Department of Justice Announces Proposed Changes to Juvenile Facility Census Program
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The Department of Justice (DOJ) has published a notice about a planned update to its Juvenile Facility Census Program (JFCP). This program collects information about places where young people under age 21 are kept because of contact with the justice system. The update has been sent to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval.
Public Comments Invited
People can comment on the changes until December 29, 2025. The DOJ wants feedback about whether the update is needed, if the time estimates are right, ideas for making the questions better, and ways to lower the time or work required. Comments can be sent through www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain online.
Details of the Census Program
The JFCP is a combination of two earlier data collections: the Census of Juveniles in Residential Placement (CJRP) and the Juvenile Residential Facility Census (JRFC). Now, instead of doing these separately, they will be merged into one program. The census collects details from all types of youth residential facilities—both secure and nonsecure. These include places where youth are housed for law violations, whether they are waiting for court or have been committed after being found responsible for an offense.
There are two main parts to the new program. The first is the Youth Population module. It asks for details about the youth living in the facilities, including their ages, backgrounds, and the length of time they stay. The second is the Facility Operations module. This part covers information about the services, features, and daily operations of each facility.
Each of these two modules is collected separately during a two-year cycle.
Number of Respondents and Time Required
About 1,636 people or groups will need to respond for each module each year. It takes about 4 hours to complete the Youth Characteristics (CJ-14) module and 2 hours for the Facility Operations (CJ-15) module. The total work time for everyone for one full collection cycle will be about 9,816 hours.
Costs of the Program
The DOJ says the yearly cost of collecting this information is about $1,142,115. For the full two-year cycle, the cost is estimated at $2,284,230.
Why the Change?
By combining the two separate data collections into one, the DOJ hopes to save money and reduce the amount of work for people who have to answer the questions.
When Will It Happen?
The DOJ is asking for approval to run this information collection system for two years at a time. Each approval from OMB cannot last longer than three years without another review.
How to Get More Information
If you need more information about this update, you can contact Benjamin Adams, Supervisory Social Science Analyst, at the National Institute of Justice, by email or phone. You may also reach Darwin Arceo, the Department Clearance Officer, at the Department of Justice in Washington, DC.
This notice was signed by Darwin Arceo on November 25, 2025.
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