Recidivism Reduction research and Evaluation

The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (PADOC) issued a Request for Quotes (RFQ) for a comprehensive recidivism reduction research and evaluation project. The solicitation seeks a third-party evaluator to conduct a full process and outcome evaluation of the department's statewide recidivism reduction initiatives. Key deliverables include utilizing a quasi-experimental design to assess program impact on recidivism, employment, and drug/alcohol relapse rates across targeted counties. The evaluation must focus on three primary strategies: incorporating risk assessment, establishing a case management continuum, and incentivizing recidivism reduction efforts. Specifically, the contractor is required to procure an embedded researcher from the University of Maryland to support local evaluation efforts and inform evaluation planning. The RFQ was originally posted on September 17, 2014, with a proposal due date of October 30, 2014, for a contract period anticipated to run from October 1, 2014, to September 30, 2017, with a potential one-year extension contingent on federal grant funding.

This procurement was a restricted solicitation under the Commonwealth's Consulting Services, Invitation to Qualify (ITQ) Contract #4400007410, limiting participation to pre-qualified contractors in the Management General Government Operations - Program Evaluation and Benchmarking category. The total available budget for the project is $558,000, fully funded by a federal grant (CFDA #16.812). Potential respondents were required to submit technical proposals separately from pricing details, with the contract to be awarded to the most responsive offeror providing the best overall value. While specific set-aside designations were not explicitly detailed in the provided documents, the solicitation emphasized the need for specialized research and evaluation capabilities in the corrections and recidivism reduction domain. The evaluation would involve detailed cost submissions across multiple budget categories, including direct labor, overhead, supplies, travel, consultant costs, and indirect expenses. The contract was structured to support a comprehensive, multi-year research initiative aimed at understanding and reducing recidivism rates across Pennsylvania.