Prison Report Consultant

The Governor's Office of Crime Prevention and Policy is requesting proposals for a consultant to conduct a comprehensive study within the Maryland adult prison system to identify systemic policy gaps and recommend measures to reduce violence and deaths, with proposals due November 6, 2026 by 2:00 p.m. An MBE subcontracting goal of 5% with no subgoal applies. A pre-proposal conference is scheduled for October 9, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. via Google Meet.

The consultant must review institutional policies, staffing patterns, and safety protocols; assess violence levels using publicly available data; conduct comparative analysis of other states' prison policies; evaluate historical inmate population and incident data; conduct interviews and focus groups with facility leadership and staff; and summarize best practices for violence reduction and rehabilitation. The minimum qualification is a PhD or Master's degree in Criminology, Criminal Justice, Sociology, Forensic Psychology, Public Policy, or a related field from an accredited U.S. institution, plus at least two peer-reviewed publications or formal administrative reports and three professional references. Proposed personnel must demonstrate formal education in quantitative data modeling and qualitative research design, experience with statistical tools (SPSS, R, or Stata), knowledge of correctional dynamics, senior-level policy experience, and excellent communication skills.

The contract is firm fixed-price with a maximum value of $200,000 over a 12-month term. Performance occurs at the contractor's location. The consultant must submit monthly email updates to the Executive Director, an interim report no later than 90 days before contract expiration, and a comprehensive final report no later than 60 days before contract end. The final report must be submitted to the budget committees within one year of contract effective date and is subject to formal review and written acceptance by the Contract Monitor.

Required insurance includes Commercial General Liability ($1 million combined single limit / $3 million annual aggregate), Cyber Security/Data Breach Insurance ($5 million per occurrence), and Worker's Compensation ($1 million per occurrence). Questions are due October 19, 2026 by 2:00 p.m. All work product and intellectual property become the exclusive property of the State. No federal funding is involved.