Request for Proposal: Reset Jefferson County Office of the District Attorney - Birmingham Division

Request for Proposal: Reset Jefferson County Office of the District Attorney – Birmingham Division

Statement of Purpose:
Reset Jefferson County is seeking community-based program providers to conduct four-hour restorative justice workshops for young adults in Jefferson County who have been arrested for Class D Felonies.

Organization Background:
Reset Jefferson County is a pilot program under Danny Carr, Jefferson County District Attorney – Birmingham Division in partnership with Alabama Appleseed Center for Law and Justice and funded by the Instruments of Hope Unity Fund at the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham. Reset Jefferson County diverts people out of jails and prisons with a proportionate, effective, and meaningful response to low-level offending by completing community-based program requirements. The approach used holds people accountable for their actions, strengthens public trust in the justice system, and creates opportunities for young, low-level offenders to move forward without the life-altering punishment of a felony conviction and financial burden of court or program costs.

Once a participant has successfully completed the program, the District Attorney’s Office will decline to prosecute them, and they won’t have to appear in court. Participants who do not complete programming are sent back to the court system.

Project Features:
Reset Jefferson County program providers will:

  • Develop engaging curriculum appropriate for young adults for four-hour workshops with the goals to:
    • Guide conversations where young people can express themselves and be provided tools to make better decisions in the future and set goals for themselves
    • Create a welcoming, non-judgmental space where communication is encouraged for participants, especially concerning issues they may be having that might affect their decision-making and what led to their arrest
    • Educate participants on developing healthy outlets for dealing with the problems they face and subsequent emotions
    • Incorporate empathy and listening exercises to help participants understand how decision-making impacts them personally, their families, friends, and community
    • Use creativity, such as art, music, writing, drama, and storytelling to encourage participation
  • Commit to leading workshops a minimum of once every six weeks, likely on some weekends and/or evenings
  • Modify curriculum as needed depending on the needs and characteristics of the workshop participants

Contract Details:
The selected program provider will be required to commit to one scheduled workshop every six weeks. Programming will commence in June of 2022, and workshops will occur at least once every six weeks through November 30, 2022, for a total of five workshops in 2022. The workshops shall accommodate participants’ schedules, will occur on evenings and/or weekends, and may be subject to change depending on the availability of the participants. The provider will have flexibility to schedule workshops within these parameters. Space will be provided at a location conducive to the goals of this program within Birmingham by Reset Jefferson County. Programming will not be provided at the courthouse.

Funding of up to $7,500 is available. The providers will be paid per workshop.

Funding permitted, there will be an option for renewal of this contract in 2023.

The Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. It is the policy of our office to provide equal employment opportunities to qualified applicants and/or employees without regard to race, gender, age, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

How to Submit a Proposal:
Please submit the following and any questions you may have no later than May 6, 2022 via email to Natalie Campbell, 
campbelln@jccal.org.

  1.  A technical approach which describes how you will conduct the workshop within the goals outlined above
  2.  A brief summary of your recent and relevant projects and how you believe your personal and/or professional history can positively impact participants
  3. Existing written curriculum from similar programs or workshops you have conducted
  4. An estimate of fees/rates to be charged for services provided
  5. Resumes of all involved in your proposed approach if applicable

The provider selected for the 2022 programming will be informed no later than May 20, 2022.