Regional Conflict Juvenile Defender

The State of Utah Department of Criminal Justice, through the State of Utah Division of Purchasing, is requesting proposals for legal services to defend youth referred to juvenile court under an RFP that anticipates multiple contract awards, with proposals due July 31, 2026.

The scope is comprehensive legal defense services for court-referred juveniles in regional conflict situations within Utah's juvenile justice system. The RFP will result in multiple awards; the methodology for determining the number of awardees and allocation among them is specified in the scope of work. Contract term is three years, and vendors must guarantee pricing for the entire contract duration.

Subcontractor disclosure is mandatory. The three lowest bidders and any other interested bidders must submit a comprehensive list of all first-tier subcontractors within 24 hours of bid opening. Disclosure thresholds are project-value-dependent: for projects under $500,000, all first-tier subcontractors with bids of $20,000 or more must be listed; for projects of $500,000 or more, list those with bids of $35,000 or more. Each subcontractor entry must include name, bid amount, type of work, and applicable Utah Department of Professional Licensing license number if required by state law. Failure to comply results in bid disqualification.

Prime contractors with contracts valued at $2,000,000 or more must certify compliance with Utah Code 26B-3-909 by providing attestation from a qualified actuary or underwriter that the employer maintains an offer of qualified health insurance coverage for eligible employees and dependents. Subcontractors with subcontracts valued at $1,000,000 or more face the same requirement. Non-compliance carries escalating penalties: three-month suspension on first violation, six-month suspension on second violation, and potential debarment on third or subsequent violation. Monetary penalties up to 50% of health insurance provision costs may be assessed, and contractors face civil liability to affected employees for uncovered health care costs.

No estimated contract value, incumbent, or evaluation criteria weighting are specified in the source materials.