Youth Restorative Justice

The Iowa Judicial Branch's Juvenile Court Services (JCS) is issuing a Request for Proposal to procure Youth Restorative Justice (YRJ) services in Scott County, Iowa, specifically seeking a qualified vendor to deliver Restorative Community Conferencing (RCC) programs as an alternative to juvenile court involvement for youth referred for serious crimes, particularly automobile theft, where identifiable victims exist. All referrals must receive prior approval from the Scott County Attorney's office before program participation. The vendor must provide comprehensive services focused on accountability, repairing harm through dialogue and restitution, community involvement through family and organizational participation, and skill-building to develop youth empathy and conflict resolution abilities. Key deliverables include mediator training in RCC methods, background check administration, youth record confidentiality protocols, program process documentation, staff responsibility delineation, survey implementation for outcomes measurement, quarterly reporting with performance metrics, and discharge reporting. The evaluation committee will score technical proposals up to 5,500 points based on mandatory and scored specifications related to these deliverables and program effectiveness, while cost proposals will be scored up to 500 points on a ratio basis with the lowest cost receiving all available points, with the contract awarded to the proposal providing the best overall value. The procurement timeline includes a written questions deadline of April 24, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. Central Time, with agency responses due May 1, 2026, and proposals due electronically to connie.murphy@iowacourts.gov by June 1, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. Central Time as separate Technical and Cost Proposal files in Microsoft Word or text-searchable PDF format. A Notice of Intent to Award is anticipated June 24, 2026, with contract execution anticipated July 1, 2026.

The contract shall have an initial term of one year from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, with the Iowa Judicial Branch retaining the option to renew for up to five additional one-year terms at its sole discretion, with an anticipated maximum annual contract budget of $60,000. Respondents must be registered for Iowa sales and use tax, provide proof of non-debarment status, maintain required insurance coverage including general liability of $2 million aggregate, automobile liability of $1 million combined single limit, and professional liability of $1 million, and submit signed certifications regarding any contract terminations, litigation, debarment, or criminal matters from the past five years. All mediators must complete RCC training within one month of contract execution, and the respondent must conduct annual criminal background checks for all service-providing employees. Proposal terms, including pricing, must remain firm for 120 days following the submission deadline. The cost proposal must include an all-inclusive unit rate covering all services, direct client contact time, travel, training, administrative work, and indirect costs with detailed line-item breakdown. The State of Iowa allows 60 days for invoice payment and prefers payment via Pcard, ePayables, or electronic funds transfer by ACH, though state warrant payment is also accepted, with no minimum purchase volume guaranteed.