FY 2023 Prison Rape Elimination Act Resource Center Solicitation

Transcript also available as a PDF.

DARYL FOX: Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to today's webinar, “Prison Rape Elimination Act Resource Center Solicitation,” hosted by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. At this time, it's my pleasure to introduce Alex Stojsavljevic, Policy Advisor with the Bureau of Justice Assistance, to begin the presentation. Alex?

ALEX STOJSAVLJEVIC: Thank you Daryl. And hello everybody and welcome. And thank you so much for joining us today. My name is Alex Stojsavljevic and I serve as a Policy Advisor within the PREA Management Office here at the Bureau of Justice Assistance.

Before we jump into the solicitation webinar, we'd just like to briefly talk about who the Bureau of Justice Assistance is. And so BJA sits within the Office of Justice Program at the United States Department of Justice. The Office of Justice Programs provides grant funding, training, research, and statistics to the criminal justice community. OJP is one of the three grant-making components of the DOJ along with the Office [on] Violence Against Women, OVW, and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. And on the right-hand side of the slide here, you can see the other offices that make up the Office of Justice Programs, including BJA, BJS, NIJ, OVC, OJJDP, and the SMART Office.

BJA is proud to support our nation's state, local, and Tribal criminal justice agencies with the express purpose of reducing crime and strengthening communities. One of the most important ways that we do this is providing grants to agencies and communities in order to support local effort. We do our best to design programs that are responsive to real-world challenges and provide maximum flexibility for the local implementation. BJA is committed to streamlining the application process and minimizing the administrative burden of managing our grants. We have made real progress in recent years in these areas and it has never been easier to apply and manage BJA grants. In other words, you do not have to be intimidated by the process or think that you need to be an experienced grant manager to successfully apply for BJA funding. If you have the desire to apply, we have the support to help you succeed. It is, however, important that you do not procrastinate once the solicitation is open. Waiting until the last week to apply may not leave you enough time to gather the necessary information needed for the application. We want you to succeed, so please start early.

BJA is—our Director is Karhlton Moore, and Director Moore was appointed by President Biden in February of 2022. Director Moore leads the programmatic and policy efforts on providing a wide range of resources, including training and technical assistance to law enforcement, courts, corrections, treatment, reentry, justice information sharing, and community-based partners to address chronic and emerging criminal justice challenges nationwide.

You can see within BJA here on the slide that BJA is made up of different offices including our Policy Office, our Programs Office, Operations Office, and the Public Safety Officer Benefits Office.

The five major strategic focus areas of BJA are to improve public safety through measures which build trust with the community and ensure an effective criminal justice system; reduction in recidivism and prevention of unnecessary confinement and interactions with criminal justice system; integration of evidence-based, research-driven strategies into the day-to-day operations of BJA and the programs BJA administers and supports; increasing program effectiveness with a renewed emphasis on data analysis, information sharing, and performance management; and lastly, ensuring organizational excellence through outstanding administration and oversight of all BJA's strategic investments.

And the way that BJA focuses on that is through funding, which invests in diverse funding streams to accomplish our goals; education, including research, development, and delivery of what works; equipping our folks with the tools and products to build capacity and improving outcomes; and lastly, partnering, consulting, connecting, and convening with our partners in the field. And so that's a little bit about BJA and the Office of Justice Programs at the United States Department of Justice. And with that, I will turn it over to my colleague, Tom Talbot, to talk about the Prison Rape Elimination Act Resource Center solicitation. Tom.

TOM TALBOT: Thanks so much, Alex. I just want to do a quick check. You can hear me, right, Alex?

ALEX STOJSAVLJEVIC: Yes, I can.

TOM TALBOT: Excellent. Thank you. Just wanted to be sure. I really appreciate that, Alex. And I want to echo Alex's thanks to all the participants for joining us today. We, at BJA, so appreciate your interest in this important funding opportunity. As Alex said, my name is Tom Talbot and I'm a Senior Policy Advisor within the PREA Management Office at the Bureau of Justice Assistance within the Office of Justice Programs. And as Alex mentioned, I'm going to talk now about the specifics of the fiscal year 2023 PREA Resource Center Solicitation.

As noted here on this slide, BJA plans to make one award in fiscal year 2023 for a little over $4.5 million with an anticipated performance start date of October 1st later this year or this coming fall. And the period of performance is 18 months, and as is the case with many of competitively awarded National Resource Center cooperative agreements, we, at BJA, anticipate being able to supplement this new cooperative agreement in future fiscal years if the annual PREA appropriations allow for this, and if the recipient of the award and its partners are meeting or exceeding BJA's expectations. I want to emphasize and highlight that a key focus or theme of this solicitation is the creation and enhancement of cultures in confinement facilities that do not tolerate sexual victimization of people who are confined. This theme is relevant across all of the goals of this solicitation, and in light of its critical importance, the solicitation also includes a specific goal, objective, and key deliverables that focus explicitly on culture change in confinement facilities and agencies to support efforts to prevent, detect, and respond to sexual abuse and sexual harassments. Next slide, please, Alex. Thanks.

We want to focus for just a few minutes at the outset of this webinar today on eligibility to apply for this particular BJA funding opportunity. As stated in the solicitation, eligible applicants fall into three overall or broad categories, including for-profit organizations, nonprofit organizations, and institutions of higher education, so colleges and universities. Because this solicitation focuses on the delivery of training, technical assistance, and other support on a national level to the field at large including to state, local, and tribal confinement facilities and agencies, units of state, local, and tribal government are not eligible to apply for this funding opportunity. I just want to repeat that so that it's as clear as possible. The PREA Resource Center is being competed this fiscal year to provide training, technical assistance, and support on a national level on issues related to preventing, detecting, and responding to sexual abuse and sexual harassments of confined people in facilities. As a result, state, local, and tribal governmental agencies are not eligible to apply for this particular funding opportunity. I hope that's clear. Next slide, please, Alex. Thanks.

So as I just referenced, this solicitation is the primary method that the Department of Justice uses to provide training, technical assistance, support, information, and resources to the field on PREA implementation issues. The PREA statute explicitly requires DOJ to fund a clearinghouse that the field can use to guide and inform their ongoing work to promote the sexual safety of confined persons. And as is stated in the PREA notice of final rule more than 10 years ago, PREA implementation efforts can be enhanced considerably when there are cultures in place in confinement facilities and the agencies that do not tolerate sexual abuse and sexual harassment. I'll now talk briefly about each of these four priority areas, starting with training and technical assistance on the next slide.

The overarching goal for PREA training under this solicitation is to develop and deliver targeted, high-quality training to the many stakeholders who are responsible for promoting sexual safety and implementing the PREA standards in confinement facilities and agencies across the country. As emphasized in the solicitation, these stakeholders include PREA coordinators; PREA compliance managers; both line staff and supervisors in confinement facilities; administrators, directors, and leaders of agencies that oversee confinement facilities; internal and external investigators of sexual victimization; medical, mental health, and other treatment staff in confinement facilities; intake in-classification staff; other program staff in facilities; and individuals who advocate on behalf of survivors of sexual victimization and on behalf of persons who are confined and their impacted family members.

Then, moving to technical assistance, this solicitation requires the delivery of strategic support in technical assistance to a number of different entities including to BJA's site-based PREA grantees and to states and territories in receipt of PREA reallocation awards under BJA's Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant Program, or Byrne JAG. As many of you probably know, these are states and territories whose governors have submitted PREA assurances to DOJ that they will use not less than five percent of two impacted DOJ grant programs to work towards compliance with the PREA standards in the future. And BJA's Byrne JAG formula grant program is one of these impacted programs and BJA administers both the Byrne JAG program and the PREA reallocation awards under this program. And the solicitation also requires the delivery of PREA TA to other state, local, and tribal confinement facilities and agencies that need and request it.

Alex and I want to highlight how BJA has distinguished the delivery of PREA TA to those who request and need it under the solicitation. Under this program, BJA anticipates supporting what we're calling field-initiated PREA TA and intensive PREA TA. Field- initiated PREA TA under this solicitation is fairly short-term in nature and focuses on discreet PREA implementation issues and challenges. In most or all cases, BJA expects that this type of PREA TA will be provided remotely or virtually by PREA Resource Center team members and/or other subject matter experts and partners. One of the things that Alex and I are most excited about in terms of this solicitation is the prioritization that it places on the delivery of intensive PREA TA. This kind of TA is for confinement facilities and agencies that are facing complex, longstanding PREA implementation challenges that require onsite/face-to-face support and a substantial investment of time and resources.

BJA intends to support intensive TA that relies on a strategic planning and implementation approach or process. We at BJA recognize that some intensive TA recipients will benefit significantly from a strategic planning process to develop a collaborative, team-based approach to PREA implementation that focuses on identifying and prioritizing key PREA challenges and developing and initiating a comprehensive PREA implementation plan that is focused on addressing these challenges. Applicants must propose a strategic planning implementation process and articulate how existing resources, including but not limited to the PREA project planning guide that's available online, will be used to support the delivery of this type of intensive PREA TA. And BJA is also requiring applicants to explain and address how they will deliver what we refer to in the solicitation as an issue-specific approach to intensive TA. We recognize that some intensive TA recipients will benefit significantly from support that focuses on one or more substantial but specific PREA implementation challenges that are impeding their efforts to enhance the sexual safety of persons who are confined. Applicants must therefore also explain how they will deliver intensive PREA TA that is issue specific.

Examples of such issues include, are not limited to, barriers to implementing a comprehensive process for investigating allegations of sexual victimization of confined persons and establishing and maintaining partnerships between confinement facilities and/or agencies and external victim support and services organizations that provide services and support to confined persons who are survivors of sexual victimization.

Then, beyond these two types of intensive PREA TA, BJA very strongly encourages applicants to propose other types of intensive TA. We really want applicants to be thoughtful and creative in proposing other strategies to address the significant PREA implementation needs of state, local and confinement facilities and agencies across the nation via intensive TA. Next slide, please, Alex.

On this slide, you'll see a non-exhaustive list of key deliverables related to PREA training and PREA technical assistance requirements under this solicitation. We strongly encourage applicants to familiarize themselves with all of the deliverables in this solicitation and to address all of them in their applications. In regards to training, we want to highlight that in the first two months of the cooperative agreement, BJA expects to approve a comprehensive plan that will guide the PREA training to be delivered throughout this cooperative agreement. As a result, applicants under this solicitation should propose an initial PREA training plan to BJA when they respond to this solicitation. And that plan should be as specific and detailed as possible.

In terms of technical assistance, even though BJA, because of funding shortfalls, is suspending the PREA site-based grant program in fiscal year 2023, there are PREA site-based grants from previous fiscal years. And a key requirement under this solicitation is to provide meaningful support and technical assistance to these grantees so that they achieve their goals and identify and implement strategies to sustain the PREA implementation innovations that were funded via their PREA grant from BJA. The solicitation also includes key deliverables related to the needs of states and territories whose governors submit PREA assurances to DOJ and related to marketing the availability of both field-initiated and intensive PREA TA that I talked about a minute or two ago. Next slide, please.

As defined in the solicitation, the clearinghouse function of the PREA Resource Center remains mission critical. And moving forward, the PRC must continue to serve as a comprehensive repository for current, user-friendly PREA resources and information. And the solicitation includes a number of deliverables related to this clearinghouse function. One of those that we want to highlight today is the development, expansion, and enhancement of communities of practice that include key stakeholders who have PREA implementation responsibilities. There's already a robust national and expanding community of practice that focuses on agency PREA coordinators, and applicants must propose to BJA other specific communities of practice that will be developed, expanded, and/or enhanced. Such communities could focus on stakeholders who advocate on behalf of survivors of sexual victimization and on behalf of persons who are incarcerated and their family members, or they could focus on individuals who are responsible for investigating allegations of sexual abuse in confinement settings. BJA really wants applicants their best strategic thinking about such communities, who they should include, and how they will support PREA implementation efforts across the country. Next slide.

We also want to highlight the fact that the PREA Resource Center's current role in composing memoranda detailing first impression questions from the field at large related to the meaning of specific PREA standards for consideration by the DOJ PREA Working Group will continue into the future under this new cooperative agreement. Relatedly, there are FAQs from DOJ's PREA Working Group that are now 10 years old. So another key deliverable under this solicitation will be to work with BJA to update, revise, and curate, as needed, the existing FAQs. Next slide.

Moving into Strategic Outreach and Communication with PREA Implementation Stakeholders. As we hopefully continue to move away from the COVID pandemic, BJA is prioritizing getting back out in the field to hear directly from PREA implementation stakeholders and to use their feedback, insights, perspectives, and needs to drive and inform the work of the PREA Resource Center. A key stakeholder group that Alex and I really want to emphasize and highlight today are impacted individuals, that is, those who are currently or who were previously confined and their family members. Under this solicitation, BJA is prioritizing meaningful outreach to and communication with such individuals. BJA is strongly committed to providing opportunities for them to provide input and guidance on and to be involved in the work of the PREA Resource Center and the PREA implementation efforts of BJA. Next slide.

And as I mentioned previously, culture work and culture change are vital in any effort to prevent, detect, and respond to sexual abuse and sexual harassment in confinement. And this is reflected in the fact that BJA has defined in this solicitation a separate goal and a series of deliverables related to culture change. Put simply, BJA is striving under this solicitation to make practical, user-friendly information, tools, and technical assistance available to the field at large that allows confinement facilities and agencies to evaluate their own cultures, identify opportunities to change cultures in ways that promote sexual safety in confinement, implement those changes, and evaluate the impact of those changes on culture. And with that, I'll pass the baton back to Alex to cover a few very important issues and considerations that applicants should keep in mind when they are responding to this solicitation. Alex, back to you. The floor is yours. Thanks so much.

ALEX STOJSAVLJEVIC: Tom, I appreciate that. And so I'd like to cover some things to keep in mind for successful applications that are included within the solicitation. First and foremost, as you read the solicitation, please realize that supporting the PREA audit function is to be awarded via a separate BJA contract within fiscal year 2023. So what that means is that BJA will complete all the activities related to the management and expansion of the PREA audit function via another contract in fiscal year 2023. So as a result, applications submitted under this solicitation should not include any information pertaining to the PREA audit activities, which are described below on the slide and within the solicitation.

Another thing that we would like to highlight for a successful application is partnering with or collaborating with partners. BJA is requiring that applicants identify and propose partners, which include organizations and individuals, who can lead or be involved in and support the range of approaches and strategies they propose. Applicants must explain how these partners will be involved in the work that they define and identify the specific areas of expertise that these individuals or organizations will bring to PRC. As Tom said, we've talked about working with individuals, both who have worked with survivors, both incarcerated and formerly incarcerated, partners in the juvenile field, and tribal governments as well.

Other things to keep in mind: as we talked about, supporting PREA implementation efforts in juvenile confinement facilities and agencies and tribal confinement facilities and agencies. As you read through the solicitation, you will notice that we've referenced the BJS study pertaining to juvenile facilities. And applicants must propose strategies to support strong PREA implementation efforts in juvenile facilities as well as tribal confinement facilities and agencies as well. Applicants must define strategies that they will use to help develop and deliver assistance, support, and information that reflects the diverse and specialized PREA implementation both at juvenile and tribal facilities.

Lastly, another idea to keep in mind for a successful application is addressing the inter-relatedness of the different types of work required under this solicitation. BJA certainly understands that the work that we require under this solicitation is related. So for example, an agency that requests TA on investigating sexual abuse, now they might benefit from existing training on the topic. Or a PREA coordinator who requests guidance developing a staffing plan that is consistent with the PREA standards may be able to use examples of such available resources in the clearinghouse that are on the PRC website. So we ask that applicants discuss the connections between the types of work they proposing and explain how these connections will be used to maximize the effectiveness of their efforts and work under the solicitation.

Some frequently asked questions that we'd like to clarify today. So the first question that we received is, "Are the competitive programs under this solicitation meant for entities to apply to receive training and/or technical assistance?" As Tom stated in the beginning of this webinar, no. Applicants under the solicitation must be proposing to develop and deliver the training and/or technical assistance to the field.

“What should be included in my application?” is another question that we receive frequently, and we ask that you please review the “Application and Submission information” second of the solicitation. Some highlights of what are needed would be an Abstract, Narrative, a Budget Worksheet, a Budget Narrative, Training Delivery Chart, a Timeline, Resumes, and there are additional items that we would ask you to, again, review the solicitation to ensure that you have a full and complete application.

Lastly, “Can my organization propose to partner with other entities?” And, yes. Enthusiastically, yes. As we stated earlier in the presentation, partnering with other entities is required in the solicitation, but we also want to note that only one entity may submit the application and assume the fiscal and management responsibilities. So when you’re partnering and listing those individuals, applicants must identify the partner organizations. But, again, only one entity may submit the application. And with that, I will turn it back to Tom to close us out.

TOM TALBOT: Thanks so much, Alex. And this is great. We're a bit ahead of schedule and Alex and I wanted to cover just some high-level information and some key themes and issues that are in this particular solicitation and then leave plenty of time to respond to questions from those of you out there across the country who are with us today. So as we close out the presentation portion of this webinar, we want to highlight the resources that are available for applicants. And please note that all of the information that are here in the slides in terms of resources are also available in the solicitation and on the BJA website. So next slide, please.

I think the overarching takeaway point here that Alex and I want to make with these final slides is that applicants, as Alex said, should begin their applications as early as possible.

And if you have questions about any part of your application, please use the resources that are included in the solicitation and that are listed here on the slides. This particular slide focuses on assistance related to Grants.gov, and please note that there is a Customer Support Hotline that's available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, except for federal holidays, to deal with and address questions and concerns related to the requirements associated with Grants.gov. Next slide, please.

BJA, of course, remains well aware, just candidly, of the many challenges associated with the utilization of JustGrants. And as a result, BJA is committed to addressing all the questions that applicants have related to this system. There’s a JustGrants Customer Support Hotline as well as an email address that can be used to address problems, challenges, and questions related to JustGrants. Next slide.

The Office of Justice Programs, as Alex described where BJA resides, also has a response center for solicitation and program-specific questions. So if in the days to come, you have any follow-up questions about the PREA Resource Center solicitation that we're discussing today, please reach out directly to the OJP Response Center using the information on this slide that's also reflected in the solicitation. In order to manage questions that come in and share responses with the field, it really is imperative that applicants use the OJP Response Center. Just for example, if Alex and I receive specific questions related to this solicitation, we'll need to forward those on to the OJP Response Center for consideration. So we, at BJA, have a formalized process to respond to questions from the field about any solicitation and then make responses to those questions available broadly to the field in the interest of fairness, in terms of the competitive process. As noted on the slide here, you can also subscribe to receive email notifications related to all new OJP funding opportunities, including those offered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. So please don't hesitate to subscribe if you are interested. Next slide.

And we just wanted to provide a friendly reminder here as to two key deadlines related to the PREA Resource Center solicitation. And those deadlines, these dual deadlines, are reflected in the two steps on the slide. So no later than June 5th at 8:59 PM Eastern Time—note that that's a change. In prior years, our deadline on a given date was 11:59 PM Eastern Time. That's now changed this year to 8:59 PM Eastern Time. So step 1, applicants who are going to pursue this funding opportunity must submit an SF-424 form and an SF-LLL form at Grants.gov no later than June 5th, 2023, at 8:59 PM Eastern Time. And then taking that step will make folks eligible to carry out the second step, which is the submission of the full application with all attachments. The types of ones that Alex talked about briefly a few minutes ago at JusticeGrants.usdoj.gov. And the hard and fast deadline for comprehensive applications is a week after June 5th, the first step, on June 12th, 2023, at 8:59 PM Eastern Time. And we would just encourage you to review the solicitation carefully, very carefully, for further guidance related to these dual deadlines. Next slide.

And then here on this slide, we've included just some resources for those who are pursuing competitive grants and cooperative agreements funding from BJA and OJP in fiscal year 2023. So these resources are very relevant not only to those pursuing funding under this solicitation but under any solicitation offered by the Office of Justice Programs. So please keep these resources in mind as you go forward.

And on the next slide, social media and staying connected. Regardless of whether or not you apply for funding under the PREA Resource Center solicitation, we really want to stay in touch with you. And there's information here on this slide about email updates to which you can subscribe and OJP's and BJA's social media accounts. And so Alex and I are keenly interested in the PREA Resource Center solicitation, but we’re also interested in sharing with you all opportunities just to stay apprised of the work that BJA and OJP and in touch with us at BJA regardless of what your interests are and where in the system you work. Next slide.

And finally, here’s just a summary of key contacts and resources that Alex and I encourage you to use when you’re submitting an application under any of BJA’s competitive solicitations, including the one that we’re talking about today, the PREA Resource Center solicitation. Delighted that there are 50 or more attendees today. Again, if you have questions about the solicitation, please don't hesitate to be in touch with the third resource there on the screen, the 800 number and the email address, [email protected]. We want to hear from you. We're excited about this funding opportunity and we're hoping to get a number of high-quality applications that we can consider to continue to support BJA's and DOJ's PREA implementation efforts. And with that, I think we'll go to the last slide and take any questions that have come in during the last 30 or so minutes.

DARYL FOX: Great. Thanks so much, Tom. Thanks so much, Alex. Yes, for all the attendees today, if you do have a question, far bottom right of your screen, three dots, there's a Q&A box, send to all panelists, and we'll be happy to go through those with the remaining time we have today. Just generally, there was a couple questions on, "Will this information be available after the webinar?" The answer is yes. So we will be posting the PowerPoint, transcript, and recording to BJA's website and everybody that's registered and on today will receive an email when and where to access those items. So do keep an eye out for those. Well, in the meantime, we'll go ahead and take your questions at this time.

So for the panelists, “Can you just provide a general definition/explanation of what the term clearinghouse refers to in regards to this solicitation?”

TOM TALBOT: Sure. So the word clearinghouse is used explicitly in the original PREA statute that was passed back in 2003. And so the statute requires DOJ to set up a clearinghouse of—or a repository of practical, current, user-friendly information. And so the idea is to provide a web-based platform or resource that the field can access that is continuously updated and, sort of, a portal or a hub into information and resources for the field. I want to just ask a follow-up question of Alex.

Alex, I hate to put you on the spot, but can you just talk briefly about sort of your—the importance of a clearinghouse for you in your previous role as a PREA coordinator? What that meant to you?

ALEX STOJSAVLJEVIC: Absolutely. So as Tom said, with the kind of repository of information, this came in extremely handy for me as a previous PREA coordinator, State Agency PREA Coordinator, where basically individuals can go to obtain information such as the frequently asked questions published by the Working Group, trainings, previously recorded webinars or live webinars, a plethora of information from different partners in the field who have provided information about PREA. It's really kind of a one-stop shop for folks who are implementing PREA or working with PREA in the field. And it's so vitally important when folks have questions or concerns or just maybe need some clarification on what a standard means or how does it look to implement it or operationalize something. So it really, as Tom said, is so vitally important to the work of this solicitation and just to the folks in the field.

TOM TALBOT: Thanks, Alex. I love the idea of sort of a one-stop shop. I think that's a great way to kind of describe what we're striving for here in the solicitation.

DARYL FOX: "For the intensive TA component and the option to provide pass-through funds to sites, these funds would require a match requirement, is that correct?"

TOM TALBOT: Yes, that's correct. And there are some administrative hoops and hurdles that are related to upholding that match requirement. And so that's something that if an applicant proposes to, underneath the umbrella of intensive TA, proposes to provide or use some portion of the $4.5 million that's available, if the applicant proposes to use some of that for pass-through funding to support the PREA implementation needs of state, local, tribal jurisdictions and agencies, we would ask that the applicant explain and describe how that match requirement will be managed. I also want to state that there is a process in place at BJA and OJP to seek waivers of that match requirement in instances of financial hardship. And so, certainly, applicants could set up a process whereby there’s some analysis of fiscal hardship and there’s precedent for waiving that match requirement in selected circumstances with support from BJA leadership.

DARYL FOX: Thanks so much for that, Tom. That was actually the second part of the question. “Do you anticipate the option to request a match waiver?” So, very good anticipation.

TOM TALBOT: Yup. Where BJA is very—I will—I’ll just say this, the BJA leadership, including Director Moore, who Alex introduced early on during this session, is very sensitive to and understanding of the fiscal challenges that agencies and jurisdictions of all sizes face, and where there’s a compelling case to be made for a waiver of a match requirement, those are taken very seriously by BJA leadership. Alex, anything to add to that?

ALEX STOJSAVLJEVIC: I think you hit the nail on the head there, Tom. Thanks.

TOM TALBOT: And Daryl, was there any other follow up on that? The two-parter? I think I hit it with the, yes, the match waiver applies to pass-through funding and, yes, there is a process and precedent for considering waivers to the match requirement in cases of fiscal hardship or challenge.

DARYL FOX: Great. Both items were addressed. And that's the end of the questions in the queue at this time. We do still have quite a bit of time left today. So if you do have a question, please go ahead and enter that in.

TOM TALBOT: I just really just have a follow on quickly, Daryl, to the question about intensive TA. We at BJA and in the PREA Management Office, we're very deliberate in what we included in the intensive TA. And so we really want to hear from applicants about how they'll carry out the two types of intensive TA that I talked about, that we talked about, the issue-specific intensive TA and then the planning and implementation process for intensive TA. And then beyond sort of those two kinds of core methods of delivering intensive TA, we really want to hear from applicants about other types of intensive TA that they would recommend to BJA and recommend that BJA get behind. And just one example is the utilization of pass-through funding as another way in which we can, under this program and solicitation, support the PREA implementation needs of state, local, and tribal confinement facilities and agencies. So I would just encourage folks to be creative, be thoughtful, and lean on and utilize your experience to date supporting the work of agencies and facilities at the state and local and tribal levels, and use that experience to inform what you proposed to BJA under this solicitation.

DARYL FOX: And as we're waiting further questions to come in, I'll just go ahead and put this slide up for your reference. It was mentioned several times. But if you do, as we conclude, have questions about the programmatic requirements of this solicitation, the OJP Response Center at [email protected] is who you'll contact for those queries.

TOM TALBOT: Thanks. And I assume that there are some—we have among our attendees today, a lot of PREA implementation colleagues from across the country who have contact information for Alex and me, and that's wonderful. We love to hear from you. But I just want to reinforce what Daryl just said, and that is, questions related to the programmatic requirements under this solicitation really do need to go to the OJP Response Center at the 800-851-3420 phone number or that email address, [email protected]. And then when necessary, those programmatic specific questions will come to Alex and me and we have a process in place to respond to those and then make those responses available widely to the field in the interest of fairness and providing comprehensive information to all potential applicants across the country.

DARYL FOX: And no additional questions have come in the queue at this time.

TOM TALBOT: Which I assume is a good thing, which means there's not, at least at the moment, any confusion about the solicitation and eligibility requirements related to it. And then the goals, objectives, and deliverables that we've defined. Again, if there are questions, please, please, please reach out to the OJP Response Center and we'll get your questions answered if you have any after this webinar.

DARYL FOX: “For this particular solicitation, is it built for sub-awardees to the main applicant at all or is this sole application?”

TOM TALBOT: Yeah. As Alex mentioned, and this is a little bit of a change from some other BJA solicitations where partners are encouraged but not required. We're actually requiring partners in this, given the breadth and depth of the goals, objectives, and deliverables. BJA's expectation is that they'll be a prime or one applicant, but that applicants will come in with an array of partners, both individuals and organizations, that can assist in addressing the requirements under the solicitation. PREA implementation work includes many different stakeholders and many different types of expertise and experience, and so our requirement around project partners is just a reflection of the fact that this work requires so many different entities and perspectives.

DARYL FOX: Okay. That seems to be the end of the queue at this time again.

TOM TALBOT: Great. I guess we can give people 15 minutes of their day back, which is not a bad thing.

DARYL FOX: Great. So anything in closing, either from Tom or Alex?

TOM TALBOT: Just a quick thanks for your interest in this solicitation. We really appreciate your attendance and participation and your interest. And again, we hope to receive a number of robust and persuasive and compelling applications that we can consider after the deadline in mid-June. Alex, anything else to add?

ALEX STOJSAVLJEVIC: Thanks, Tom. I just also want to echo, thank you to everybody on the call today for joining this webinar and having an interest in the PRC solicitation and hopefully PREA at large. We all know how important this work is. Protecting people who are confined is so vitally important, especially their sexual safety. I just want to thank everybody for having an interest in this great work and looking forward to reading some great applications.

DARYL FOX: Wonderful. So on behalf of Bureau of Justice Assistance and our panelists, we want to thank you for joining today's webinar. This will end today's presentation.