05-9343. Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comments Requested

ACTION:

30-day notice of information collection under review: 2005 census of jail inmates.

The Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP) has submitted 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 collection is published to obtain comments from the public and affected agencies. This proposed information collection was previously published in the Federal Register volume 70, number 41, page 10413 on March 3, 2005, allowing for a 60-ay comment period.

The purpose of this notice is to allow for an additional 30 days for public comment until June 10, 2005. This process is conducted in accordance with 5 CFR 1320.10.

Written comments and/or suggestions regarding the items contained in this notice, especially the estimated public burden and associated response time, should be directed to the Office of Management and Budget, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attention Department of Justice Desk Officer, Washington, DC 20503. Additionally, comments may be submitted to OMB via facsimile to [phone]. 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 agency, including whether the information will have practical utility;

—Evaluate the accuracy of the agencies 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 submission of responses.

Overview of this Information Collection

(1) Type of Information Collection: Reinstatement, with change, of a previously approved collection for which approval has expired.

(2) Title of the Form/Collection: 2005 Census of Jail Inmates.

(3) Agency form number, if any, and the applicable component of the Department sponsoring the collection: Form Number: CJ3-I. Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJA), Office of Justice Programs, United States Department of Justice.

(4) Affected public who will be asked or required to respond, as well as a brief abstract: Primary: County and City Jail Authorities, and Tribal Authorities. Other: Federal Government, and Private Contractors working under the authority of the Federal Government. The 2005 Census of Jail Inmates, together with the 2005 Census of Jail Facilities, is the foundation for all national statistics on local jails and inmates. These censuses provide the frames from which to generalize to the nation and to track changes over time. Without a periodic census, sample surveys would be unreliable, and statistics would be based on a group of jails of unknown representativeness, that were simply convenient to contact and willing to respond. These censuses provide a benchmark against which jurisdictions may compare their correctional populations. Administrators use this data to evaluate their staffing and budget needs relative to similarly situated jail jurisdictions. Practitioners, policy makers, and researchers are able to test assertions and conclusions about the causes and consequences of current sentencing release policies. Finally, the censuses present raw material for discussion and evaluation of correctional policies and practices throughout the nation, in some States providing the only sources of objective descriptions of the operation of local jails.

(5) An estimate of the total number of respondents and the amount of time estimated for an average respondent to respond/reply: BJA estimates 3,084 respondents, each taking an average of 80 minutes to respond.

(6) An estimate of the total public burden (in hours) associated with the collection: There are an estimated 4,112 total annual burden hours associated with the collection.

If additional information is required contact: Brenda E. Dyer, Department Clearance Officer, United States Department of Justice, Justice Management Division, Policy and Planning Staff, Patrick Henry Building, Suite 1600, 601 D Street, NW., Washington, DC 20530.

Dated: May 5, 2005.

Brenda E. Dyer,

Department Clearance Officer, Department of Justice.