Statement of Work Gen Christian Spiritual Guide.pdf

Life Connections Program General Christian Spiritual Guide

STATEMENT OF WORK

A. BACKGROUND:

In September 2000, the Executive Staff of the Federal Bureau of Prisons approved a concept which would initiate a pilot program of multi-faith Residential Faith-based Pre-release Program, the Life Connections Program. This is a voluntary program which will initially be located in five institutions in various regions of the country. The program will be available to male inmates.

The program provides inmates with intensive opportunities for spiritual growth and deepening their religious roots by sharing common space and programs for the purpose of personal transformation and reducing recidivism. Inmates will participate in religion specific and inter-faith program components designed to bring restoration with God, family, community, and self. The program’s design will increase religious tolerance and respect among inmates of various faiths; will connect each inmate with a spiritual mentor; and will link participants with a faith community at their release destination in order to enhance community reintegration. Another component of the program will initiate specific Victim Impact programs to assist inmates in claiming responsibility for their actions and making amends with victims, family, and community.

The program will enlist partnerships with individuals and organizations in its efforts to lower recidivism and facilitate spiritual growth and personal change.

Volunteers, contractors, mentors, sponsoring religious congregations and organizations are all essential partners in the program.

The goal of the Bureau of Prisons Life Connections Program is to provide inmates living in a shared living space with intensive opportunities for holistic life restoration for the purpose of reducing recidivism and enhancing prison management.

B. SUBJECT:

Acquisition of a General Christian Spiritual Guide who will provide spiritual guidance and religious instruction for Protestant inmates participating in the Bureau of Prisons Life Connections Program at the United States Penitentiary, Terre Haute, Indiana.

The Government intends to make a single award of a firm-fixed price contract. The proposed contract resulting from this solicitation is for a base year, and includes the possibility of four (4) unilaterally exercised option years, for a possible five (5) year contract. The Government is not obligated to exercise any of the option years. The base year period of performance will be from May 1, 2023 through April 30, 2024.

C. SERVICE TO BE PERFORMED:

The contractor will provide instruction as it relates to the Life Connections Program core curriculum materials based on her or his expertise as a leader in the Protestant religious community. The contractor will work closely with the Life Connections Program Chaplain 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 Life Connections Program 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 Protestant, Catholic, Muslim, Jewish, Pagan, Buddhist, etc.

The General Christian 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 Christian Spiritual Guide groups of the LCP.

• Develop and implement lesson plans based on the core LCP curriculum for persons of the Christian faith. Lesson plans will be updated regularly.

Although the instruction will follow the tenants of Protestant teaching, the contractor will work with students who follow other interpretations of Christianity.

• 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.

Education and Experience o The individual/organization providing General Christian 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.

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

o The contractor must, at a minimum, possess a Master’s degree, or be enrolled in a Master’s degree program, in some form of religious studies from an accredited college or university.

o Experience working in a correctional setting is preferred.

o 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.

o 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 documents 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.

D. PLACEMENT OF PERFORMANCE:

The services to be provided will be accomplished at:

United States Penitentiary 4700 Bureau Road South Terre Haute, Indiana 47802

The Life Connection Program Unit (C-1), ordinarily The USP Chapel, Visiting Room, or other program spaces, occasionally

E. 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 per 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.

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.

F. 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.

G. METHOD OF INSTRUCTION:

Selected contractor will provide religious instruction based on their own expertise as it relates to the Life Connections Program core curriculum materials. The contractor will work closely with the Life Connections Program 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 Life Connections Program Chaplain as needed. Although the instruction will follow the tenants of Protestant teaching, the contractor may work with participants who follow other interpretations of Christianity.

H. MANAGEMENT:

The contractor will be monitored by the Life Connections Program 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.

I. INSTITUTION SECURITY:

Contractor will adhere to all regulations prescribed by the institution for the safety, conduct and custody of inmates. 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.

Inmate Management

Provision of services will require frequent and unsupervised contact with inmates.

The contract employee shall not be responsible for the management of any inmates, other than to ensure inmates 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 inmates 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 inmates for proper action.

J. GENERAL TOPICS FOR PROTESTANT CONTRACTORS

1. Prayer

2. Advent (John The Baptist, Preparation Sermons and Jesus’ Birth, etc.)

3. Thanksgiving

4. Discipleship

5. Faithfulness

6. Lenten Themes (Jesus making his way to Jerusalem to include the Arrest, Trial, Crucifixion, Death and Resurrection)

7. Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount

8. The Feeding of the Five Thousand

9. Paul’s Conversion

10. Paul’s Letters

11. Mary and Martha

12. Lazarus Raised from the Dead

13. Belief and Salvation

14. The Parable of the Lost Sheep

15. The Arrest of Jesus

16. Jesus’ Trial

17. Parable of the Sower

18. Parable of the Prodigal Son

19. The Healing of the Ten Lepers

20. The Widow’s Mite

21. Healing of the Blind Man

22. The Parable of the Rich Young Ruler

23. The Stoning of Stephen

24. The Pentecost

25. Peter’s Betrayal

26. The Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem

27. Jesus Teachings on Prayer

28. Jesus at the Temple

29. Jesus’ Baptism

30. Mary and Elizabeth’s Relationship

31. The Parable of the Mustard Seed

32. The Transfiguration

33. Peter’s Confession to Christ

34. Jesus Predicts His Death

35. The Parable of the Sower

36. The Parable of the Weeds

37. Jesus Sends out the Twelve

38. Jesus’ Healing Ministry

39. The Cost of Following Jesus

40. Stewardship

41. Jesus’ Teaching on Judging Others

42. The Temptation of Jesus

43. The Calling of the First Disciples

44. The Beatitudes

45. The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

46. Jesus’ Teachings on Divorce

47. Jesus and Little Children

48. The Parable of Workers in the Vineyard

49. Jesus Calms the Storm

50. The Parable of the Wedding Banquet