2-new-governors-project-rfi

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Criminal Justice Support for New State Administrations

SUPPORTING NEW STATE LEADERS IN IMPROVING CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEMS Request for Information Project Purpose:

Selection Announcement:

Assist four newly elected governors and their staff to assess their juvenile and criminal justice systems and ultimately identify strategic goals for improvement that align with the administration’s public safety vision. Project partners will deliver on-site technical assistance customized to the governor’s public safety goals, as well as offer remote training, messaging support, and the opportunity to participate in group learning sessions.

Thursday, April 18, 2019 Tuesday, April 30, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. ET Dial-in number: 844-280-1884 Conference Code: 202-624-5375

Thursday, May 16, 2019

Week of June 3, 2019

Project Period:

June 2019–January 2020

Contact:

Lauren Dedon, Senior Policy Analyst Homeland Security and Public Safety Division National Governors Association Center for Best Practices ldedon@nga.org or 202-624-5375

RFI Release Date: Optional Informational Call:

Applications Due:

OVERVIEW In recent years, governors have been in the forefront of advancing public safety improvements to juvenile and criminal justice systems that are effective and a better use of taxpayer dollars than past policies. The bipartisan momentum across the country related to justice reform has been marked by the increasing number of governors not only signing new policies into law, but setting a vision, providing clear leadership, and guiding implementation efforts. In 2019, 22 newly elected governors took office. This presents an opportunity for new administrations to define their public safety priorities and take

advantage of momentum for making their justice systems smarter, fairer, and more cost effective.

The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center), in partnership with The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center, the Association of State Correctional Administrators (ASCA), and the National Criminal Justice Association (NCJA)—collectively referred to as the “project partners”—seek to engage and support new governors and their teams by helping assess and begin to act on opportunities for improving their states’ criminal justice systems and enhancing public safety.

The project partners will intensively support up to four newly elected gubernatorial administrations with reviewing existing policy and practice and provide each of them with technical assistance for the development of a statewide plan to improve public safety outcomes. The project partners will (1) deliver remote and on-site training and technical assistance; (2) provide customized, data-driven assessments of existing criminal justice policies and practices; and (3) convene state leaders to establish the building blocks necessary for developing a comprehensive state plan for criminal justice goals and messaging.

States selected for this assessment will receive four in-state visits from national criminal justice experts; an internal report that presents immediate, short- and long-term policy options and process changes that will improve the criminal justice system during the governor’s term in office; a facilitated workshop to discuss findings and recommendations; and assistance developing a communications strategy.

Each state will have the opportunity to focus on one or more of the following policy areas: • • • •

Reentry and recidivism reduction Behavioral health in the justice system Paths to successful employment Coordination and alignment of state and federal resources with evidence-based approaches

Potential outcomes from this opportunity include: state-specific criminal justice system assessments; statewide plans for implementing criminal justice policy goals and messaging; new partnerships and greater collaboration among stakeholders; establishment of cross-disciplinary task forces, working groups, and project teams; identification of data and tools to enhance programmatic and policy work; and others as determined by the state. Each state will designate a core team to lead and participate in project activities.

Suggested core team members are listed below.

DESCRIPTION OF OPPORTUNITY AND REQURED ACTIVITIES This opportunity will require active participation from the selected states. Selected states will:

1. Participate in up to four on-site workshops and facilitate assessment fact-finding: Each state core team, with planning support and assistance from the project partners, will participate in up to

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four on-site workshops. During these workshops, the project partners will meet with the state core team to present findings from assessment activities, including interviews conducted with relevant stakeholders, reviews of state policies and practices, and analysis of publicly available data. The core team will help the project partners identify appropriate assessment activities relevant to achieving state goals. The project partners will then deliver a capstone assessment to each administration that includes immediate, short, and long-term policy options and process changes that will improve the state’s criminal justice system. Based on the results of the policy review and other factors in each state, the project partners will work with each core team and their stakeholders to begin the process of developing a statewide criminal justice action plan. The project partners will also work with the governor’s office to develop a core set of talking points that would serve as a foundation for promoting their policy agenda.

2. Identify publicly available data for analysis: Each state core team will be asked to help identify publicly available data, research, and reports that have been released in the last three years on any or all of the following topics: state criminal justice system trends; reentry and recidivism reduction; behavioral health in the justice system; paths to successful employment; and coordination and alignment of state and federal resources with evidence-based approaches.

3. Identify one or more focus areas: The project partners will assist in assessing each state’s current approach to reducing crime and strengthening communities, breaking the cycle of reoffending, and using cost-effective strategies to invest in public safety. State teams will identify one or more of the following focus areas to pursue: • • • •

Reentry and recidivism reduction Behavioral health in the justice system Paths to successful employment Coordination and alignment of state and federal resources with evidence-based approaches

4. Attend Leading State Corrections and Criminal Justice Reform summit: Selected states will commit to sending four members of the core team, or designees, to a summit on September 18 being held in coordination with the annual Forum on Criminal Justice in Arlington, VA. The forum highlights programs, research, and technologies that help justice practitioners and decisionmakers in states, local communities, and tribal nations address pressing public safety issues. The project partners will conduct a day-long summit that will build on these issues and focus on criminal justice reform and statewide strategic planning for newly elected administrations. Travel and lodging expenses for state participants will be covered for the summit.

5. Connect with the issue Face to Face: Governors in selected states will commit to participating in Face to Face, a national initiative challenging elected officials to connect with people who are closest to state corrections systems, including currently or formerly incarcerated people and their families, corrections officers, local law enforcement, victims of crime, and others who have firsthand experience with the criminal justice system. Face to Face serves as a way for governors to learn more about their priority areas of interest and publicly embrace policy change in their state’s criminal justice system.

6. Communicate technical assistance needs: In addition to the on-site workshops, the project partners will provide remote technical assistance to states throughout the project period. State team leads will commit to participating in regular calls with the project partners to identify challenges and discuss potential technical assistance needs.

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PROJECT TEAM Each participating state will be expected to assemble a high-level core team of up to six state representatives, one of whom should be designated as the team leader. The team should include: • • •

Representative(s) of the governor’s office (e.g., governor’s criminal justice policy advisor, policy director, chief of staff, and/or communications staff) Representative(s) of the department of corrections (e.g., commissioner/director, senior corrections officials, and/or communications staff) The state administering agency director designated by the governor who is responsible for administering Byrne JAG and other federal criminal justice funding

In addition, states may consider including any or all of the following people on the team: • • • • •

State health care officials (e.g., behavioral health, Medicaid) Senior law enforcement Probation and parole administrators Other senior officials from agencies aligned with the state’s criminal justice and public safety goals (e.g., crime commission, labor, education) Local government officials (e.g., law enforcement, commissioners, health departments)

Administrative contact: State teams are also required to have an administrative contact who can help the team lead schedule conference calls, assist with on-site workshops, and handle team logistics.

TIMELINE The following represents a tentative timeline for this collaboration:

Tuesday, April 30, 2019 at Optional informational call 2:00 p.m. ET Dial-in number: 844-280-1884

Conference Code: 202-624-5375

Thursday, May 16, 2019 at Applications due 11:59 p.m. ET

Week of June 3, 2019 State selection announcement

June 2019 Kick-off call with project team and core team

June–December 2019 Up to four on-site workshops conducted in states

September 18, 2019 Leading State Corrections and Criminal Justice Reform summit (Arlington, VA)

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REQUIRED APPLICATION CONTENT To apply, states should submit the following:

1. Letter from the governor: A letter of support from the governor is required. The letter should include the names of the individuals the governor is appointing to serve on the state core team as well as the designated team leader.

2. Statement of interest: A brief one- to two-page statement that articulates the state’s interest in the technical assistance opportunities is required. The statement should include a description of the following: • Overview of the state’s criminal justice effort: This may include the background and current landscape of the state’s criminal justice system (e.g., past reform efforts, federal grants, existing or potential new state funding) and the governor’s vision for new or existing criminal justice initiatives (if one exists). (20 points) • Current challenges: This may include known juvenile and criminal justice system pressures, articulated juvenile and criminal justice stakeholder concerns, or limitations the state hopes to address through this opportunity.

(20 points) • Preliminary interest areas: This may include an overview of criminal and juvenile justice issues the state would like to focus on, desired outcomes, and how these interests fit within the state’s overall criminal justice and public safety vision. Please select from the following categories: Reentry and recidivism reduction, behavioral health in the justice system, paths to successful employment, and/or coordination and alignment of state and federal resources with evidence-based approaches. If a state wishes to identify interest areas at a later date, please indicate this in the application.

(20 points) • Available data: Please list the publicly available data, research, and reports that have been released in your state in the last three years on any of the following topics: criminal justice system trends, reentry and recidivism reduction, behavioral health in the justice system; paths to successful employment, and coordination and alignment of state and federal resources with evidence-based approaches. If you are unsure what data and reports have been released in your state, please provide websites and contact information for any relevant state agencies, the state’s statistical analysis center, knowledgeable research persons, and/or outside groups that may have worked on such issues or released such reports about your state. (20 points) [This does not count toward the page limit.]

• Core team: Please provide the names, titles, and contact information of the team members and indicate whom the governor is designating as the team leader. Also please provide information on the core team’s administrative contact. (20 points) [This does not count toward the page limit.]

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SUBMISSION INFORMATION All applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 16, 2019.

Applications must be submitted by the governor’s office. Please combine all application materials into a single PDF document and email to Lauren Dedon (Ldedon@nga.org).

Following submission, applicants will receive a confirmation email from the NGA Center verifying receipt of your application.

All questions should be directed to Lauren Dedon (ldedon@nga.org 202-624-5375).

This project is made possible through support from Arnold Ventures.

This request for information (RFI) is not binding on the NGA Center, nor does it constitute a contractual offer. Without limiting the forgoing, the NGA Center reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to reject any or all applications; to modify, supplement, or cancel the RFI; to waive any deviation from the RFI; to negotiate regarding any proposal; and to negotiate final terms and conditions that may differ from those stated in the RFI. Under no circumstances shall NGA be liable for any costs incurred in the preparation and submission of a response to this RFI.

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