[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 38 (Monday, February 26, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14108-14109]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-03768]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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: 30-Day notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), Department of Justice 
(DOJ), will be submitting the following information collection request 
to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in 
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The proposed 
information was published in the Federal Register on December 11, 2023, 
allowing a 60-day comment period. Following publication of the 60-day 
notice, the Bureau of Justice Statistics received three comments. 
Responses to these comments will be included in the final clearance 
package submitted to OMB.

DATES: Comments are encouraged and will be accepted for 30 days until 
April 26, 2024.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have 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.

Overview of This Information Collection

    1. Type of Information Collection: Reinstatement of a previously 
approved collection.
    2. The Title of the Form/Collection: Census of Jails (COJ).
    3. 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: The affected public that will be 
asked to respond to the COJ includes jail administrators and staff from 
approximately 2,900 city, county, regional, and private jails. The 
obligation to respond is voluntary.
    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 jail respondents, 
representing approximately 3,100 jail facilities. 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.
    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 $534,016.80.

[[Page 14109]]



                                               Total Burden Hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                       Average     Total annual
            Activity                Number of         Frequency       Total annual    reporting       burden
                                   respondents                          responses    time  (min)      (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                    2024 COJ
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Data collection................           2,900  Annual............           2,900          150           7,250
Data quality follow-up.........           2,030  Annual............           2,030           10             338
                                --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Unduplicated Totals........           2,900  ..................  ..............  ...........           7,588
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                    2025 COJ
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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-                 2,900  Annual............           2,900            5             242
 contact verification.
                                --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Unduplicated Totals........           2,900  ..................  ..............  ...........           4,447
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                    2026 COJ
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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-                 2,900  Annual............           2,900            5             242
 contact verification.
                                --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Unduplicated Totals........           2,900  ..................  ..............  ...........           4,447
                                --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Unduplicated Totals for               2,900  ..................  ..............  ...........          16,482
     2024, 2025, and 2026 COJ.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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: February 20, 2024.
Darwin Arceo,
Department Clearance Officer for PRA, U.S. Department of Justice.
[FR Doc. 2024-03768 Filed 2-23-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4410-18-P