Member (often daily), and the full Circle generally meets weekly. The model relies on a relationship-based approach that combines practical support and human connection with clear accountability for behavior.
8) What is the “Outer Circle” mentioned in the solicitation?
The program structure described includes an “Outer Circle” of trained professionals who provide guidance, expertise, and coordination with services (such as treatment or behavioral health supports). The intent is for COSA to be volunteer-driven while still having professional support available.
9) Does the grant require collaboration with any outside organization?
Yes. Funded sites are required to collaborate with a SMART Office-designated training and technical assistance (TTA) provider. The solicitation describes this as a way to help each site adapt the model appropriately to local tribal traditions while maintaining implementation fidelity and ensuring volunteers are properly trained.
10) What are the core expectations for funded sites?
Selection is based on the solicitation’s application criteria and an applicant’s commitment to several expectations, including: building new knowledge and evidence, implementing a COSA program tailored to the tribal community, collecting program data, working closely with SMART and the TTA provider, and participating in a future evaluation if funding becomes available.
11) What kinds of monitoring and evaluation planning are expected?
Project plans must include a monitoring and evaluation approach for collecting and analyzing information. The solicitation emphasizes thoughtful monitoring and evaluation planning as a major deliverable expectation.
12) What outcomes and data does the solicitation encourage grantees to track?
The opportunity encourages tracking outcomes such as:
- Descriptive details about the tribal community and its justice processes
- Descriptive information about sex offenders in the jurisdiction and who is eligible for COSA
- Characteristics of participating offenders and volunteers
- Recidivism events (including new sexual, violent, or other charges and returns to prison) and how incidents are resolved
- Changes in criminogenic behavior and risk-related factors (for example antisocial behavior, pro-criminal attitudes, substance use, and engagement in treatment and supportive services)
- Improvements in prosocial behavior and attitudes
- Community-level changes (such as awareness, healing processes, prevention efforts, and victim support)
- Overall program cost effectiveness
13) What final product or report is required?
The final required product is a report documenting how the COSA model was culturally adapted and implemented. The solicitation indicates the report should include items such as: how many and what types of volunteers were trained; who the participating offenders were (including demographics and risk/needs assessment information); what treatment and any adjunct supervision or oversight arrangements existed; how often volunteers and professionals contacted Core Members; what those contacts looked like qualitatively; and whatever outcome information the site is able to gather during the project period.
14) Does this opportunity involve building evidence or knowledge beyond a single program site?
Yes. Beyond implementation, the SMART Office emphasizes generating descriptive information for the field, including how COSA is adapted and delivered in tribal contexts, what service and policy needs emerge, and what outcomes can be observed when these programs operate in Indian Country.
15) Is participation in an evaluation required?
Funded sites are expected to participate in a future evaluation if funding becomes available, according to the solicitation.
16) What federal program is this grant associated with?
This was a Department of Justice discretionary grant under CFDA 16.203, Promoting Evidence Integration in Sex Offender Management Discretionary Grant Program.
17) What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number is SMART 2015 4285.
18) How much funding is available, and how many awards were expected?
The estimated total funding amount was $500,000 to support approximately two awards.
19) What are the award ceiling and floor?
The award ceiling was $250,000 and the award floor was $10,000.
20) Is there a cost sharing or match requirement?
No. The solicitation states there was no cost sharing or matching requirement.
21) When was the solicitation posted, and what were the key dates?
The solicitation was posted May 26, 2015. The application closing date was June 15, 2015. It was archived July 15, 2015.
22) Has the SMART Office funded COSA efforts before?
Yes. The solicitation notes the SMART Office previously funded COSA efforts in places such as Durham, North Carolina and Multnomah County, Oregon, and that additional COSA projects were underway across multiple states.
23) What example does the solicitation provide to illustrate community-based circle approaches?
The opportunity references the Community Holistic Circle Healing (CHCH) project from the Hollow Water First Nation in Manitoba. It describes the project’s community contract approach and shared responsibility model, and cites a ten-year evaluation in which only two out of 107 participants reoffended. This example is used to reinforce that culturally grounded, community-driven accountability and healing models can be effective.
24) Where could applicants find additional information or submission support?
The announcement provided an additional information link through SMART and listed a DOJ program contact for access and submission support.
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