[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 23 (Monday, February 4, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1507-1509]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-00852]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

[OMB Number 1121-0249]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed eCollection 
eComments Requested; Extension of a Currently Approved Collection: 
Mortality in Correctional Institutions (State Prisons)

AGENCY: Bureau of Justice Statistics, Department of Justice.

ACTION: 30-Day notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs, 
Bureau of Justice Statistics, will be submitting an extension to an 
existing information collection to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: Comments are encouraged and will be accepted for 30 days until 
April 5, 2019.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have additional comments, 
especially on the estimated public burden or associated response time, 
suggestions, or need a copy of the proposed information collection 
instrument with instructions or additional information, please contact 
E. Ann Carson, Statistician, 810 Seventh Street NW, Washington, DC 
20531 (email: [email protected]; telephone: 202-616-3496).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Written comments and suggestions from the 
public and affected agencies concerning the proposed collection of 
information are encouraged. Your comments should address one or more of 
the following four points:

--Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary 
for the proper performance of the functions of the Bureau of Justice 
Statistics, 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;
--Evaluate whether and if so how the quality, utility, and clarity of 
the information to be collected can be enhanced; 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 
submission of responses.

Overview of This Information Collection

    1. Type of Information Collection: Extension of a currently 
approved collection.
    2. The Title of the Form/Collection: Mortality in Correctional 
Institutions (State Prisons) (MCI-State Prisons).
    3. The agency form number, if any, and the applicable component of 
the Department sponsoring the collection:
    The MCI-State Prisons collection currently includes the following 
forms:
     NPS-4: Annual Summary of Inmate Deaths in State Prisons. 
Annually, this form is sent to the 50 state DOCs to collect the number 
of state prisoner deaths in a calendar year.
     NPS-4A: State Prison Inmate Death Report Form. Annually, 
this form is sent to the 50 state DOCs to collect details about each 
state prisoner death.
    The applicable component within the Department of Justice is the 
Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), in the Office of Justice Programs.
    BJS proposes to transfer the MCI-Jails information collection from 
the currently approved OMB collection under control number 1121-0094, 
where it was bundled with the Annual Survey of Jails and the Survey of 
Jails in Indian Country collections in 2015, to this collection (OMB 
Control Number 1121-0249, expiration 03/31/2019) to form a single 
mortality collection program.
    The combined mortality collection would include the 50 state 
departments of corrections (DOCs) plus approximately 3,000 local jail 
jurisdictions and would collect data on the number and characteristics 
of inmate deaths in the custody of state and local correctional 
facilities.
    Prior to 2015, BJS collected mortality data from both state prisons 
and local jails under the OMB Control Number 1121-0249. In 2015, the 
Mortality in Correctional Institutions (Jails) (MCI-Jails) portion of 
the collection was bundled with the Annual Survey of Jails (ASJ) and 
the Survey of Jails in Indian Country (SJIC) in an attempt to 
consolidate the response burden placed on jails. However, the overlap 
among these three collections is small, both in terms of jails covered 
in each and context collected.
     MCI-Jails requests annual data from about 3,000 jail 
jurisdictions on deaths, the confined population as of December 31, 
average daily population (ADP), number of holds for other 
jurisdictions, and number of admissions to the jail during the calendar 
year.
     The ASJ samples approximately 900 local jails, and 
provides data to estimate the number and characteristics of local jail 
inmates nationwide. The ASJ collects population information, including 
the number of confined inmates, number of individuals supervised in the 
community by local jails, average daily population, and the number of 
holds for other authorities as of June 30. The ASJ also obtains data on 
inmate movements, including the number of admissions and discharges; 
facility characteristics, including rated and peak capacities and 
staffing; and inmate characteristics, including race and ethnicity, 
sex, age group (adult or juvenile), primary offense, and conviction 
status.
     The SJIC collects data from Indian country jails that are 
not part of either the ASJ or the MCI-Jails collections. The SJIC 
collects information from confinement facilities, detention centers, 
jails, and other facilities operated by tribal authorities or the 
Bureau of Indian Affairs.
    Although there is some duplication in data collected by the ASJ and 
MCI-Jails, the reference dates are different and the ASJ is a sample, 
whereas MCI-Jails is a full enumeration of jail jurisdictions. Due to 
seasonal fluctuations in jail populations, and fewer inmates held at 
year-end (December 31), the ASJ uses the last weekday in June as its 
reference date. MCI-Jails uses December 31 as its reference date, and 
more importantly, uses ADP from January 1 to December 31 as the 
denominator in calculating mortality rates, which is consistent with 
the time period represented by the numerator, the number of deaths in a 
calendar year.
    The following forms are proposed to be transferred from OMB Control 
Number 1121-0094 to OMB Control Number 1121-0249:
     CJ-9: Death Report on Inmates under Jail Jurisdiction. 
This form goes to all jail jurisdictions that are operated by a county 
or city. Jail administrators are requested to complete the form if 
their facilities had one or more deaths in a calendar year.

[[Page 1508]]

     CJ-10: Death Report on Inmates in Private and Multi-
Jurisdictional Jails. This form goes to all confinement facilities 
administered by two or more local governments (regional jails) and 
privately owned or operated confinement facilities. Jail administrators 
are requested to complete the form if their facilities had one or more 
deaths in a calendar year.
     CJ-9A: Annual Summary on Inmates under Jail Jurisdiction. 
This form goes to county and city jail jurisdictions. The form collects 
the number of male and female deaths in custody in a calendar year, the 
number of males and females confined as of December 31, the number of 
male and female admissions during the year, the average daily 
population by sex, and the number of persons confined on behalf of 
other agencies.
     CJ-10A: Annual Summary on Inmates in Private and Multi-
Jurisdictional Jails. This form goes to confinement facilities 
administered by two or more local governments (regional jails) and to 
privately owned or operated facilities. The form collects the same 
information as Form CJ-9A.
    4. Affected public who will be asked or required to respond, as 
well as a brief abstract:
    The combined MCI for prisons and jails would collect annual data 
from the 50 state departments of corrections and roughly 3,000 jail 
jurisdictions on the number and nature of deaths in their custody.
    5. An estimate of the total number of respondents and the amount of 
time estimated for an average respondent to respond:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Number of                        Average
          Respondent             Type of contact    total data       Number of    reporting time   Total burden
                                                    respondents      responses       (minutes)        (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
State prisons.................  Annual summary                50              50               5               4
                                 form (NPS-4)
                                 submission--onl
                                 ine and mail.
                                Death record                  50           3,750            * 30           1,875
                                 form (NPS-4A)
                                 submission--onl
                                 ine and mail.
                                Data quality                  50              46              15              12
                                 follow-up--
                                 email and
                                 telephone.
                                Initial                       50              50               8               7
                                 verification
                                 call--telephone.
                                                 -----------------
    Total for state prisons...  ................              50           3,800  ..............           1,898
    Local jails...............  Annual summary             3,000           3,000              15             750
                                 form (CJ9A, CJ-
                                 10A)
                                 submission--onl
                                 ine and mail.
                                Death record               3,000           1,100            * 30             550
                                 form (CJ-9, CJ-
                                 10) submission--
                                 online and mail.
                                Data quality               3,000             900              15             225
                                 follow-up--
                                 email and
                                 telephone.
                                Initial                    3,000           3,000               8             400
                                 verification
                                 call--telephone.
                                                 -----------------
    Total for local jails.....  ................           3,000           4,100  ..............           1,925
                                                 -----------------
        Total hours for MCI     ................           3,050           7,900  ..............           3,823
         (state prison and
         local jail).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Minutes per death.

    State Prison Respondent Burden. Reporting time estimates from state 
prison authorities are based on previous MCI data collection cycles. 
Based on 2016 data, 50 DOCs submitted data on 3,750 inmate deaths. The 
average response time for the death report form (NPS-4A) is 30 minutes 
per death. Given these assumptions, we expect that in any data 
collection year:
     50 state prison respondents will submit 3,750 death 
reports, with an average response time of 30 minutes per death report 
form, for a total burden of 1,875 hours.
    Each state prison respondent will need to fill out a one-item 
annual summary form (NPS-4) with an estimated reporting time of 5 
minutes. We expect the response time to remain constant:
     50 state prison respondents will each submit an annual 
summary form, with an average response time of 5 minutes per annual 
summary form, for a total burden of 4 hours.
    The 50 state prison respondents will be called to participate in 
the verification call (with an estimated reporting time of 8 minutes) 
prior to the start of the data collection. We expect that in any data 
collection year:
     50 state prison respondents will have an average response 
time of 8 minutes per verification call, for a total burden of 7 hours.
    Data quality follow-up occurs between May and July of each 
collection year and involves confirming, clarifying or correcting data 
reported on the NPS-4 and NPS-4A forms submitted by the respondent. Not 
all DOC records submitted require data quality follow-up. An average of 
46 respondents require some level of follow-up annually, which averages 
about 15 minutes per respondent, for a total burden of 12 hours.
    Thus, the total burden of hours associated with the prison data 
collection is 1,898 hours, with an average burden of 38 hours per year 
across the 50 state prison respondents. This is an increase in burden 
from the 2016 MCI clearance package, due to an increase in the number 
of deaths reported.
    Local Jail Respondent Burden. Reporting time estimates from local 
jail authorities are based on previous MCI data collection cycles. 
Based 2016 data, approximately 3,000 DOCs submitted data on 1,100 
inmate deaths. The average response time for the death report form (CJ-
9 or CJ-10) is 30 minutes per death. Given these assumptions, we expect 
that in any data collection year:
     3,000 local jail respondents will submit 1,100 death 
reports, with an average response time of 30 minutes per death report 
form, for a total burden of 550 hours.
    Each local jail respondent will need to fill out a five-item annual 
summary form (CJ-9A or CJ-10A) with an estimated reporting time of 15 
minutes. We expect the response time to remain constant:

[[Page 1509]]

     3,000 local jail respondents will each submit an annual 
summary form, with an average response time of 15 minutes per annual 
summary form, for a total burden of 750 hours.
    The 3,000 local jail respondents will be called to participate in 
the verification call (with an estimated reporting time of 8 minutes) 
prior to the start of the data collection. We expect that in any data 
collection year:
     3,000 local jail respondents will have an average response 
time of 8 minutes per verification call, for a total burden of 400 
hours.
    Data quality follow-up occurs between May and July of each 
collection year and involves confirming, clarifying, or correcting data 
reported on the CJ-9/CJ-9A or CJ-10/CJ-10A forms submitted by the 
respondent. Not all local jail records submitted require data quality 
follow-up. An average of 900 local jail respondents require some level 
of follow-up annually, which averages about 15 minutes per respondent, 
for a total burden of 225 hours.
    The total burden of hours associated with the local jail data 
collection is 1,925 hours, with an average burden of 39 minutes per 
year across the 3,000 local jail respondents. This is an increase in 
burden from the 2016 MCI-Jails clearance package (OMB control number 
1121-0094), due to an increase in the number of deaths reported and in 
the number of local jail respondents who will need to be contacted for 
data quality follow-up, based on recent years' data collections.
    Combined State Prison/Local Jail Burden estimate. The total burden 
estimate for MCI across all 3,050 state prisons and local jails is 
3,823 hours per year.
    If additional information is required, contact: Melody Braswell, 
Department Clearance Officer, United States Department of Justice, 
Justice Management Division, Policy and Planning Staff, Two 
Constitution Square, 145 N Street NE, 3E.405A, Washington, DC 20530.

    Dated: January 30, 2019.
Melody Braswell,
Department Clearance Officer for PRA, U.S. Department of Justice.
[FR Doc. 2019-00852 Filed 2-1-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4410-18-P