E9-15809. Bureau of Justice Statistics; Agency Information Collection Activities: Existing Collection; Comments Requested

ACTION:

30-Day Notice of Information Collection Under Review: Extension of a Currently Approved Collection; National Corrections Reporting Program.

The Department of Justice (DOJ), Bureau of Justice Statistics, 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 collection is published to obtain comments from the public and affected agencies. The proposed information collection was previously published in the Federal Register, Volume 74, Number 80, Pages 19238-19239, on April 28, 2009. Comments are encouraged and will be accepted for “thirty days”. This process is conducted in accordance with 5 CFR 1320.10.

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 William J. Sabol, Ph.D., Bureau of Justice Statistics, 810 Seventh Street, NW., Washington, DC 20531 (phone: [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 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 submission of responses.

Overview of This Information Collection

(1) Type of Information Collection: Extension of a currently approved collection.

(2) Title of the Form/Collection: National Corrections Reporting Program. The collection includes the forms: Prisoner Admission Report, Prisoner Release Report, Parole Release Report, Prisoner in Custody at Year-end.

(3) Agency form number, if any, and the applicable component of the Department of Justice sponsoring the collection: Form number(s): NCRP-1A, NCRP-1B, NCRP-1C, and NCRP-1D. Corrections Statistics Unit, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 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: The National Corrections Reporting Program (NCRP) is the only national data collection furnishing annual individual-level information for State prisoners admitted or released during the year, those in custody at year-end, and persons discharged from parole supervision. The NCRP collects data on sentencing, time served in prison and on parole, offense, admission/release type, and demographic information. BJS, the Congress, researchers, and criminal justice practitioners use these data to describe annual movements of adult offenders through State correctional systems. Providers of the data are personnel in the State Departments of Corrections and Parole.

(5) An estimate of the total number of respondents and the amount of time estimated for an average respondent to respond: BJS anticipates 51 respondents for report year 2009 with a total annual burden of 2,254 hours. For each type of information previously provided, respondents will require an average of 8 hours to provide information on prisoner admissions and releases, 8 hours to provide information on parole releases, and 8 hours to provide information on the year-end custody prisoner population. This includes time for modifying and re-running previously written computer programs, preparing input data, and documenting the record layout. For each type of information being supplied for the first time, each respondent will require an average of 24 hours to provide information on prisoner admissions and releases, 24 hours to provide information on parole releases, and 24 hours to provide information on the year-end custody prisoner population. This includes time for developing, testing, and running new computer programs, preparing input data, and documenting the record layout. Each respondent will require an additional 2 hours documenting or explaining the data for a total of 2,254 burden hours. Magnetic media or other electronic formats are expected from all 51 respondents. The total annual burden is expected to decrease for 2010 and beyond, when computer programs written to provide data for 2009 for the first time, are rerun.

(6) An estimate of the total public burden (in hours) associated with the collection: There are an estimated 2,254 total burden hours associated with this collection.

If additional information is required contact: Lynn Bryant, 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: June 30, 2009.

Lynn Bryant,

Department Clearance Officer, PRA, Department of Justice.