James J Spence

James J. Spence serves as a Contracting Officer within the Property Management - Co under the Department of Justice’s Federal Prison System / Bureau of Prisons, where he is responsible for managing the full lifecycle of procurement actions supporting behavioral health and reentry services. His portfolio centers on acquiring outpatient mental health and substance use disorder treatment programs, residential care services, and community-based reintegration support systems critical to the agency’s mission of facilitating successful offender reentry. He exercises full contracting authority under FAR and agency-specific regulations, ensuring compliance with federal standards while aligning acquisitions with strategic health equity and public safety goals. Mr. Spence maintains collaborative relationships with a broad range of qualified vendors specializing in behavioral health service delivery, including licensed clinical providers, nonprofit community health organizations, and behavioral health IT contractors. While no single contractor dominates his portfolio, his procurement patterns reflect a preference for experienced, mission-aligned service providers capable of delivering evidence-based interventions across correctional and community settings. He consistently engages contractors through competitive sealed bidding and negotiated acquisitions, prioritizing performance-based outcomes and quality-of-care metrics in contract evaluations. Mr. Spence’s contracting activity is entirely non-set-aside, with 100% of awards issued under full and open competition. This reflects a strategic decision to maximize access to the broadest possible pool of qualified providers, prioritizing capability and capacity over socioeconomic designations. While he does not formally reserve awards for 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB firms, he remains compliant with all small business outreach requirements and encourages participation through open solicitations and pre-solicitation outreach. His primary procurement focus is NAICS 621420—Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers—encompassing clinical staffing, counseling services, medication-assisted treatment, case management, and integrated reentry support systems. He possesses deep expertise in procuring behavioral health services within correctional environments, ensuring contractual compliance with HIPAA, OMB circulars, and DOJ performance standards.