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CORE TLC - Request for Information: RRC and HC in Atlanta GA Notice ID: 15BRRC22R00000359 Page 1 of 6

Notice ID: 15BRRC22R00000359 Page 2 of 6

May 31, 2022

Contracting Officer Melanie Kynard Federal Bureau of Prisons 320 First Street NW Washington, DC 20534

Via email to mKynard@bop.gov

Re: Request for Information for Residential Reentry Services within the Atlanta, GA, area within DeKalb and Fulton Counties.

Notice ID: 15BRRC22R00000359

CORE Transitional Living Communities, LLC (“CORE TLC”), is pleased to respond to the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ Request for Information about the feasibility to operate a Residential Reentry Center (RRC) for 165 In-House male and female offenders, 83 offenders on Home Confinement within 100 miles of the RRC in Atlanta, GA, within DeKalb and Fulton Counties.

1. Please describe your experience in providing RRC and Home Confinement services, to include monitoring of these types of programs?

CORE TLC and its affiliates, CORE Services Group, Inc. (“CORE”), and CORE DC, LLC, a Washington DC Certified Business Entity, both have successfully developed, implemented, and operate Bureau of Prisons funded halfway houses and home confinement programs. CORE was initially awarded the contract to operate the Brooklyn House Residential Reentry Center (Brooklyn House), located at 104 Gold Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201 in 2012 for both In-House and Home Confinement clients (men and women) transitioning back to their communities in the Eastern District of New York. The contract was recently re-awarded in 2020. Brooklyn House is an American Correctional Association accredited residential reentry program, having achieved 100% compliance on 240 out of 240 applicable standards.

CORE DC operates a Home Confinement Program with Electronic Monitoring (HCEMP) program for 150 federal offenders returning to the District and surrounding areas. Following a highly competitive bidding process, CORE DC was awarded the BOP contract to operate the RRC in Washington DC and surrounding areas for up to 300 males In House, and 150 on Home Confinement. The building for the Washington DC RRC is under construction with an anticipated opening date later in 2022. In addition to the BOP programs, CORE DC also operates three Short Term Family Housing shelters, a Rapid Rehousing program for individuals transitioning out of shelter to permanent housing and a Permanent Supportive Housing program for individuals who have recently exited shelter.

CORE TLC’s mission is to break barriers, build bridges and change the lives of our clients by empowering individuals, families, and communities to access and maintain employment, gain independence, and live satisfying and productive lives in communities in which they become responsible and productive citizens. CORE’s reentry programming focuses on the operation of a safe mailto:mKynard@bop.gov

Notice ID: 15BRRC22R00000359 Page 3 of 6 and secure facility that maintains strict adherence to contractual requirements, while maintaining comprehensive and effective offender accountability. CORE achieves these goals by enabling clients to achieve outcomes that matter, garnering community support and employing and training a top-notch professional staff. CORE programming emphasizes excellence in:

• Contract compliance—Maintaining high standards and achieving Statement of Work adherence are essential to effective operations. CORE’s active quality control/continuous quality improvement (CQI) program helps ensure compliance at both the individual program and corporate levels.

• Resident accountability: CORE’s first goal is to offer the BOP and the host community in which the RRC is located with a comprehensive resident accountability/security program, that ensures the safety and security of every resident, the protection of staff and the ongoing surrounding community.

• Client outcomes: Comprehensive assessment of each client’s needs and strengths, combined with individualized reentry planning is key to the RRC’s efforts to ensure successful transitions to the community. CORE strives to empower individuals returning from incarceration by offering critical supports, including life skills, transitional skills, aftercare counseling, cognitive behavioral therapy, employment readiness and counseling, transportation assistance and case management.

• Community support: The communities that host CORE programs have responded to CORE’s RRC programs with civic pride and an appreciation for the efforts made by residents who take an active and pro-social interest in the community. CORE works closely with the local stakeholders to help community members understand the RRC model and provide assurance about the security and accountability of the RRC program. CORE’s residents contribute time and effort to community projects, i.e., community gardens, that improve the quality of life.

• Competent professional workforce: CORE recruits and retains qualified, competent community reentry staff members because it provides: livable-wage salaries for all staff;

competitive benefits; professional supervision to direct service staff; and high-quality in-service training.

2. Are there any state or local ordinances/restrictions that would prohibit or that would considerably slow down the procurement process for these services?

CORE TLC is not aware of any state or local ordinances or restrictions that would prohibit or considerably impede the procurement process for the RRC and HC services in Atlanta, GA, within DeKalb and Fulton Counties.

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3. Are there any known local area concerns in relation to providing these services? Do you think the area would be supportive of a BOP RRC program? Are there any known groups or organizations that would oppose the operation of a residential (halfway) house in this area?

CORE TLC is not aware of any groups or organizations that would oppose the operation of an RRC and HC program in Atlanta, GA, within DeKalb and Fulton Counties. While local area concerns may vary depending on the location of the RRC, CORE TLC is not aware of any specific local areas concerns in relation to providing the RRC and HC services in Atlanta, GA, within DeKalb and Fulton Counties.

4. Do you feel that it would be difficult to find a suitable location for an RRC in this area? If so, explain in detail why it would be difficult and provide supporting documentation.

CORE TLC does not anticipate that finding a suitable location for an RRC in Atlanta, GA, within DeKalb and Fulton Counties would be more difficult than finding a location in any other jurisdiction. CORE and CORE DC have successfully identified suitable locations in the DUMBO section of Brooklyn, NY and in Ward 7 in the District of Columbia, both areas were undergoing a period of renewal and gentrification at the time the BOP programs were sited.

5. What zoning issues, if any, do you anticipate with this requirement? What would have to be done to overcome any identified issues?

A special use permit may be required in areas where a RRC (or as designated in Zoning within Regulations for DeKalb and Fulton Counties) is not a use as of matter of right. The Zoning Review Board hears applications for special use permit. Another challenge, although not insurmountable, would be the cost of real estate and any associated hard and soft costs to renovate an existing building or space, or to construct the facility from the ground up. The recent backlog to obtain construction materials because of supply chain issues may delay any construction project but proper planning will mitigate the risk of extraordinary delays.

6. Is local or public transportation available in this area? If not, is there an alternative method of transportation for inmates to get to and from work or get to and from their programming appointments?

There are several modes of public transportation in Atlanta including bus, trains, and shuttle) -- Atlanta Streetcar: The Atlanta Streetcar is a 2.7 mile loop that provides last mile connectivity from Centennial Olympic Park to the King Historic District in Downtown Atlanta; The Buc: Fast, frequent, free shuttle service in Buckhead; Xpress: Regional express bus serving Cobb, Gwinnett, Downtown, Midtown, Buckhead, and Perimeter Circle; CobbLinc: Bus servicing Cobb, Downtown, and Midtown; and Gwinnett County Transit: Bus serving Gwinnett, Downtown, and Midtown.

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7. Is the location conducive of the BOP RRC requirement for inmates to find jobs within thirty (30) days of placement?

CORE TLC believes that the RRC residents will be able to find employment in Atlanta, GA, within DeKalb and Fulton Counties within 30 days of placement at the RRC. As explained in the answer to question 9, there are certain restrictions on where a registered sex offender can work, depending on the law in place at the time of the conviction.

8. Are there unique laws or regulations applicable to RRC and/or Home

Confinement services in the area identified for this requirement? If so, what are they?

CORE TLC is not aware of any unique laws or regulations applicable to an RRC and Home Confinement services in Atlanta, GA, within DeKalb and Fulton Counties.

9. Are there any laws or ordinances precluding the housing of certain types of inmates (e.g. sex offenders), that may affect a procurement of this type? If yes, please provide a copy of the law and/or ordinance. Also, if yes, what, if anything, can the Bureau do to help offerors address those laws or ordinances through the procurement process?

CORE TLC is not aware of any laws or ordinances that would preclude a sex offender from living in an RRC. Georgia law imposes certain restrictions that apply to a convicted sex offender, which are based on the legal restrictions in place at the time of the offense. For example, if the offense was committed between June 4, 2003 to June 30, 2006, the sex offender may not live or work within 1000 feet of a childcare facility, church, school, public park, private park, recreation facility, playground, skating rink, neighborhood center, gymnasium, school bus stop, or public or community swimming pool. These restrictions do not apply if the offense was committed before June 4, 2003.

See e.g., O.C.G.A. §§ 42-1-12, et seq.

10. Are there any known environmental issues/concerns with this type of procurement?

CORE TLC is not aware of any environmental issues that would impact an RRC procurement in Atlanta, GA, within DeKalb and Fulton Counties.

11. Please provide any additional comments that may be helpful in assessing this method of procurement.

CORE takes its responsibilities to its funders, clients, and the communities we serve very seriously.

Our executive staff has an outstanding record of working with community leaders and other stakeholders to address their needs and concerns. We welcome the opportunity to bring our services to in Atlanta, GA, within DeKalb and Fulton Counties in partnership with the BOP.

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