The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office has committed to investing $250 million through its Criminal Justice Investment Initiative (CJII) to support impactful projects that improve public safety and promote a fair and efficient criminal justice system in New York City. The City University of New York’s Institute for State and Local Governance (ISLG) manages CJII on behalf of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.

As part of CJII, ISLG was seeking proposals from educational institutions to provide college-level classes in prisons operated by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS). The goals of this initiative are to

1. increase the availability of educational programming to inmates in select New York State prisons;
2. develop standards for prison education curricula and develop articulation and transfer agreements so that credits may be efficiently transferred across institutions to enable students to complete their degrees; and
3. develop reentry support plans for participants.

A separate evaluation of this initiative will examine the program’s impact on students’ reentry and recidivism for up to three years post-release. The evaluation will also examine cost savings to the state.

By supporting in-prison education, the development of model standards, reentry support, and program evaluation, the College-in-Prison Reentry Initiative may inform future policy and funding choices regarding education reentry programs in New York State and nationwide.

Documents

• CJII RFP College in Prison Reentry Initiative 02-11-16_REVISED.pdf
• ADDENDUM 1 Applicant Questions_Answers_FINAL.pdf
• ADDENDUM 2 College in Prison sample budget_FINAL.xlsx
• ADDENDUM 3 Applicant Questions_Answers_Round2_FINAL.pdf

Deadlines

• The deadline to submit questions was February 26, 2016.
• The deadline to submit proposals was March 31, 2016.

Background

ISLG is the technical assistance consultant to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office for CJII. ISLG manages CJII on behalf of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, including managing the solicitation and contracting process, providing guidance to award recipients, and providing oversight and performance measurement throughout the lifetime of CJII. Proposals will be submitted and funds awarded through the Research Foundation of CUNY (Research Foundation).

Last updated August 4, 2017