SOLICITATION NOTICE
D -- Residential Reentry GPS Tracking and Smartphone Technology
- Notice Date
- 9/29/2016
- Notice Type
- Cancellation
- NAICS
- 334220
— Radio and Television Broadcasting and Wireless Communications Equipment Manufacturing
- Contracting Office
- Department of Justice, Bureau of Prisons, FCI Williamsburg, 8301 Highway 521, P.O. Box 220, Salters, South Carolina, 29590
- ZIP Code
- 29590
- Solicitation Number
- RFIP0700NAS170001
- Point of Contact
- Dana R DiGiacomo,
- E-Mail Address
-
ddigiacomo@bop.gov
(ddigiacomo@bop.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- Request for Information (RFI) Residential Reentry Center GPS Tracking and Smartphone Technology 1.0 Background and Scope The Federal Bureau of Prisons (Bureau) is an agency of the Department of Justice (DOJ). It consists of 122 institutions throughout the United States, including Hawaii and Puerto Rico; 6 regional offices, a Central Office (headquarters), 2 staff training centers, and 24 Residential Reentry Management offices (previously known as community corrections offices). The Bureau is responsible for the custody and care of approximately 205,000 Federal offenders. Approximately 81 percent of these inmates are confined in Bureau-operated facilities, while the balance is confined in secure privately managed or community-based facilities and local jails. More information about the agency can be found on the Bureau's public site, www.bop.gov. One of the significant challenges the Bureau faces is the significant cost of monitoring offenders who work in the community, or are serving a period of their incarceration in a community based Residential Reentry Center (RRC) in the process of re-entry back into society. Existing ankle bracelet technologies are appropriate for some of these offenders but the cost of these systems is tremendous and their utility is often limited for a variety of reasons. Further, the technologies making up and supporting these systems is aging and not keeping up with technological improvements in tracking, data management, biometrics, criminal justice science, etc. To reduce these costs and examine new approaches for monitoring and managing lower risk offenders, the Bureau is examining advancements in smartphone technology to determine if this technology offers a means of effectively monitoring offender behavior. Smartphones are currently used by commercial industry to monitor a vast number of consumer behaviors. Not only does this data provide important background information on different types of consumer behavior, the technology can also be used to push specific content to individuals because of their individual interests and behavior. The Bureau, for its purposes, is investigating the ability to monitor the behavior of known offenders so that supervising officials can: - Immediately recognize changes in offender behavior or routine that presents a threat to public safety. - Identify when offenders are attempting to reengage in criminal activity. - Establish routine behavior patterns so that behavioral anomalies can easily be captured and the offender can be appropriately counseled or re-incarcerated. - Identify an offender's proximity to off-limits areas. - Identify an offender's proximity to specific individuals (i.e. monitor restraining orders). - Monitor an offender's attempts to examine or undermine the system being used to monitor them. - Perform behavioral assessments of the offender through the use of the smartphone. - Provide an evidence-based therapeutic approach to re-entry through the use of smartphone applications. - Establish evidence-based case management approaches to address offender's behavioral needs. In addition, the Bureau would wish to have the ability to not only collect, but store, analyze, assess and correlate this data for reasons of both accountability and auditing as well as to use for predictive analytics and assessment of effective and emerging techniques in criminal behavior and rehabilitation. All data should be collected and stored securely in accordance with best practices of both privacy and Federal chain of custody/criminal justice procedures. The scope of this RFI is to collect information to identify and assess the landscape of technologies and systems that can assist the Bureau in utilizing smartphone technology to monitor offender behavior and exploit this data for improvement of the criminal justice system. Smartphone For purposes of this RFI, a "smartphone" is defined as any portable device designed to provide two way communications between and user and a cellular phone, cellular data or WIFI communications system (to include phone calls, texting, e-mail and internet access/utilization). It may be assumed that it has a significant array of capabilities, sensors and on-board data storage and process capabilities. These devices will encompass traditional devices such as "smartphones" but may also include smart tablets, multi part systems such as smart watches and smartphones/base device and various other current and emerging technologies. This specifically excludes devices such as notebook computers that, while portable are NOT designed for continuous mobile use but rather are transportable and then must be set up and activated to use. 2.0 Purpose The purpose of this RFI is straightforward; in the event that there is a solicitation the Bureau is seeking information to determine whether or not there are qualified sources that will be able to meet the requirements that would be set forth. Such a solicitation, if forthcoming, may focus on fully-integrated systems that facilitate the monitoring of offenders using smartphones or similar technologies and systems. Data from this RFI may be used by the Bureau to assist in assessing available technologies that could meet it mission needs. Here "fully-integrated" means that the systems being sought contain all of the technical elements necessary to remotely: - Assure the identity of the offender - Track the location of the offender - Monitor the activities of the offender - Capture evidence of any criminal or otherwise proscribed activity - Alert cognizant authorities to offenders who are engaging in criminal or proscribed activity. - Assure the integrity of the offender's smartphone as a monitoring tool - Store, recall, and analyze collected data to support a variety of BOP missions (in accordance with relevant best practices and regulations) - Allow the Bureau to perform behavioral assessments of the offender through the use of the smartphone. While complete end-to-end systems that provide all of these capabilities are desirable, the Bureau will also consider subsystems that only provide one or a few of these capabilities provided that these subsystems can be easily integrated with other technologies to support an end-to-end monitoring solution. This RFI is focused primarily on systems that are designed to collect data from smartphones and related devices and is not specifically focused on back-end algorithms and systems designed to analyze this data as this information was collected in a previous RFI sponsored by the National Institute of Justice. However, any proposed technologies, products or solutions must be compatible with current analytic tools and techniques, as well as supporting the development and application of new and emerging capabilities. That said, information related to analytical systems that have been designed to leverage the vast amounts of data that can be captured by smartphones to monitor offender behavior would be responsive to this RFI. Given the Bureau's desire to reduce costs and maximize effectiveness, vendors providing data should be able to illustrate how their system can easily be integrated with existing infrastructure and analytical support systems should the BOP determine that this type of integration and interoperability are necessary for the purposes of minimizing costs or supporting Bureau missions. 3.0 Requirements The Bureau has basic requirements for RRC GPS tracking and smartphone deployment platforms: One of the perennial challenges using cellular based monitoring systems is the challenge of dead zones within the cellular network. This problem is experienced with more traditional monitoring systems and would also be a potential challenge with smart phone based systems. Vendors should clearly articulate how they expect their system to operate when it is in cellular dead zones in order to effectively monitor offender behavior. For the purposes of this RFI, offenders who will be monitored by this system will be part of established work release and residential reentry programs. During their non-working hours, resident offenders will live in a monitored and controlled living facility where it will not be necessary to monitor the offender's moment-to-moment behavior and where it will be possible for their smartphones to be recharged for the next day. Prospective vendors must develop procedures to provide and allow for the routine use of smartphones to include the issuance of smartphones to all indigent residents, as well as systems and procedures for the maintenance and control of these devices when they are not in use. Devices must be locked down to that inmates cannot add applications or change configurations which would contravene monitoring or data collection. Any change to standard device configuration, other than those outlined below, must be approved by the supervising Residential Re-entry Manager (RRM). At a minimum, the smartphone policy and procedures must contain the following critical elements: 3.1. The plan provided by the vendor must include phone accountability procedures and issuance/turn-in procedures for all residents within Resident Reentry Centers. 3.2. Phones must include a GPS or equivalently accurate and robust system for tracking application which allows for the tracking of offenders via the phone and that cannot be disabled, spoofed or turned off by the resident. 3.3. Phones must utilize biometrics to verify identity of resident - the vendor must describe their proposed approach for verifying and validating that the resident is collocated with the device while the resident is in the community. Data must be provided indicating the effectiveness and security/specificity of the technique used. 3.4. Devices will be locked down, any configuration changes requires approval of Reentry Management Staff for any non-standard features (e.g., internet for residents with conditions of supervision which do not allow for internet access, web-based encrypted messaging applications, on-demand local control recording features such as voice, imagery or videos, etc.) 3.5. Reentry Management Staff must be able to monitor device utilization (to know what functions the offender has used and to know what websites that the offender has utilized or sought to utilize). 3.6. Reentry Management Staff must be able to monitor and be aware of any attempt to alter, circumvent, or otherwise modify the software or hardware of the smartphone. 3.7. Reentry Management staff must also be able to control, monitor use and program device with approved contacts and numbers. Staff must be able to recover communication logs for all calls, texts, e-mails, or communications made to and from the device. 3.8. Reentry Management Staff must be able to change access restrictions on the device to add restrictions if an offender is found to be using a device inappropriately. 3.9. Resident-to-resident contact between monitored offenders including calls, text messages, e-mails, photos, or other forms of direct contact will be able to be controlled, both by pre-programming as well as remotely from approved command devices. 3.10. Resident contact with any individual not on the offenders permitted contact list including calls, text messages, e-mails, photos, or other forms of direct contact must be able to be excluded, controlled or permitted at the discretion of the RRM. Reentry Management Staff will have the ability to add new individuals to the offender's contact list should the offender need these contacts to assist in the management of the offender's release program, such as an prospective employer or community based treatment provider. 3.11. Reentry Management Staff must have the ability to activate various components of the smartphone remotely, on command, and do so without alerting the offender. 3.12. Reentry Management Staff must have the ability to lock the smartphone remotely in such a way that it cannot be operated locally without the express approval of the RRM. 3.13 Reentry Management Staff must have the ability to perform behavioral assessments of the offender through the use of the smartphone. 4.0 Questions The Bureau is only interested in systems that meet our requirements and is a Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) solution. The Bureau does not fund technology research. All vendors with applicable technology (either a completely or partially compliant solution) are invited to submit detailed specifications. In addition to the equipment specification sheets and product literature, please provide detailed answers to the questions below. Each specific piece of equipment should be addressed if applicable. The questions below pertain to the services and products that a vendor or developer may be able to provide. 4.1. Please provide a brief overview of your system (no more than one page, with diagrams) explaining in general its capabilities and current status. 4.2. How, in general, will the system that you are proposing work? If you are only proposing to perform a part of the requirement, describe what you propose and how it would be integrated with other systems to create a complete system. 4.3. Describe how your system handles any data collected. How will data be stored? What security and encryption technology is used to protect the data? Describe your company's vision for how data will be collected, stored, and analyzed. If your system will be creating new data through the use of government, open or proprietary analytical tools, describe how this new data is collected and stored. Clearly detail government rights and access to original data as well as government rights to any and all data associated with analytical products derived from the original data. Are one or more facets of your smartphone monitoring system commercially available? If so, what are they and please provide information. 4.4. Is any/all of your system currently in use? If so, provide references or use cases where your technology is being used. 4.5. Have any third party independent assessments of your technology been performed? When? By whom? 4.6. Has a security vulnerability assessment been performed? If so, please provide details such as standards applied (for example, the legacy DOD DIACAP, which was replaced by risk-focused methodologies as mandated by NIST and defined in DOD 8510.01, etc.), who/what performed the assessment and whether this assessment is available and from whom. 4.7. If the system is currently commercially-available (in whole or in part), what does the system cost? (Please break this down for back-end system costs as well as costs for devices and ancillary hardware and software - such as charging systems and routine software upgrades, data storage and management, etc.). Break down the cost of operations and maintenance for both back-end systems as well as device related costs. 4.8. Can your system be employed through a mobile device management system or some other mechanism for facilitating management of devices across an enterprise? What additional protections would be afforded to the system using an enterprise mobility management approach? At what additional cost? 4.9. Provide information on any available warrantees or guarantees for the system. 4.10. Detail what training is required to operate the entire system. 4.11. What device or devices do you propose to use to support this requirement? What is your rationale for using this device? Can these devices be obtained at sufficient scale to support the BOP requirement? Is your device hardened to prevent tampering, removal and/or replacement of the SIM card? 4.12. How does your system meet or exceed the requirements outlined in the supplemental section of this RFI? 4.13. Does your system allow for scaling (and what, if any, limits exist)? 4.14. How is obsolescence handled? Can software be easily upgraded? 4.15. Are you familiar with and does your company qualify for any of the programs identified under the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 19? If yes, please explain. For example, what is the size (small, large, non-profit, etc.) and status (8a, veteran-owned, service-disabled veteran-owned, HUBZone, Small Disadvantaged Business, woman-owned, etc.) of your organization? Please be advised that providing responses to these questions will not automatically include you in the acquisition process in the event there is any further acquisition actions taken. Responses and any inquiries regarding this RFI shall be emailed or mail, in PDF format, no later than 12:00 p.m. (EST) on Monday, October 31, 2016 to the attention of Dana R. DiGiacomo, Chief of Residential Reentry Contracting. All email correspondence shall be sent to ddigiacomo@bop.gov and reference RFIP0700NAS170001in the subject line. Contracting Office Address: Federal Bureau of Prisons 320 First Street, NW Room 5005 Washington, District of Columbia 20534 Attn: Dana R. DiGiacomo, Chief of Residential Reentry Contracting RE: RFIP0700NAS170001
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