[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 236 (Monday, December 11, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 85916-85918]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-27096]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

[OMB Number 1121-0100]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed eCollection 
eComments Requested; Reinstatement of a Previously Approved Collection; 
Census of Jails 2024-26

AGENCY: Bureau of Justice Statistics, Department of Justice.

ACTION: 60-Day notice.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Justice Statistics, Department of Justice (DOJ), 
will be submitting the following information collection request to the 
Office of Management and Budget

[[Page 85917]]

(OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: Comments are encouraged and will be accepted for 60 days until 
February 9, 2024.

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 
Zhen Zeng, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 810 Seventh Street NW, 
Washington, DC 20531 (email: [email protected]; telephone: 202-598-
9955).

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.

    Abstract: Since 1970, BJS has conducted the Census of Jails (COJ, 
OMB Control No. 1121-0010) every 5-6 years to gather data on jail 
facilities and inmate populations. The most recent COJ was conducted in 
2019 and collected data from around 2,900 U.S. local jails. The COJ is 
BJS's most comprehensive collection of jail data and serves as the 
sampling frame for BJS's other jail surveys. In the years when the COJ 
is not fielded, BJS administers the Annual Survey of Jails (ASJ, OMB 
Control No. 1121-0094) to one third of the local jails nationwide. 
However, the ASJ's sample size is not sufficient to produce state-level 
estimates. To address this gap, BJS proposes to replace the ASJ with an 
annual census starting in 2025. The change will ensure that 
policymakers, correctional administrators, and government officials 
have timely and relevant data for policy development, budget planning, 
and oversight. The 2025 and 2026 COJ forms will be shorter, resembling 
the ASJ form in scope, with 16 items related to jail populations and 
facility characteristics. In 2024, the COJ will collect comprehensive 
data on jail population size and characteristics, such as one-day 
counts, demographics, conviction status, holds for federal and state 
prison authorities. It will also cover facility characteristics and 
jail programs. Notably, the 2024 COJ includes a special module on 
opioids use disorder screening and treatment which updates data first 
collected in 2019.

Overview of This Information Collection

    1. Type of Information Collection: Reinstatment of a previously 
approved collection.
    2. The Title of the Form/Collection: Census of Jails (COJ).
    3. The agency form number, if any, and the applicable component of 
the Department sponsoring the collection: The COJ contains one form--
CJ-3: Census of Jails. The applicable component within the Department 
of Justice is the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), in the Office of 
Justice Programs.
    4. Affected public who will be asked or required to respond, as 
well as the obligation to respond: Affected Public is state, local, and 
tribal governments. The obligation to respond is voluntary.
    5. An estimate of the total number of respondents and the amount of 
time estimated for an average respondent to respond: The total 
estimated number of respondents is 2,900 for each year of collection.
    It takes 150 minutes to complete the 2024 COJ form. About 70% of 
the respondents (2,030) will be contacted for data quality follow-up 
and each follow-up will take 10 minutes. The total burden for the 2024 
COJ is 7,588 hours. The 2025 and 2026 COJ forms are shorter than the 
2024 form and take 80 minutes per response. The estimated time and 
number of respondents for data quality follow-up remain the same. In 
addition, it takes 5 minutes to verify jail status and point-of-contact 
per jail for the 2025 and 2026 COJ. The burden for the 2025 and 2026 
COJ is 4,447 hours for each collection. Jail verification takes 10 
minutes per jail for the 2024 COJ. This burden is covered by BJS's 
generic clearance agreement (OMB Control Number 1121-0339) and excluded 
from the current OMB application.
    6. An estimate of the total annual burden (in hours) associated 
with the collection: The average annual burden is 5,494 hours, or 
16,482 hours for three years of data collection.
    7. An estimate of the total annual cost burden associated with the 
collection, if applicable: The estimated cost is $494,460.

                                               Total Burden Hours
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                                                                                                         Total
                                         Number of                               Total      Average     annual
               Activity                 respondents         Frequency           annual     reporting    burden
                                                                               responses  time (min)    (hours)
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                                                    2024 COJ
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Data collection......................         2,900  Annual.................       2,900         150       7,250
Data quality follow-up...............         2,030  Annual.................       2,030          10         338
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    Unduplicated Totals..............         2,900  .......................  ..........  ..........       7,588
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                                                    2025 COJ
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Data collection......................         2,900  Annual.................       2,900          80       3,867
Data quality follow-up...............         2,030  Annual.................       2,030          10         338
Jail status and point-of-contact              2,900  Annual.................       2,900           5         242
 verification.
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[[Page 85918]]

 
    Unduplicated Totals..............         2,900  .......................  ..........  ..........       4,447
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                                                    2026 COJ
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Data collection......................         2,900  Annual.................       2,900          80       3,867
Data quality follow-up...............         2,030  Annual.................       2,030          10         338
Jail status and point-of-contact              2,900  Annual.................       2,900           5         242
 verification.
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    Unduplicated Totals..............         2,900  .......................  ..........  ..........       4,447
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        Unduplicated Totals for 2024,         2,900  .......................  ..........  ..........      16,482
         2025, and 2026 COJ.
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    If additional information is required contact: Darwin Arceo, 
Department Clearance Officer, United States Department of Justice, 
Justice Management Division, Policy and Planning Staff, Two 
Constitution Square, 145 N Street NE, 4W-218, Washington, DC.

    Dated: December 6, 2023.
Darwin Arceo,
Department Clearance Officer for PRA, U.S. Department of Justice.
[FR Doc. 2023-27096 Filed 12-8-23; 8:45 am]
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