BJA FY 23 Transforming Prison Cultures, Climates, and Spaces | O BJA 2023 171771

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the FY 2023 Transforming Prison Cultures, Climates, and Spaces opportunity?

It is a Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), Office of Justice Programs (OJP) funding opportunity designed to support large-scale efforts that help make prisons safer, more humane, and more effective for everyone impacted by them, including staff, incarcerated people, and visitors.

Which federal office is offering and administering this opportunity?

The opportunity is offered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) within the Office of Justice Programs (OJP).

What is the overall purpose of this solicitation?

The purpose is to help prisons and state correctional agencies change both day-to-day conditions and long-term operating approaches. The solicitation emphasizes improvements that support staff recruitment and retention, staff wellness and safety, and environments that better prepare people for successful reentry.

How does this opportunity connect to OJP priorities?

The solicitation is tied to OJP priorities focused on civil rights and racial equity, improving access to justice, strengthening community safety, supporting people impacted by the justice system, and building trust in justice institutions.

Is this a formula grant or a competitive grant?

It is a discretionary, competitive grant opportunity.

What type of award mechanism is used?

The opportunity is administered through a cooperative agreement structure.

What does it mean that this is a cooperative agreement?

A cooperative agreement typically indicates that BJA expects substantial involvement beyond standard grant monitoring. This can include close coordination on deliverables, technical direction, and alignment with broader BJA initiatives.

What is the funding activity category for this solicitation?

The funding activity category is Law, Justice and Legal Services.

What CFDA numbers are associated with this opportunity?

The solicitation is tied to CFDA numbers 16.738, 16.812, and 16.827.

What is the opportunity number?

The opportunity number is O-BJA-2023-171771.

When was the opportunity originally posted and when did it close?

It was originally posted on 2023-05-23, with an original closing date of 2023-07-18.

What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?

The award ceiling listed is $3,000,000.

What are the main categories of work under this solicitation?

The solicitation is organized around two main categories: (1) hands-on training and technical assistance (TTA) to prisons and state correctional agencies, and (2) building and maintaining a centralized, curated resource website dedicated to advancing knowledge about prison operations.

What is Category 1 focused on?

Category 1 focuses on providing hands-on training and technical assistance (TTA) to prisons and state correctional agencies, including assessing current prison culture, institutional climate, and physical spaces, and then planning and implementing realistic, sustainable improvements.

What kind of organization was BJA looking for under Category 1?

BJA sought a TTA provider with the capacity to help agencies assess conditions, plan improvements, and support implementation in ways that can be sustained over time, including practical change-management strategies that can be embedded into normal operations.

Does Category 1 only fund physical design or facility renovation changes?

No. The emphasis includes physical spaces, but it is not limited to design changes. Category 1 also prioritizes operational and human factors such as staff recruitment and hiring, training quality and consistency, retention challenges, and staff wellness and safety.

How does Category 1 address staff recruitment, retention, and wellness?

Category 1 explicitly highlights staff recruitment and hiring practices, improving training quality and consistency, addressing retention challenges, and supporting staff wellness and safety as central parts of improving prison culture and climate.

How does Category 1 address incarcerated people and reentry preparation?

Category 1 considers how the facility environment and daily routines affect incarcerated people, including how space is designed and how time is structured to support reintegration. Examples mentioned include programming, productive activities, skill-building, pro-social engagement, and other elements that support successful reentry.

What does “sustainability” mean in the context of Category 1?

Sustainability means identifying and implementing strategies that can be maintained over time, rather than one-off improvements. The work is expected to include implementation support and change-management approaches that can be incorporated into ongoing operations.

What is Category 2 focused on?

Category 2 focuses on developing, managing, maintaining, and actively promoting a centralized, curated resource website that advances knowledge about prison operations and serves as a hub for materials produced through Category 1 and other related BJA-supported efforts.

What is the purpose of the Category 2 website?

The website is intended to scale impact by making high-quality tools, guidance, and lessons learned easier to find and use across the corrections field, not only for agencies receiving direct technical assistance.

What kinds of resources is the Category 2 website expected to include or connect to?

The solicitation notes that the website would host or connect users to resources from Category 1 and related initiatives such as Officer Safety and Wellness, Corrections Data Analysis, and Restrictive Housing Reform Implementation Assistance.

Who is eligible to apply for this opportunity?

Eligibility includes public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education in that classification), for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), and small businesses.

Are nonprofit organizations without 501(c)(3) status eligible?

Yes. Nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status are included in eligibility, as long as they are not institutions of higher education in that classification.

Are for-profit organizations eligible to apply?

Yes. For-profit organizations (other than small businesses) are listed as eligible, and small businesses are also listed as eligible.

What kinds of capabilities does the eligibility structure suggest BJA expected from applicants?

The eligibility and scope suggest BJA expected applicants with corrections expertise and national-level capacity to deliver implementation support, organizational culture change, staff wellness initiatives, facility operations support, design and planning considerations, and web-based dissemination of resources.

What outcomes is this opportunity intended to support?

The intended results include stronger staff recruitment and retention, improved staff training and wellness, safer and more humane conditions, better use of physical space and daily time, and improved preparation for reentry, aligned with OJP goals related to equity, rights, and community safety.

How do the two categories work together?

Category 1 is designed to deliver direct, hands-on assistance to agencies to assess, plan, and implement improvements. Category 2 is designed to broaden and scale those benefits by curating and promoting a central website where tools, guidance, and lessons learned can be accessed across the field.

Who benefits from the changes supported by this opportunity?

The solicitation is aimed at benefiting everyone affected by prison operations, including staff, incarcerated people, and visitors, while also supporting reentry outcomes that impact communities.