Final Supporting Statement Section B 1-19-16

Final Supporting Statement Section B 1-19-16.docx

Census of Juveniles in Residential Placement (CJRP)

OMB: 1121-0218

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B. COLLECTIONS OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS

This data collection will be a census of juveniles in custody on the reference date. In the best of all possible scenarios, statistical estimation would not be required. However, given the inevitable facility nonresponse and item nonresponse, OJJDP (as in previous years) will work with the Census Bureau to ensure valid and reliable procedures to estimate the population characteristics.

1. Respondent Universe and Sampling Methods

For this census, OJJDP has defined the universe to include all facilities that hold juveniles as offenders. An “offender” is defined as a youth who has committed a crime or status offense^¹ and who is being held because of that offense. It is important that the juvenile be held for the offense and not for some other problem behavior such as alcohol or drug abuse. Also, it is important that the facility specifically be holding the youth for the offense. OJJDP has defined “juveniles” to be any person under 18 years of age, although many states define the age of majority differently (e.g., age 16 in New York and 17 in Wisconsin).

OJJDP intends to survey all public and private facilities in the United States that fulfill these requirements. The 2015 CJRP includes a total of 2,386 facilities: 1041 public and 1345 private residential facilities. They run the gamut of environments from open facilities in which the youth reside in a home environment to the high-security training schools that house upwards of 400 youth.

OJJDP has determined that a census will serve the government’s interest better than a sample survey. Based on the input from OJJDP’s outside consultants, the Office determined that a nationally representative sample of facilities would not suffice. States wish to make comparisons among themselves, and given that juvenile justice policy is made at the state level, a national sample would not serve their purposes. A number of states have only a few facilities (some just one or two). To create a sample large enough to make adequate state-level estimates, OJJDP would in effect conduct a census in many states. Thus, creation of the state-level estimates of residential placement would almost require a national census.

2. Information Collection Procedures

To maintain an accurate and complete list of all facilities of interest, OJJDP annually funds an agreement with the Census Bureau to maintain a list that includes the facilities’ names, addresses, locations, phone numbers, e-mail addresses, and classification information. Although the CJRP collection occurs, biennially, the universe of juvenile residential facilities is supported and maintained on an annual basis because it is used for both the CJRP and Juvenile Residential Facilities Census (JRFC), which occur in alternating years.

To maintain this list, the Census Bureau regularly receives resource materials from OJJDP and other professional and state juvenile justice organizations, and periodically contacts OJJDP grantees, juvenile justice stakeholders, and state juvenile justice agency personnel to gather information on new facilities (births), facility closings (deaths), and changes in facility characteristics. Some of the individuals and organizations that may provide updates to the juvenile justice facility universe include:

Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators;
National Center for Juvenile Justice;
Center for Coordinated Assistance to States (a training and technical assistance provider that assist states in complying with the four core protections of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act)
State Juvenile Justice Specialists (these individuals oversee the management of OJJDP’s State Formula and Block grant funds); and
State Compliance Monitors (these individuals oversee the monitoring of juvenile justice and adult facilities within the state for compliance with requirements of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act).

During the 2014 Juvenile Residential Facility Census collection, a team of Census areas consisting of: the Criminal Justice Statistics Branch (CJB), the Sampling Frame Research and Development Branch (SFRD) and the Public Sector Statistical Methods Branch (PSSMB) compared the Juvenile Universe file with OJJDP’s State Compliance Monitoring documents and the 2010 Group Quarters Master Address file (GMAF). It was discovered that the Juvenile Universe had 206 addresses missing when compared to the GMAF. Further research indicated out of the 206 addresses, 96 where still active during the current fiscal year. The 96 locations were cross-reference with OJJDP’s State Compliance Monitoring documents and added to the Juvenile Universe file for the upcoming CJRP collection.

Additionally, since the initiation of the CJRP in 1997, positive, long-term relationships have developed among the data collection agents at the Census Bureau, OJJDP, and the CJRP/JRFC respondents. Many of the updates result from direct respondent contact with the Census Bureau. Often, new or changed information is written in on submitted CJRP or JRFC survey forms, prompting follow-up as necessary. Additionally, a non-deliverable form returned via the United States Postal Service or a non-response will prompt the Census Bureau to initiate research on a facility to gain updated information. This outreach is often as simple as contacting the respondent on file or a state agency. Depending on the outcome, a more in-depth search may be implemented, at times with OJJDP assistance.

As for the actual collection of the information through the Census Bureau, OJJDP will pursue the following schedule.

Schedule for Collecting Facility Information
Time Frame	Action

The week of the reference date	Mail survey forms and associated materials
2 weeks after reference date	Mail reminder letters (non-respondents only)
4 weeks after reference date	Mail a second-notice survey form (non-respondents only)
4-6 weeks after reference date	Begin telephone follow-up

This schedule was developed based on experience with other censuses and experience in testing and administering the CJRP in previous years. Should circumstances require changes (most likely to move forward the telephone follow-ups), the schedule will be changed accordingly.

Typically, OJJDP has been able to achieve a high response rate (90 to 95 percent) for its facility-based censuses. Such a level of response has proven sufficient for purposes of the designated analysis. The Office expects to continue this high response rate in future administrations of the CJRP.

3. Methods to Maximize Response Rates

OJJDP and the Census Bureau are committed to very high response rates and high-quality data. In 2013, there were a total of 2,293 “in scope” facilities in the universe (note this has now increased to 2,386 due to the recent improvements to the collection’s frame). For the 2013 CJRP, the response rate was 92 percent (full response), representing 2,111 respondent facilities. An additional 113 facilities provided “critical item information,” and 182 facilities did not respond.

In acknowledgement of the importance of maintaining a high response rate, OJJDP continues to explore and use new techniques which we expect will increase and maintain the existing response rate:

Electronic reporting in a manner acceptable to the respondent (e.g., in 2013, the Census Bureau continued the use of a user friendly online reporting mechanism that has yielded good results);
Streamlined forms and clear response instructions (e.g., the addition of facility type definitions noted under Section A.15);
Continued support at the Census Bureau through a toll-free number to answer any questions that arise;
Continuous contact with respondents through e-mail and paper mail (see the schedule for mailout and reminder notices, above); and
Call-back procedures that continue until data closeout in April/May of the following year.

Additionally in 2015, in an effort to demonstrate to facilities how their data is used by policymakers and the public, the OJJDP-published bulletin: Juveniles in Residential Placement, 2011 (see Attachment L), was included in the October mailout of the CJRP instrument. Staff at the Census reported that facilities may be more likely to respond if they are able to see the importance of their data in understanding national trends, and those respondents with confidentiality concerns may be reassured that their data is only reported in the aggregate.

OJJDP anticipates this ongoing effort to engage respondents will continue to yield positive outcomes.

4. Tests of Procedures

The development of the CJRP followed a solid development design. The Center for Survey Methods Research at the Census Bureau began with semistructured exploratory interviews of 20 respondents. The respondents were varied based on size and type of facility. These interviews were designed to learn how respondents think about the population in their facilities and how they understand various important concepts OJJDP wishes to report on (for example, delinquent versus status offense).

Results of these interviews informed the development of a test instrument, which was reviewed and refined by OJJDP staff and a group of consultants. CSMR used the refined draft instrument to conduct multiple rounds of cognitive interviews with respondents. Based on these interviews, CSMR and OJJDP produced an instrument for pretesting. Using a reference date of October 30, 1996, the Governments Division of the Census Bureau conducted a pre-test of 400 facilities. This test included a small sample of facilities (96) that would receive the Children in Custody (CIC) form so that CSMR could compare the results of these two tests to more accurately judge how the CJRP form performed compared with the CIC. Statisticians at the Center for Survey Methods Research (CSMR) at the Census Bureau analyzed the data and submitted a report to OJJDP.

Since the first full administration of the CJRP in 1997, OJJDP has worked with the Census Bureau to establish and maintain appropriate statistical procedures for the data files. As part of the normal procedures for each CJRP file, the Economic Statistical Methods and Programming Division (ESMPD) of the Census Bureau analyzes the quality of the data and develops methods for imputing for facility nonresponse and item nonresponse. ESMPD provides a detailed report for each file. This report demonstrates the quality of the data collection efforts and the procedures the Economic Reimbursable Surveys Division uses to collect the CJRP data. A complete Imputation report for the 2013 CJRP is available in Appendix J.

5. Statistical Consultants

Presently, OJJDP funds an Interagency Agreement (IAA) with the Governments Division of the Census Bureau to perform data collection and to maintain the data file and address lists. This IAA also funds the imputation activity (ESMPD) related to the CJRP file. OJJDP funds a competitive cooperative agreement with the National Center of Juvenile Justice to host and maintain the statistical briefing book, and funds an evaluation management contract with CSR, Incorporated.

Relevant Contacts:

Nicole Adolph

Chief, Criminal Justice Statistics Branch