Opportunity Information: Apply for SMART 2015 4150
Apply for SMART 2015 4150
- 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 of Accountability in Indian Country Training and Technical Assistance" 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 Mar 30, 2015 and posted on Apr 1, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 18, 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 $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 Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized).
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Opportunity Summary:
This FY 2015 Department of Justice SMART Office opportunity funds one organization to provide training and technical assistance (TTA) to help tribal communities adapt and implement Circles of Support and Accountability (COSA) as part of sex offender management in Indian Country. COSA began in Canada in the 1990s as a community-based restorative justice approach focused on safer reintegration, pairing structured accountability with pro-social support. The SMART Office previously launched COSA work in U.S. jurisdictions starting in FY 2012, and by the time of this announcement COSA projects were operating or developing across multiple states. The basic premise behind COSA is to address a common gap in reentry and supervision: some individuals assessed as high risk for reoffense are released at sentence end with little or no formal aftercare, probation, or parole oversight. COSA aims to reduce community harm by creating an organized, community-involved structure that supports behavior change while maintaining clear accountability.
The model described centers on a "Circle" that includes a Core Member (the person convicted of a sex offense) and typically four to six trained community volunteers, with an "Outer Circle" of professionals and service providers who support the work. Volunteers build consistent contact with the Core Member (often daily check-ins), and the Circle meets weekly. The program emphasizes a relationship-based method that blends friendship, practical support, and expectations for responsible behavior. COSA is often used for individuals with long offending histories, treatment failures, antisocial attitudes, and elevated risk of reoffending, especially those leaving incarceration without ongoing supervision. In practice, COSA has been hosted by faith-based organizations, volunteer groups, and sometimes integrated into community corrections as a structured supplement.
A major theme of the grant is that COSA aligns well with restorative justice traditions and holistic healing approaches found in many tribal contexts. The announcement highlights how Indigenous justice philosophies frequently use circle-based processes that connect the offender, victim(s), families, and the broader community, with attention to the underlying causes of harm and a collective plan for healing and accountability. As an illustrative parallel, it references the Hollow Water First Nation Community Holistic Circle Healing (CHCH) project in Manitoba, which uses traditional teachings, community responsibility agreements, and ongoing compassionate oversight to support victims, hold offenders accountable, and shift community norms that may enable abuse. The opportunity points to evaluation findings from CHCH indicating very low sexual recidivism among participants, using that example to reinforce the potential fit of COSA-type approaches in Indian Country when thoughtfully adapted.
The purpose of the award is not to run a COSA program directly, but to build capacity in up to two tribal project sites that receive separate SMART Office funding under related "project sites" awards. The selected TTA provider is expected to help each tribal site tailor COSA to its specific community context, maintain implementation fidelity to core COSA principles, and properly recruit, train, and manage community volunteers. Because tribal jurisdictions vary widely in restorative practices, existing circle-healing efforts, and experience involving community members in offender supervision, the TTA provider must be able to assess local needs and deliver customized support rather than a one-size-fits-all package.
The announcement lays out the expertise expected of applicants: deep familiarity with tribal justice practices and tribal sex offender management; practical experience developing and implementing COSA; demonstrated ability to provide technical assistance in sex offender management; capacity to conduct program assessments; knowledge of volunteer recruitment, screening, training, and supervision; and experience communicating with the public about sexual offending and sexual violence. That public-facing experience includes understanding community notification approaches, public education campaigns, and victim support programming, reflecting the reality that community trust and victim safety considerations are central to any initiative of this type.
Key deliverables include onsite training and technical assistance to the two tribal COSA grantees (including development of training materials), an assessment of each grantee site, an overall TTA delivery plan grounded in each site’s identified needs, and individualized TTA plans for each jurisdiction. The provider must also help tribal sites collect information for the sites’ final reports to the SMART Office. The required data elements include descriptions of each jurisdiction’s restorative justice philosophy and healing practices; information about the local sex offender population and eligibility for COSA-like services; recidivism outcomes (new sexual, violent, and any criminal charges, and returns to prison); indicators of change in criminogenic behavior (such as antisocial attitudes, substance use, and engagement in treatment and services); indicators of positive behavior change (pro-social behaviors and attitudes); community-level changes (including victim-related impacts such as awareness, healing processes, community involvement, prevention efforts, and victim support); and program cost-effectiveness. The final product is a report intended for possible publication and broader dissemination that documents the process of developing COSA-type programs at the two sites, the training and technical assistance approach used, and the quantity and types of support provided.
Administratively, this is a discretionary cooperative agreement under CFDA 16.203 (Promoting Evidence Integration in Sex Offender Management Discretionary Grant Program). The SMART Office anticipated a single award, with estimated total funding of $500,000 and an award ceiling of $500,000 (no cost sharing or match required). Eligible applicants included 501(c)(3) nonprofits (excluding higher education institutions), public and private institutions of higher education, and federally recognized Native American tribal governments. The opportunity was posted April 1, 2015, and closed May 18, 2015, with an archive date of June 17, 2015.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is this FY 2015 DOJ SMART Office grant opportunity about?
This opportunity funds one organization to provide training and technical assistance (TTA) to help tribal communities in Indian Country adapt and implement Circles of Support and Accountability (COSA) as part of sex offender management. The award is focused on building local capacity at tribal project sites rather than operating a COSA program directly.
How many awards were anticipated under this opportunity?
The SMART Office anticipated making a single award under this solicitation.
How much funding was available, and what was the maximum award amount?
The estimated total funding was $500,000, and the award ceiling was $500,000.
Is cost sharing or a match required?
No cost sharing or match was required.
What type of federal award is this?
This was a discretionary cooperative agreement.
What CFDA program is associated with this award?
The opportunity was under CFDA 16.203, Promoting Evidence Integration in Sex Offender Management Discretionary Grant Program.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants included 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations (excluding higher education institutions), public and private institutions of higher education, and federally recognized Native American tribal governments.
What were the posting and closing dates for the opportunity?
The opportunity was posted on April 1, 2015, and closed on May 18, 2015. The archive date was June 17, 2015.
Does this grant fund running a COSA program directly?
No. The purpose of the award is to provide TTA and capacity building for up to two tribal project sites that receive separate SMART Office funding under related project-site awards.
How many tribal sites would the TTA provider support?
The TTA provider was expected to build capacity in up to two tribal project sites.
What is COSA (Circles of Support and Accountability)?
COSA is a community-based restorative justice approach that began in Canada in the 1990s. It focuses on safer reintegration by pairing structured accountability with pro-social support, with the goal of reducing community harm while supporting behavior change and maintaining clear expectations for responsible behavior.
Why is COSA relevant to sex offender management?
The model is intended to address a common gap in reentry and supervision: some individuals assessed as high risk for reoffense are released at sentence end with little or no formal aftercare, probation, or parole oversight. COSA creates an organized, community-involved structure to support safer reintegration and accountability.
Who does COSA typically serve?
COSA is often used for people with long offending histories, treatment failures, antisocial attitudes, and elevated risk of reoffending, particularly those leaving incarceration without ongoing supervision.
What is the structure of a COSA Circle?
The Circle includes a Core Member (the person convicted of a sex offense) and typically four to six trained community volunteers. It is supported by an Outer Circle of professionals and service providers who assist the work.
How often do COSA volunteers and the Core Member interact?
The model described includes consistent contact, often daily check-ins, and the Circle typically meets weekly.
What kinds of organizations have hosted COSA programs in practice?
COSA has been hosted by faith-based organizations, volunteer groups, and sometimes integrated into community corrections as a structured supplement.
Why does the solicitation emphasize tribal adaptation of COSA?
The announcement highlights that COSA can align well with restorative justice traditions and holistic healing approaches found in many tribal contexts, including circle-based processes that involve the broader community and address underlying causes of harm while emphasizing healing and accountability.
What example of an Indigenous circle-based justice approach is referenced in the announcement?
The solicitation references the Hollow Water First Nation Community Holistic Circle Healing (CHCH) project in Manitoba as an illustrative parallel, noting that it uses traditional teachings, community responsibility agreements, and ongoing compassionate oversight to support victims, hold offenders accountable, and shift community norms that may enable abuse.
How does the announcement use the Hollow Water CHCH example?
It points to evaluation findings indicating very low sexual recidivism among participants and uses the example to reinforce the potential fit of COSA-type approaches in Indian Country when thoughtfully adapted.
What is the TTA provider expected to do for each tribal site?
The provider is expected to help each site tailor COSA to local context, maintain implementation fidelity to core COSA principles, and support the recruitment, training, and management of community volunteers. The provider must also assess local needs and deliver customized support rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.
What expertise was the SMART Office looking for in applicants?
The solicitation describes expectations including deep familiarity with tribal justice practices and tribal sex offender management; practical experience developing and implementing COSA; demonstrated ability to provide technical assistance in sex offender management; capacity to conduct program assessments; knowledge of volunteer recruitment, screening, training, and supervision; and experience communicating with the public about sexual offending and sexual violence.
Why is public communication experience considered important for this TTA role?
The announcement indicates that community trust and victim safety considerations are central. Public-facing experience includes understanding community notification approaches, public education campaigns, and victim support programming.
What are the key deliverables required under this award?
Deliverables include onsite training and technical assistance to the two tribal COSA grantees (including development of training materials), an assessment of each grantee site, an overall TTA delivery plan grounded in identified needs, individualized TTA plans for each jurisdiction, and support for sites in collecting information for final reports to the SMART Office.
What is meant by "implementation fidelity" in this context?
Based on the announcement, it means helping sites adapt COSA to their community context while still adhering to core COSA principles, so the approach remains consistent with the model even as it is tailored locally.
What data elements were tribal sites expected to include in final reporting (with support from the TTA provider)?
Required elements included: descriptions of the jurisdiction's restorative justice philosophy and healing practices; information about the local sex offender population and COSA eligibility; recidivism outcomes (new sexual, violent, and any criminal charges, and returns to prison); indicators of change in criminogenic behavior (such as antisocial attitudes, substance use, and engagement in treatment and services); indicators of positive behavior change (pro-social behaviors and attitudes); community-level changes (including victim-related impacts such as awareness, healing processes, community involvement, prevention efforts, and victim support); and program cost-effectiveness.
What is the final product expected from this TTA award?
The final product is a report intended for possible publication and broader dissemination. It documents the process of developing COSA-type programs at the two sites, the TTA approach used, and the quantity and types of support provided.
Did the SMART Office have prior COSA efforts in the United States before this FY 2015 solicitation?
Yes. The announcement states that the SMART Office previously launched COSA work in U.S. jurisdictions starting in FY 2012, and that by the time of this announcement COSA projects were operating or developing across multiple states.
What is the basic premise behind COSA as described in the announcement?
The premise is to reduce community harm by creating an organized structure that involves community members, supports behavior change, and maintains clear accountability, especially for higher-risk individuals who may otherwise leave incarceration with little or no formal aftercare or supervision.
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