Opportunity Information: Apply for 23CS15
The SDMF Site Implementation and Outcome Study is a National Institute of Corrections (NIC), U.S. Department of Justice funding opportunity focused on improving how parole release decisions are made and studying what happens when more structured, transparent decision-making approaches are put into practice. The opportunity is grounded in the idea that parole (also called discretionary release) has been a central feature of U.S. corrections for more than a century, and that release decisions directly affect public safety because they determine who returns to the community under conditions that typically include avoiding new criminal behavior. With prison overcrowding contributing to heavier reliance on parole supervision in many states, NIC is emphasizing the need for parole decision processes that are consistent, defensible, and clear to stakeholders.
A major theme in the opportunity is that parole release rules and practices vary widely because the legal framework is largely shaped at the state level. The description references the Supreme Court decision in Greenholtz v. Inmates of the Nebraska Penal and Correctional Complex (1979), which held that incarcerated people generally do not have a federally protected "liberty interest" in parole unless state law creates one. In practical terms, that means parole decision-making authority and standards are typically defined through state legislation, courts, and parole boards themselves. Because of that variation, NIC points to a growing interest among parole boards in adopting foundational principles and increasing transparency about how release decisions are reached and what criteria are used.
The grant also highlights how parole decision-making models have evolved over time. Historically, many boards relied on unstructured judgment, where decisions could be influenced by personal experience and subjective impressions that were not consistently articulated. More recently, as corrections has moved toward evidence-based practices, many jurisdictions have adopted more structured approaches. These include decision matrices that combine offense severity and reoffending risk (often using actuarial risk tools) to generate a presumptive decision, as well as structured professional judgment guidelines that assign ratings to evidence-based factors and calculate an overall score. Today, NIC notes that many paroling authorities use some mix of these approaches rather than relying on a single model.
The purpose of the SDMF Site Implementation and Outcome Study is to support implementation work at a site (or sites) and to evaluate outcomes, helping build the research base on what decision models look like in practice and how they perform. The problem NIC is trying to address is the limited amount of rigorous research on parole boards and the full scope of their decision-making processes. By funding a focused implementation-and-outcomes study, NIC is aiming to generate practical knowledge that can guide future improvements, strengthen consistency and transparency, and support more effective parole release practices across jurisdictions.
Key administrative details from the posting include that it is a cooperative agreement (meaning NIC expects to be actively involved with the recipient during the project), with an award ceiling of $100,000 and an expectation of one award. The opportunity number is 23CS15, CFDA 16.602, and it was published March 14, 2023 with an original closing date of May 15, 2023. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," indicating that applicants may extend beyond standard government entities, but the specific eligible categories would be defined in the full announcement’s eligibility section.Apply for 23CS15
- 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 "SDMF Site Implementation and Outcome Study" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.602.
- This funding opportunity was created on Mar 14, 2023.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 15, 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 $100,000.00 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)
1) What is the SDMF Site Implementation and Outcome Study?
The SDMF Site Implementation and Outcome Study is a National Institute of Corrections (NIC), U.S. Department of Justice funding opportunity that supports implementing a structured, transparent parole release decision-making approach at a site (or sites) and evaluating the outcomes. It is designed to strengthen what is known about how parole decision models operate in real-world settings and how they perform once put into practice.
2) Who is offering and administering this funding opportunity?
The opportunity is offered by the National Institute of Corrections (NIC), which is part of the U.S. Department of Justice.
3) What is the main goal of this grant?
The main goal is to improve how parole release decisions are made and to study what happens when more structured and transparent decision-making approaches are implemented. The project is intended to generate practical knowledge that can guide future improvements and support consistency and transparency in parole release practices.
4) Why is NIC focusing on parole decision-making?
NIC emphasizes that parole (discretionary release) has been a central feature of U.S. corrections for more than a century and that release decisions directly affect public safety because they determine who returns to the community under conditions that typically include avoiding new criminal behavior. The opportunity also notes that prison overcrowding has contributed to heavier reliance on parole supervision in many states, increasing the need for decision processes that are consistent, defensible, and clear to stakeholders.
5) What problem is NIC trying to address with this study?
The posting highlights limited rigorous research on parole boards and the full scope of their decision-making processes. By funding a focused implementation-and-outcomes study, NIC aims to build the research base on what decision models look like in practice and how they perform.
6) What types of decision-making approaches are referenced in the opportunity?
The opportunity describes a shift from historically unstructured judgment (often influenced by personal experience and subjective impressions that were not consistently articulated) toward more structured, evidence-based approaches. Examples mentioned include decision matrices combining offense severity and reoffending risk (often using actuarial risk tools) to produce a presumptive decision, and structured professional judgment guidelines that rate evidence-based factors and calculate an overall score. NIC notes that many paroling authorities use a mix of these approaches today.
7) Why do parole release rules and practices vary across the United States?
The grant description emphasizes that the legal framework for parole is largely shaped at the state level. As a result, parole decision-making authority and standards are typically defined through state legislation, courts, and parole boards themselves, leading to wide variation across jurisdictions.
8) What does Greenholtz v. Inmates of the Nebraska Penal and Correctional Complex (1979) have to do with parole?
The opportunity references this Supreme Court decision as a key legal point: incarcerated people generally do not have a federally protected "liberty interest" in parole unless state law creates one. In practical terms, this reinforces that parole standards and decision-making authority are often determined by state-specific legal and administrative structures.
9) What is the expected project focus: implementation, evaluation, or both?
Both. The purpose is to support implementation work at a site (or sites) and to evaluate outcomes, helping clarify how structured decision models function in practice and what results follow their adoption.
10) What kind of award mechanism is this?
This opportunity is a cooperative agreement, which means NIC expects to be actively involved with the recipient during the project.
11) What is the maximum funding amount available?
The award ceiling listed in the posting is $100,000.
12) How many awards does NIC expect to make?
The posting indicates an expectation of one award.
13) What is the opportunity number for this funding announcement?
The opportunity number is 23CS15.
14) What CFDA number is associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed is 16.602.
15) When was the opportunity published, and what was the original closing date?
The posting was published on March 14, 2023, with an original closing date of May 15, 2023.
16) Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," which suggests applicants may extend beyond standard government entities. The posting also indicates that the specific eligible categories would be defined in the full announcement's eligibility section.
17) Does this opportunity require transparency in how parole decisions are made?
Transparency is a major theme in the opportunity. NIC points to growing interest among parole boards in adopting foundational principles and increasing transparency about how release decisions are reached and what criteria are used, and the grant is positioned to support implementation of structured, transparent approaches along with an outcomes evaluation.
18) What is the broader context motivating this work?
The opportunity frames parole as a long-standing and central corrections practice that affects public safety and community outcomes. It also highlights that, with prison overcrowding and increased reliance on parole supervision in many states, decision-making processes need to be consistent, defensible, and understandable to stakeholders.
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