Opportunity Information: Apply for O BJS 2025 172528
The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) is offering a discretionary cooperative agreement to select a single organization to serve as the data collection agent for two of its core national corrections data programs: the National Prisoner Statistics program (NPS) and the National Corrections Reporting Program (NCRP). Together, these collections are BJS's primary tools for tracking the size, characteristics, and trends of state and federal prison populations each year, and for producing widely used BJS publications such as the annual Prisoners series and the Corrections Populations in the United States bulletins. The overall project covers reference years 2025 through 2029, with an emphasis on maintaining continuity, comparability, and data quality across jurisdictions over time.
The award is structured as a five-year effort, but the solicitation funds only the first three years up front. Continued support for the final two years is contingent on successful performance, specifically the timely collection, processing, and delivery to BJS of the NPS and NCRP datasets for response years 2025, 2026, and 2027. In practical terms, the recipient needs to demonstrate it can reliably manage annual data cycles, work effectively with state departments of corrections and the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and meet BJS requirements for documentation, data cleaning, and delivery before BJS commits additional funding for years four and five.
A key expectation is that the awardee will run the annual NPS collection, which is an aggregate (count-based) census of prison populations as of December 31 each year. Through NPS, state DOCs and the Federal Bureau of Prisons compile counts using administrative records, reporting both custody and jurisdiction populations, admissions and releases over the prior year, and demographic breakdowns such as race and Hispanic origin. NPS also captures information about facility capacity (as it relates to where prisoners are held) and includes annual reporting on confirmed HIV/AIDS cases and current testing policies for those conditions. Because NPS has been collected continuously since 1926, this work carries an added responsibility to preserve long-running definitions and trend integrity while also handling inevitable changes in state reporting systems and correctional practices.
Alongside NPS, the awardee will conduct the NCRP collection, which complements NPS by capturing more detailed, individual-level information about prisoners. While NPS is designed to deliver consistent top-line totals and broad breakdowns, NCRP is intended to support deeper analyses of prison populations and changes over time. The combined value of the two programs is that they let BJS describe national and state-level prison populations both in aggregate and in more detailed terms, helping policymakers, researchers, and the public understand how admissions, releases, and population composition shift year to year.
In addition to the standard annual collections, the solicitation requires the recipient to field one supplemental NPS special addendum during the project period. This addendum is meant to gather data on a focused, timely topic tied to prison conditions or operations. The example provided in the opportunity description is an addendum related to testing and treatment for opioid use disorder in state and federal prisons, but the specific topic would ultimately be determined in coordination with BJS. This component signals that the awardee should be prepared to design and deploy an additional data module, integrate it into the NPS workflow, and ensure the added data meet the same expectations for clarity, response support, and quality control.
Eligibility for this opportunity is broad and includes state, county, city/township, and special district governments; federally recognized tribal governments; public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofit organizations (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)); for-profit organizations (including those other than small businesses); and small businesses. BJS expects to make one award, with an award ceiling of $4,600,000. The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which generally indicates substantial federal involvement during the project, meaning the recipient should expect ongoing coordination with BJS on technical decisions, schedules, deliverables, and standards for data collection and processing.
Key administrative details included in the listing are the opportunity number O-BJS-2025-172528, CFDA number 16.734 (Information and Statistics), and an original closing date of 2026-02-24. Overall, this solicitation is best understood as an effort to sustain and modernize BJS's central annual prison statistics infrastructure for 2025-2029, ensuring that national prison population measures remain consistent, timely, and analytically useful while also allowing room to address emerging issues through a targeted supplemental addendum.Apply for O BJS 2025 172528
- The Bureau of Justice Statistics in the information and statistics sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "BJS FY25 National Corrections Reporting Program (NCRP) National Prisoner Statistics (NPS) Program, Reference Years (RY) 2025–2029" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.734.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2026-01-15.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-02-24. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $4,600,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is this funding opportunity?
This is a Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) discretionary cooperative agreement to select a single organization to serve as the data collection agent for two national corrections data programs: the National Prisoner Statistics program (NPS) and the National Corrections Reporting Program (NCRP).
What are NPS and NCRP, in plain terms?
NPS is an annual aggregate (count-based) census of prison populations as of December 31 each year, covering state departments of corrections and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. NCRP complements NPS by collecting more detailed, individual-level information about prisoners to support deeper analyses of prison populations and changes over time.
How many awards will BJS make under this solicitation?
BJS expects to make one award.
What is the maximum funding amount?
The award ceiling is $4,600,000.
What type of funding instrument is this?
The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, which indicates substantial federal involvement. The selected organization should expect ongoing coordination with BJS on technical decisions, schedules, deliverables, and standards for data collection and processing.
What years does the project cover?
The overall project covers reference years 2025 through 2029, with an emphasis on maintaining continuity, comparability, and data quality across jurisdictions over time.
Is the award funded for the full five years at once?
No. The award is structured as a five-year effort, but the solicitation funds only the first three years up front.
What determines whether years four and five will be funded?
Continued support for the final two years is contingent on successful performance, specifically the timely collection, processing, and delivery to BJS of the NPS and NCRP datasets for response years 2025, 2026, and 2027.
What does BJS mean by "successful performance" in this project?
Based on the listing, successful performance centers on the recipient demonstrating it can reliably manage annual data cycles and deliver required NPS and NCRP datasets to BJS on time for response years 2025-2027, while meeting BJS requirements for documentation, data cleaning, and delivery.
Who will the awardee need to work with to collect the data?
The recipient will need to work effectively with state departments of corrections and the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
What is the core purpose of these collections?
Together, NPS and NCRP are BJS's primary tools for tracking the size, characteristics, and trends of state and federal prison populations each year. The data support widely used BJS publications, including the annual Prisoners series and the Corrections Populations in the United States bulletins.
What exactly is collected through NPS each year?
NPS is an annual, aggregate census of prison populations as of December 31. Through administrative records, state DOCs and the Federal Bureau of Prisons report custody and jurisdiction populations, admissions and releases over the prior year, and demographic breakdowns such as race and Hispanic origin. NPS also captures information about facility capacity (as it relates to where prisoners are held) and includes annual reporting on confirmed HIV/AIDS cases and current testing policies for those conditions.
What does "custody" vs. "jurisdiction" population mean in the context of this opportunity?
The opportunity states that NPS includes reporting of both custody and jurisdiction populations. The listing does not provide additional definitions, but it indicates the collection distinguishes between these two population concepts and expects consistent reporting over time.
What is the reference date for the annual NPS prison population counts?
NPS captures prison population counts as of December 31 each year.
Does the project involve maintaining long-term historical comparability?
Yes. NPS has been collected continuously since 1926, and the solicitation emphasizes preserving long-running definitions and trend integrity while managing changes in state reporting systems and correctional practices.
How is NCRP different from NPS?
NPS is designed to produce consistent top-line totals and broad breakdowns. NCRP complements that by providing more detailed, individual-level information intended to support deeper analysis of prison populations and changes over time.
Why does BJS run both programs instead of just one?
According to the listing, the combined value is that the two programs let BJS describe national and state-level prison populations in both aggregate terms (NPS) and more detailed terms (NCRP), helping users understand how admissions, releases, and population composition shift year to year.
Are there any special or one-time data collection requirements beyond the annual cycles?
Yes. The solicitation requires the recipient to field one supplemental NPS special addendum during the project period to gather data on a focused, timely topic tied to prison conditions or operations.
What topic will the supplemental NPS special addendum cover?
The specific topic will be determined in coordination with BJS. The opportunity description gives an example topic: testing and treatment for opioid use disorder in state and federal prisons.
What is expected of the awardee for the supplemental addendum?
The awardee is expected to be prepared to design and deploy an additional data module, integrate it into the NPS workflow, and ensure the added data meet the same expectations for clarity, response support, and quality control.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes state, county, city/township, and special district governments; federally recognized tribal governments; public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofit organizations (501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)); for-profit organizations (including those other than small businesses); and small businesses.
Is this opportunity limited to government agencies only?
No. In addition to government entities, eligible applicants include institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, for-profit organizations, and small businesses.
What is the opportunity number?
The opportunity number is O-BJS-2025-172528.
What is the CFDA number associated with this program?
The CFDA number listed is 16.734 (Information and Statistics).
What is the closing date listed for this opportunity?
The original closing date listed is 2026-02-24.
What is the main operational focus BJS highlights for this project?
The listing emphasizes maintaining continuity, comparability, and data quality across jurisdictions over time, along with the ability to reliably manage annual data cycles and meet BJS documentation, data cleaning, and delivery expectations.
What does it mean that this is the "central annual prison statistics infrastructure" for 2025-2029?
Based on the description, the solicitation is aimed at sustaining and modernizing the annual processes and datasets that BJS relies on to produce national prison statistics each year, keeping measures consistent and timely while allowing space to address emerging issues through a targeted addendum.
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