Islamic SOW 2024.pdf

STATEMENT OF WORK – ISLAMIC SPIRITUAL GUIDE

SUBJECT:

The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), Field Acquisition Office, intends to make a single award for the provision of Life Connections Program (LCP) Islamic Spiritual Guide services for the Adults in Custody (AIC) at the United States Penitentiary (USP) , Terre Haute, Indiana.

Responsible parties will provide religious instruction and leadership for Islamic incarcerated AICs participating in the Bureau of Prisons Residential Life Connections Pre-release Program.

The proposed contract resulting from this solicitation is for one base year and includes the possibility of four unilaterally exercised option years. The Government is not obligated to exercise any of the option years.

SERVICE TO BE PERFORMED:

The contractor will provide instruction as it relates to the LCP core curriculum materials based on her or his expertise as a leader in an Islamic religious community. The contractor will work closely with the LCP Chaplain, who is also the COR, and other program staff to assist in the continued development of the program. The contractor will be knowledgeable of program goals, expectations, and schedules. Consultations will be held with LCP Chaplain as needed.

Regular meetings and trainings with the LCP team will be required. Since this is a multi-faith program, the contractor will be expected to foster relationships with students from a broad variety of religious communities including but not limited to Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Jewish, Pagan, Buddhist, etc.

The Islamic Spiritual Guide will be required to coordinate various program components, facilitating group meetings/classes, workshops, seminars and other programming needs including-but not limited to:

• Provide leadership for Islamic Spiritual Guide groups of the LCP.

• Develop and implement lesson plans based on the core LCP curriculum for persons of the Islamic faith.

• Instruction will be more of a workshop format than lectures.

• Lesson plans will be submitted in advance. Lesson plans will be updated regularly.

• Although the instruction will follow the tenants of his or her religious group, the contractor will work with students who follow other interpretations of Islam, including but not limited to Sunni, Shia, Sufi, Nation of Islam, and Moorish Science Temple of America. Instruction should focus on the central, shared tenets of the religion, and must relate back to the core LCP curriculum.

• Facilitate study groups and educational classes.

• Assist with the development and facilitation of workshops and seminars based on topics related to the core curriculum. These workshops and seminars will be attended by persons of various faith groups.

• Assess student progress and maintain records of student participation and progress with regard to the above classes. Create reports of student progress and behavior, and provide these reports to the LCP Chaplain.

• The contract Imam will lead prayers and will provide counsel from the Islamic theological perspective.

General Topics

To assist offenders in the development of a gracious, spiritual mindset and provide them tools to prepare for transition from incarceration to freedom, the Spiritual Guide will accomplish the following objectives:

· Emphasize the importance of developing & maintaining relationships as they return back to society.

· Guide them to deepen their faith, utilizing the spiritual practices of their tradition as a foundation.

· Encourage spiritual transformation as the starting point for wellness and successful reentry.

· Provide tools to help them respond constructively to their fears which activate anger trigger points.

· Help them manage their emotions and sharpen their growth in maturity upon returning to society.

· Implement a spiritual formation curriculum for participants to support a sustainable emotional health and physical wellness.

· In place of self-reliance, nurture a concern for others and the community. Deepen understanding of the importance of social values, integrity and the practical application of responsibility and accountability through Community Service.

· To minister, teach and share faith with diverse traditions.

· Evaluate participants' performance based upon how well they receive information and application.

Education and Experience The individual/organization providing Islamic Spiritual Guide Services under contract award must possess an ordination certificate or like document showing they are a recognized clergy or spiritual leader in good standing with their faith community.

The contractor must have a minimum of three years of documented, continuous full-time experience as a minister with their faith community.

The contractor must, at a minimum, possess a Master’s degree, or be enrolled in a Master’s degree program, in some form of with a major in Islamic Studies, religious studies, religious education, philosophy, human sciences or other related curriculum.

Experience working in a correctional setting is preferred.

Quoters must specifically identify the individual that will be performing these services under any subsequent contract award. The quoter must provide proof that their candidate meets all qualifications. The candidate’s name and qualifications must be submitted at the time the quote is submitted. Contractors must submit with their quote a resume, and photocopies of documents evidencing education and training.

Quoters responding to this solicitation must complete and submit with their quote the attached form, “Credentials of Religious Services Contractor.” Quoters should submit two personal references and one letter of endorsement from their local religious organization. After review of these document by Bureau of Prisons staff, vendors may be requested to submit additional documents for review. Vendors failing to submit any of the required documents will be removed from further consideration for award.

Additionally, the candidate must meet the following criteria:

· Be a United States Citizen.

· Have resided in the United States.

· Be current on all debt repayment.

· Be able to pass a criminal and financial background check.

PLACEMENT OF PERFORMANCE:

The services to be provided will be accomplished at:

United States Penitentiary 4700 Bureau Road South Terre Haute, Indiana 47808

SCHEDULE:

A session is defined as one hour. The contractor will normally provide six sessions per day, up to 30 sessions each week (1,440 sessions each fiscal year) of instruction and counseling in conjunction with the core curriculum topics. Work hours will normally be Monday-Friday, excluding Federal Holidays, between 7:30 a.m. and 8:30 p.m., with a 30-minute unpaid lunch break. The schedule will include evening hours, and may include weekends based on program needs. The schedule may include up to 12 hours worked outside of the institution, to be determined and adjusted based on program needs. The breakdown of hours will be determined locally based on program needs, and may be adjusted based on program and institution needs. Once the schedule has been agreed upon, any changes to the schedule must be coordinated with the LCP Chaplain.

Due to the nature of the correctional setting, delays in performance of work may be experienced.

Such delays may include but are not limited to inclement weather, electrical or mechanical problems, or other security matters. When contract employees report to the institution but are unable to perform services due to such delays, the contractor will be paid for one session.

Normally, any remaining sessions for that day will be suspended and the contractor will be free to leave and the contractor will not be paid for the remaining unperformed sessions. However, if the institution requests that the contractor remain at the institution for eventual performance, the contractor shall be paid for such sessions. In the event of any absence, the contractor may make up his/her time so long as it does not exceed 30 hours in any given week. If the contractor fails to provide coverage, the Government may seek contractual remedy.

SUPPLIES:

All supplies that the contractor may routinely need will be provided by the United States Penitentiary, Terre Haute, Indiana. These supplies will normally include any materials needed to perform the services covered under this contract.

METHOD OF INSTRUCTION:

Selected contractor will provide religious instruction based on their own expertise as it relates to the LCP core curriculum materials. The contractor will work closely with the LCP Chaplain and other program staff to assist in the development of the program and to gauge the progress of individual participants. Consultations will be held with LCP Chaplain as needed. Although the instruction will follow the tenants of orthodox Islam, the contractor may work with participants who follow other interpretations of Islam.

MANAGEMENT:

The contractor will be monitored by the LCP Chaplain. The contractor shall attend all training Required by the Bureau of Prisons for contract workers. The contractor will not be permitted to attend institution meetings, staff recalls, or government training sessions for institution staff on contract time or as a consideration of the contract.

The contractor may attend team meetings, departmental meetings, or other meetings relating to the involvement of the services to be provided by terms of the contract. Some meetings will be required and accomplished on contract time.

The contractor will provide a monthly billing statement to the contract monitor that accurately reflects the days of each visit, the number of hours or sessions of each visit, the general content of the sessions, and the total dollar amount due for that months services.

Attire The contractor is expected to wear professional clothing while on duty. The attire worn shall also be appropriate for the correctional environment in which the contract employee will be performing.

Non-Personal Services/Common Law Employee Information The service is a contractual arrangement and not a personnel appointment. Payment is based on the provision of an end product or the accomplishment of a specific result. The service does not constitute an employer/employee relationship. The contractor will not be subject to Government supervision, except for security related matters. However, contractor performance shall be monitored.

If the resulting contract is made to an individual(s), the provision of these services has been determined to meet certain criteria for creating common law employee relationship. Therefore, the BOP is responsible for the payment of FICA taxes (7.65%) and the withholding of the individual’s taxes. These responsibilities apply only when award of this solicitation is made to an individual.

It does not apply to companies or individuals who are incorporated. For evaluation purposes, an additional 7.65% will be added to the price submitted by individuals who are not incorporated.

INSTITUTION SECURITY:

Contractor will adhere to all regulations prescribed by the institution for the safety, conduct and custody of AICs. The contractor shall attend an orientation program prior to assuming their full duties within the institution. The contract employee will be required to sign in and out of the institution for accountability purposes. A badge will be issued and worn at all times for proper identification. The contractor’s performance will be monitored by the COR.

AIC Management Provision of services will require frequent and unsupervised contact with AICs. The contract employee shall not be responsible for the management of any AICs, other than to ensure AICs involved within the contract’s scope of work abide by all rules to ensure their safety and well-being. The successful contractor shall attend the Institution Familiarization Orientation program prior to assuming institution involvement. Reimbursement to the contractor for the time spent in the institution orientation or other specific security related training will be at the contract rate, prorated hourly. The contractor may, at any time, be removed from the institution at the discretion of the CEO. The contractor is to constantly be aware of security and maintain a professional relationship with AICs at all times. Any violation of the institution rules and regulations are to be brought immediately to the attention of any Government employee employed at the institution.

The contractor will be required to provide documentation to the COR, or designee, of any infractions of institutional rules and regulations by AICs for proper action.