Final JRFC Supporting Statement B

B. COLLECTIONS OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS

The JRFC universe includes all public, private, territory and tribal juvenile facilities in the United States. In the best of all possible scenarios, statistical estimation would not be required. However, given the inevitable facility non-response and item non-response, 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 offense¹ 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., 16 in New York, 17 in Wisconsin).

OJJDP intends to survey all public and private facilities in the United States that fulfill these requirements. These facilities 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.

Based on expert consultation, OJJDP determined that a census is most effective in meeting the government’s interest compared to a nationally representative sample of facilities because: (1) a nationally representative would not allow for between state comparisons, hampering states’ ability to develop informed juvenile justice policy at the State level; and (2) states with only few facilities (one or two) would increase the difficulty in calculating accurate state level estimates.

2. Information Collection Procedures

To maintain an accurate and complete list of all facilities of interest, OJJDP annually funds a broad 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 JRFC collection occurs, biennially, the universe of juvenile residential facilities is supported and maintained on an annual basis because it is used for both the JRFC and CJRP, 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 Partnership for Juvenile Services, which is a partnership of: the Council for Educators of At-Risk and Delinquent Youth, the Juvenile Justice Trainers Association, the National Association for Juvenile Correctional Agencies, and the National Juvenile Detention Association;

• 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).

Since the initiation of the CJRP and JRFC in 1997 and 2000 respectively, 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.

During 2012 (the most recent period for which data are available--through the JRFC), the U.S. Census Bureau identified 154 facilities that reported a total of 156 changes affecting the JRFC/CJRP universe. Please see Attachment L for further information. (Note there are three tabs in the spreadsheet.) These changes include information updates (changes to respondent contact, facility address and facility name) and status changes (facility births, deaths, merges, and temporary closures).

In the FY13 Interagency Agreement, OJJDP and the Census agreed to add a separate and distinct task to conduct comprehensive research, development, and maintenance of the juvenile facility frame used for both the JRFC and the CJRP. Work to be performed by the Census/Governments Division includes:

• Maintain an accurate and up-to-date contact list of the survey respondents. Verify and update the names, titles, addresses, and contact information of the respondents, including the phone and fax numbers, and email addresses prior to each data collection cycle.

• Engage key stakeholders to obtain input frame maintenance and development. Network and participate in meetings of state juvenile corrections administrators to seek advice on developing new methods for universe development and maintenance. Establish partnerships at the state and local level to build and maintain up-to-date lists of all facilities.

• Research facilities online, through publications and associations, and work with State data providers and private juvenile residential companies to develop new ways to get data and implement new central reporting arrangements.

• Participate with OJJDP and partners at the conferences and meetings to present on issues related to the juvenile facility corrections data. The conference presentation tasks may include (a) co-leading focus groups to obtain feedback about the survey for the purposes of enhancing the survey; (b) presentation at a conference/meeting. Research potential for hosting an information booth.

• Product Marketing: Develop and implement a marketing plan for the CJRP/JRFC that has as its goals increasing awareness of both and its purposes and utility to the field and that reduces response time for completing the survey. As part of this activity, engage professional associations to support the CJRP/JRFC effort.

• Engage key stakeholders to obtain input on questionnaire content, question wording, survey administration issues and logistics, and other aspects of the CJRP/JRFC. Use a variety of methods, as appropriate, to obtain stakeholder input, such as webinars, local travel, meetings, and attendance at conferences.

• Develop and implement a marketing plan for the OJJDP data collections that will aid in developing a complete frame, achieving high response rates and high quality data submissions

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
4 weeks before reference date	Mail advance notice letter
2 weeks before reference date	Mail survey forms
1 week after reference date	Mail reminder letters (non-respondents only)
4 weeks after reference date	Mail a second-notice survey form (non-respondents only)
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 JRFC 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 (85 to 95 percent) for its facility-based censuses. Such a level of response has proven sufficient for designated analysis purposes. The Office expects to continue this high response rate in future administrations of the JRFC.

3. Methods to Maximize Response Rates

OJJDP and the Census Bureau are committed to very high response rates and high quality data. To summarize, OJJDP will use the following techniques to maximize response:

• Electronic reporting in a manner acceptable to the respondent

• Streamlined forms and clear response instructions

• Continued support at the Census Bureau through a toll free number to answer any questions that arise

• Continuous contact with respondents through the email and U.S mail (see the schedule for mailout and reminder notices above)

• Call-back procedures that continue until data close-out in April/May of the following year.

These procedures have been developed and tested through the administration of the CIC and through four administrations of the JRFC. They have proven effective in achieving and maintaining a high response rate of which OJJDP and the Census Bureau are quite proud.

4. Tests of Procedures

The Census Bureau and OJJDP tested the data collection procedures in a field test that began in October 1998. This test included a sample of 500 facilities. It was not a random sample but rather a sampled based on facility type and facility size. The combination of these variables created a series of strata. The goal was to test the procedures on each stratum and to modify the data collection procedures as necessary. The results of this test resulted in several changes to the instrument and to the collection methods; however, these changes were more cosmetic rather than substantive. The content of the survey did not require changing, but the Census Bureau learned much about how to administer this type of survey to the facilities included.

Since then, OJJDP has worked with the Census Bureau and other consultants to periodically retest the instrument in the field, in particular at times when new questions or topics have been proposed. The last field test (for questions related to immunizations) occurred in 2006. Improvements were made to the form based on feedback received during these field tests.

5. Statistical Consultants

Presently, OJJDP funds an Interagency Agreement with the Governments Division at 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 also funds a cooperative agreement with the National Center for Juvenile Justice to perform initial analysis of the JRFC data file, and to produce summary findings for publication and online dissemination.

Relevant Contacts:

Stephen Simoncini

Governments Division

U.S. Census Bureau

Washington, DC 20233

(301) 763-7375

Suzanne M. Dorinski

ESMPD

U.S. Census Bureau

Washington, DC 20233

(301) 763-4869

Melissa Sickmund and Charles Puzzanchera

National Center for Juvenile Justice

Pittsburgh, PA

(412) 227-6950

Monica L. Robbers

CSR, Incorporated

Arlington, VA

(703) 741-7169

1Status offenses are those offenses which are illegal for minors but not for adults. For example, truancy or running away may be a status offense depending on the state in which the juvenile resides. Other status offenses include ungovernability, underage drinking, or curfew violations.

OMB Submission Juvenile Residential Facility Census-2013 Page 5 of 18