[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 248 (Monday, December 29, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78109-78110]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-30284]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration


Comment Request for Information Collection for the Evaluation of 
Grants Serving Young Offenders; New Collection

AGENCY: Employment and Training Administration, Labor.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department, as part of its continuing effort to reduce 
paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a pre-clearance consultation 
program to provide the public and Federal agencies with an opportunity 
to comment on proposed and/or continuing collections of information in 
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) [44 U.S.C. 
3505(c)(2)(A)]. PRA helps to ensure that requested data can be provided 
in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial resources) 
is minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, and the 
impact of the collection requirements on respondents can be properly 
assessed.
    Currently, the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is 
soliciting comments concerning the information collection activities 
associated with the random assignment evaluation of ETA-funded grants 
serving young offenders, specifically, the Face Forward Grants (FFG) 
Rounds I and II; and the High-Poverty, High-Crime Communities Grants 
(HPHCG). These grants are aimed at serving young adult offenders, 
juvenile offenders, and students in high-risk high schools; and provide 
specific supports and interventions, such as enrollment in school or 
job training programs as well as access to housing, the availability of 
adult mentors, mental health services, and supporting social services 
through referrals. The objective of the evaluation is to determine 
whether these grants improve youth educational and employment outcomes, 
and reduce recidivism.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
addresses section below on or before February 27, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to Gloribel Nieves-Cartagena, Office 
of Policy Development and Research, Room N-5641, Employment and 
Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution 
Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20210. Telephone number: 202-693-2771 (this 
is not a toll-free number). Individuals with hearing or speech 
impairments may access the telephone number above via TTY by calling 
the toll-free Federal Information Relay Service at 1-877-889-5627 (TTY/
TDD). Fax: 202-693-2766. Email: [email protected]. A 
copy of the proposed information collection request with applicable 
supporting documentation including a description of likely respondents, 
proposed frequency of responses, and estimated total burden can be 
obtained free of charge by contacting the office listed above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    For those leaving incarceration, overcoming the barriers to 
successful reentry may mean the difference between living a healthy and 
fulfilling life in a community and facing instability and potential 
homelessness. Understanding the ways Federal programs and systems 
interact with the formerly incarcerated is critical to helping 
individuals overcome these barriers. Additionally, it is important that 
employers and job seekers understand the facts around the role of a 
criminal record in making hiring decisions.
    The Department assists young ex-offenders in finding employment and 
making a smooth transition to community life through employment-
centered programs that include mentoring, job training, and other 
transitional services implemented by local faith-based and community 
organizations in collaboration with the American Job Centers.
    In Program Years 2012 and 2013, the Department awarded $120 million 
in funds to implement projects aimed at serving young adult offenders, 
juvenile offenders, and students in high-risk high schools. The FFG and 
the HPHCG programs are holistic program models offering a full 
complement of services including educational programs, vocational and 
employment programs, and mentoring. In addition, the programs target 
the same youth outcomes-educational attainment, improved labor market 
outcomes, and reduced recidivism.
    Understanding the effectiveness of these Department of Labor-funded 
youth offender programs requires a rigorous evaluation that can address 
potential biases resulting from fundamental differences between program 
participants and nonparticipants. ETA has contracted with Mathematica 
Policy Research and its subcontractor, Social Policy Research 
Associates, to conduct (1) a random assignment evaluation to measure 
the impact of the youth offender programs, and (2) a process study to 
understand program implementation and help interpret impact study 
results.
    The proposed evaluation will include two data collection efforts: 
(1) A request for youth consent to participate in the random assignment 
study in the Contact Information Form; and (2) baseline and contact 
information collected for the random assignment evaluation, in the 
Baseline Information Form.
    Understanding the effectiveness of youth offender programs requires 
data collection from multiple sources. This evaluation effort intends 
to collect a rich set of baseline, service, and outcome data on 
treatment and control group members. The Baseline Information Form will 
enable the evaluators to describe the characteristics of study 
participants at the time they are randomly assigned to the treatment or 
control group, ensure that random assignment was conducted properly, 
create subgroups for the analysis, provide contact information to 
locate individuals for follow-up surveys, and improve the precision of 
the impact estimates.

II. Desired Focus of Comments

    The Department is particularly interested in comments which:

[[Page 78110]]

     Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
     evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the 
burden of the proposed collection of information, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
     enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
     minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting 
electronic submissions of responses.

III. Current Actions

    Type of Review: New Collection.
    Title: Evaluation of ETA Grants Serving Young Offenders.
    OMB Number: 1205-0NEW.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households (Young ex-offenders) & 
private sector (staff).

 Burden Estimates for Contact Information Form and Baseline Information Form Data Collection for Young Offenders
                                                Grants Evaluation
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                                                                                                       Total
                                                Number of                                           respondent
                                               respondents      Burden per response  (minutes)        burden
                                                                                                      (hours)
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Youth......................................           5,000  13.................................           1,083
Staff......................................              40  13 minutes per youth, with an                 1,083
                                                              average of 125 youth per staff
                                                              member.
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    Total..................................           5,040  ...................................           2,166
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    Total Estimated Annual Other Costs Burden: 0.
    We will summarize and/or include in the request for OMB approval of 
the ICR, the comments received in response to this comment request; 
they will also become a matter of public record.

Portia Wu,
Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training, Labor.
[FR Doc. 2014-30284 Filed 12-24-14; 8:45 am]
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