James J Spence

James J. Spence serves as a Contract Specialist within the Property Management - Co under the Department of Justice’s Federal Bureau of Prisons, where he plays a pivotal role in acquiring behavioral health and reentry support services critical to the agency’s mission of facilitating successful community reintegration for incarcerated populations. He manages the full lifecycle of procurement actions for outpatient mental health and substance use treatment programs, ensuring compliance with federal acquisition regulations and aligning contractual obligations with clinical and operational requirements. His acquisitions focus on service-based contracts that support residential and community-based care models, including counseling, case management, and transitional support services. Spence collaborates with a diverse range of service providers, primarily nonprofit organizations and specialized behavioral health contractors with demonstrated expertise in correctional and forensic settings. While no single contractor dominates his portfolio, he consistently engages vendors with proven experience in delivering trauma-informed, evidence-based interventions within correctional environments. His working relationships reflect a preference for partners who maintain accreditation, employ licensed clinical staff, and can scale services across multiple facility locations. His procurement strategy reflects a strong commitment to small business participation, with approximately 16.7% of his acquisitions structured as Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5. Although the majority of contracts remain open to all competitors, he actively encourages small business eligibility and ensures socioeconomic preferences are properly evaluated during source selection. His approach supports the agency’s broader goal of fostering equitable access to federal contracting opportunities. Spence’s technical focus is exclusively centered on NAICS 621420—Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers—reflecting his deep specialization in behavioral health service procurement. He routinely awards contracts for clinical counseling, medication-assisted treatment, peer support services, and reentry coordination programs, demonstrating expertise in the unique regulatory and operational demands of delivering care within the federal correctional system.