[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 105 (Thursday, May 31, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29591-29592]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-13671]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Office of Justice Programs


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Deaths In Custody, 2001

ACTION: Notice of information collection under review; revision of a 
currently approved collection.

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    The Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of 
Justice Statistics, has submitted the following information collection 
request for review and clearance in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995. This proposed information collection is 
published to obtain comments from the public and affected agencies. 
Comments are encouraged and will be accepted for ``sixty days'' until 
July 30, 2001.
    If you have additional comments, suggestions, or additional 
information, especially regarding the estimated public burden and 
associated response time, please write to Lawrence A. Greenfeld, Acting 
Director, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 810 Seventh St. NW, Washington, 
DC 20531. If you need a copy of the collection instruments with 
instructions, or have additional information, please contact 
Christopher Mumola at (202) 307-5995, or via facsimile at 202-514-1757. 
Request written comments and suggestions from the public and affected 
agencies concerning the proposed collection of information.
    Written comments and suggestions from the public and affected 
agencies concerning the proposed collection of information should 
address one or more of the following four points:
    (1) evaluate whether the collection of information is necessary for 
the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including 
whether the information will have practical utility;
    (2) Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of 
the collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used;
    (3) Enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to 
be collected; and
    (4) 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. Revision of a currently 
approved collection.
    (2) The Title of the Form/Collection: Deaths In Custody, 2000--
    Quarterly Summary of Inmate Deaths in State Prison;
    State Prison Inmate Death Report;
    Quarterly Summary of Deaths in State Juvenile Residential 
Facilities;
    State Juvenile Residential Death Report
    Quarterly Report on Inmates Under Jail Jurisdiction;
    Annual Summary on Inmates Under Jail Jurisdiction;
    Quarterly Report on Inmates in Private and Multi-Jurisdiction 
Jails;
    Annual Summary on Inmates in Private and Multi-Jurisdiction Jails.
    (3) The Agency Form Number and the Applicable Component of the 
Department Sponsoring the Collection. Forms: NPS-4, NPS-4A, NPS-5, NPS-
5A, CJ-9, CJ-9A, CJ-10 and CJ-10A. Corrections Statistics Unit, Bureau 
of Justice Statistics, Office of Justice Programs, United States 
Department of Justice.
    (4) Affected Public who will be asked to Respond, as well as a 
Brief Abstract:

[[Page 29592]]

Primary: Local jail administrators, (one reporter from each of the 
3,083 local jail jurisdictions in the United States), State prison 
administrators (one reporter from each of the 50 States and the 
District of Columbia) and State juvenile correctional administrators 
(one reporter from each of the 50 States and the District of Columbia) 
responsible for keeping records on inmates will be asked to provide 
information for the following categories: (a) During each reporting 
quarter, the number of deaths of persons in their custody; and
    (b) As of January 1 and December 31 of each reporting year, the 
number of male and female inmates in their custody (local jails only); 
and
    (c) Between January 1 and December 31 of each reporting year, the 
number of male and female inmates admitted to their custody (local 
jails only); and
    (d) The name, date of birth, gender, race/ethnic origin, and date 
of death for each inmate who died in their custody during each 
reporting quarter; and
    (e) The admission date, legal status, and current offenses for each 
inmate who died in their custody during the reporting quarter; and
    (f) Whether or not an autopsy was conducted by a medical examiner 
or coroner to determine the cause of each inmate death that took place 
in their custody during the reporting quarter; and
    (g) The location and cause of each inmate death that took place in 
their custody during the reporting quarter; and
    (h) In cases where the cause of death was illness/natural causes 
(including AIDS), whether or not the cause of each inmate death was the 
result of a pre-existing medical condition, and whether or not the 
inmate had been receiving treatment for that medical condition; and
    (i) In cases where the cause of death was accidental injury, 
suicide, or homicide, when and where the incident causing the inmate's 
death took place.
    As part of the conference agreement for FY2000 appropriations, the 
Bureau of Justice Statistics was directed by the U.S. Congress ``to 
implement a voluntary annual reporting system of all deaths occurring 
in law enforcement custody.'' BJS received OMB approval to conduct such 
an annual collection (OMB No. 1121-0249). In the time since submitting 
that collection for OMB approval, the President signed The Deaths in 
Custody Act of 2000 into law (PL 106-297). To comply with PL 106-297's 
new requirement for a quarterly collection of inmate death data from 
local jails, State prisons, juvenile facilities and police custody, BJS 
is now submitting for clearance the following series of forms: NPS-4, 
NPS-4A, NPS-5, NPS-5A, CJ-9, CJ-9A, CJ-10, and CJ-10A.
    This collection will supplement the annual data on prison inmate 
deaths which the Bureau of Justice Statistics already collects as part 
of the National Prisoners Statistics program and the National 
Corrections Reporting Program. The Bureau of Justice Statistics will 
use this new information to publish an annual report on deaths in 
custody. The report will be made available to the U.S. Congress, 
Executive Office of the President, practitioners, researchers, 
students, the media, and others interested in criminal justice 
statistics and data.
    (5) An Estimate of the Total Number of Respondents and the Amount 
of Time Needed for an Average Respondent To Respond Is Broken Down as 
Follows:
    The total number of respondents for this information collection is 
3,185 and the time per survey is as follows:

Local jails/quarterly--3,083 respondents (average response time = 5 
minutes + 30 minutes per reported death)
Local jails/annual--3,083 respondents (average response time = 15 
minutes)
State prisons/quarterly--51 respondents (average response time = 5 
minutes)
State prisons/quarterly addendum/quarterly--51 respondents average 
response time = 30 minutes per reported death)
State juvenile corrections/quarterly--51 respondents (average response 
time = 5 minutes)
State juvenile corrections addendum/quarterly--51 respondents (average 
response time = 30 minutes per reported death)

    (6) An Estimate of the Total Public Burden (in hours) Associated 
With the Collection: 3,802 annual burden hours.
    If additional information is required, contact: Mrs. Brenda E, 
Dyer, Deputy Clearance Officer, United States Department of Justice, 
Information Management and Security Staff, Justice Management Division, 
National Place, Suite 1220, 1331 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 
20530.

    Dated: May 24, 2001.
Brenda E. Dyer,
Department Deputy Clearance Officer, Department of Justice.
[FR Doc. 01-13671 Filed 5-30-01; 8:45 am]
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