Opportunity Information: Apply for 23JD12
The National Institute of Corrections (NIC), within the U.S. Department of Justice, is offering a cooperative agreement under the opportunity titled "Evidence-Based Workforce Development - Facilitator Training" (Funding Opportunity Number 23JD12; CFDA 16.601). The central purpose is to strengthen reentry outcomes for justice-involved adults by expanding the field's capacity to deliver research-informed workforce development programming. NIC frames "post-release success" as two connected outcomes: sustaining a prosocial lifestyle and maintaining steady attachment to the workforce after release from incarceration or community supervision. By investing in structured facilitator training, NIC aims to help correctional and reentry practitioners improve employment-related supports in ways that also promote public safety and reduced recidivism.
This opportunity is grounded in NIC's broader emphasis on evidence-based practices in corrections and reentry. The description highlights a core expectation: practitioners need to be able to identify an individual's criminogenic risks and needs and then build services and programming that directly respond to those risk/need areas. In practical terms, the grant is oriented toward strengthening staff competencies that align with proven approaches commonly used in effective reentry work, including cognitive-behavioral interventions, motivational interviewing, effective case management, and the use of validated risk assessments. The underlying idea is that trained, qualified practitioners are more likely to deliver interventions with fidelity, target the factors most associated with criminal behavior and employment instability, and help participants make durable changes that support lawful employment and stability.
A key focus of the project is NIC's Evidence-Based Workforce Development Training curriculum originally developed in 2010, with minor updates anticipated around September 2023. The training is designed to equip facilitators and practitioners with concrete knowledge and skills to help justice-involved adults examine and reshape the values, thoughts, and feelings that influence decision-making, lifestyle choices, and work behaviors. Rather than treating employment as only a job placement issue, the curriculum emphasizes the cognitive and behavioral elements that affect whether someone can obtain work, keep it, and navigate common barriers after justice involvement. The goal is to support "gainful attachment to the workforce," meaning employment that is stable enough to serve as a meaningful anchor for reentry and long-term desistance.
The training also includes instruction on administering the Employment Retention Inventory, a case management tool intended to identify criminogenic risks that contribute both to recidivism and to job loss. By pairing facilitator training with a structured assessment tool, NIC is signaling a preference for systematic, data-informed case planning: assess the factors that are most likely to undermine employment and stability, then tailor interventions and supports accordingly. This approach is consistent with risk-need-responsivity principles in corrections, where services are matched to the individual's assessed needs and delivered in ways that fit their learning styles and circumstances.
From an administrative standpoint, the award is structured as a single cooperative agreement, which typically indicates substantial federal involvement in project direction, collaboration, deliverable review, and coordination during the period of performance. The opportunity lists an award ceiling of $1,000,000 and anticipates one award. It was created on June 16, 2023, with an original closing date of July 31, 2023. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others" with additional eligibility details referenced in the full announcement, and the intended partners and stakeholders described in the narrative include tribal, local, and state correctional agencies as well as the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Overall, the grant is aimed at building a trained facilitator capacity that can be deployed across correctional and reentry settings to improve employment retention, reduce criminogenic risk, and support long-term successful reentry.Apply for 23JD12
- The Department of Justice, National Institute of Corrections in the other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Evidence-Based Workforce Development – Facilitator Training" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.601.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jun 16, 2023.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 31, 2023. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title of this funding opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Evidence-Based Workforce Development - Facilitator Training".
Which federal agency is offering this opportunity?
The opportunity is offered by the National Institute of Corrections (NIC), within the U.S. Department of Justice.
What type of award is being offered?
This funding is offered as a cooperative agreement. This typically means there is substantial federal involvement during the project, such as collaboration on direction, coordination, and review of deliverables during the period of performance.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is 23JD12.
What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed is 16.601.
What is the main purpose of the project?
The central purpose is to strengthen reentry outcomes for justice-involved adults by expanding the field's capacity to deliver research-informed workforce development programming, primarily through structured facilitator training.
How does NIC define "post-release success" in this opportunity?
NIC describes post-release success as two connected outcomes: (1) sustaining a prosocial lifestyle and (2) maintaining steady attachment to the workforce after release from incarceration or community supervision.
Why is workforce development tied to public safety and recidivism in this program?
The opportunity frames employment-related supports as part of a broader reentry strategy that can promote public safety and contribute to reduced recidivism, especially when programming is evidence-based and delivered with fidelity.
What does NIC emphasize about evidence-based practices in this opportunity?
NIC emphasizes that practitioners should be able to identify criminogenic risks and needs and build services and programming that directly respond to those risk/need areas, consistent with evidence-based corrections and reentry approaches.
What kinds of practitioner competencies does this project aim to strengthen?
The project is oriented toward strengthening staff competencies aligned with proven reentry approaches, including cognitive-behavioral interventions, motivational interviewing, effective case management, and use of validated risk assessments.
What is the role of "fidelity" in this opportunity?
A key underlying idea is that trained and qualified practitioners are more likely to deliver interventions with fidelity, meaning approaches are implemented as intended, targeted to the right factors, and more likely to produce durable behavior and employment-related improvements.
What curriculum is at the center of the training effort?
The project focuses on NIC's Evidence-Based Workforce Development Training curriculum, originally developed in 2010.
Are updates to the curriculum expected?
Yes. The description notes minor updates anticipated around September 2023.
What is the training designed to help facilitators do with participants?
The training is designed to equip facilitators and practitioners with knowledge and skills to help justice-involved adults examine and reshape values, thoughts, and feelings that influence decision-making, lifestyle choices, and work behaviors.
How does the curriculum approach employment differently than job placement alone?
The curriculum does not treat employment as only a job placement issue. It emphasizes the cognitive and behavioral elements that affect whether someone can obtain work, keep it, and navigate common barriers after justice involvement.
What does NIC mean by "gainful attachment to the workforce"?
In this opportunity, "gainful attachment to the workforce" refers to employment that is stable enough to serve as a meaningful anchor for reentry and long-term desistance, not just short-term job placement.
What assessment or tool is included in the training?
The training includes instruction on administering the Employment Retention Inventory.
What is the purpose of the Employment Retention Inventory?
It is described as a case management tool intended to identify criminogenic risks that contribute both to recidivism and to job loss.
How does this opportunity describe the intended case planning approach?
By pairing facilitator training with a structured assessment tool, the opportunity signals a preference for systematic, data-informed case planning: assess factors most likely to undermine employment and stability, then tailor interventions and supports accordingly.
How does this align with risk-need-responsivity principles?
The description ties the approach to risk-need-responsivity principles: services should be matched to assessed needs and delivered in ways that fit an individual's learning styles and circumstances.
What is the maximum funding amount for this opportunity?
The award ceiling listed is $1,000,000.
How many awards does NIC anticipate making?
The opportunity anticipates one award.
When was this opportunity created?
The opportunity was created on June 16, 2023.
What was the original closing date for applications?
The original closing date listed is July 31, 2023.
Who is eligible to apply based on the listing?
Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others", with additional eligibility details referenced in the full announcement.
Which partners or stakeholders are mentioned as relevant to this work?
The narrative describes intended partners and stakeholders that include tribal, local, and state correctional agencies as well as the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
What kinds of settings is the trained facilitator capacity meant to support?
The grant is aimed at building facilitator capacity that can be deployed across correctional and reentry settings to improve employment retention, reduce criminogenic risk, and support long-term successful reentry.
What outcomes is the project trying to influence?
Based on the description, the project aims to improve employment retention and workforce attachment, support prosocial living, reduce criminogenic risk, and contribute to lower recidivism and improved public safety.
What is the overall strategy NIC is funding through this cooperative agreement?
The strategy is to invest in structured facilitator training using NIC's evidence-based curriculum and a related assessment tool, strengthening staff capability to deliver programming that targets criminogenic factors related to both criminal behavior and employment instability.
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