This regulation, providing for a Missing Children Penalty Mail Program in the Department of Justice (DOJ), is intended to comply with the regulation requirement set forth in section 1(a) of Public Law 99-87, which adds a new section 3220 to title 39, U.S. Code. The regulation also implements the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) guideline (50 FR 46622) promulgated under the authority of 39 U.S.C. 3220(a)(1), and is intended to assist in the location and recovery of missing children through the use of DOJ penalty mail.

The DOJ contact person for the Missing Children Penalty Mail Program is: Patricia Schellman, General Services Staff, Justice Management Division, U.S. Department of Justice, 10th and Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20530, telephone number (202) 633-2353.

(a) The Department of Justice will supplement and expand the national effort to assist in the location and recovery of missing children by maximizing the economical use of missing children photographs and biographical information in domestic penalty mail directed to members of the public.

(b) Because the use of inserts printed with missing children photographs and biographical information has been determined to be the most cost effective method for general application of the program, DOJ's first priority will be to insert, manually and via automated inserting equipment, photographs and biographical data related to missing children in a variety of types of penalty mail envelopes. These include:

(1) Standard letter-size envelopes (4 1/2″ × 9 1/2″);

(2) Document-size envelopes (9 1/2″ × 12″, 9 1/2 × 11 1/2″, 10″ × 13″); and

(3) Other envelopes (misc. size).

(c)(1) Maximum consideration will be given to the use of missing children materials with high volume printing plant or distribution plan mail that will be sent to the public or to Federal, State or local government agencies. Every effort will be made to use the most cost effective and efficient methods of obtaining, distributing, and disseminating missing children information.

(2) In instances when the printing of photograph(s) and biographical information directly on self-mailers and other publications (newsletters, bulletins, etc.) and/or on penalty mail envelopes proves to be practical and cost effective, this method may also be used. Photographs and biographical information related to missing children may be printed on the three types of penalty mail envelopes listed above.

(d) Missing children information shall not be placed on the “Penalty Indicia”, “OCR Read Area”, “Bar Code Read Area”, and “Return Address” areas of standard letter-size envelopes per appendix A of the OJJDP guideline as published in the November 8, 1985, Federal Register (50 FR 46625).

(e) The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (National Center) will be the sole source from which DOJ will acquire the camera-ready and other photographic and biographical materials to be disseminated for use by DOJ organizational units. When printing missing children information, DOJ will select subjects in accordance with the schedule published by the National Center.

(f) DOJ will remove all printed penalty mail envelopes and other materials from circulation or other use (i.e.: Use or destroy) within a three month period from the date the National Center receives information or notice that a child whose photograph and biographical information have been made available to DOJ has been recovered or that the parent(s) or guardian's permission to use the child's photograph and biographical information has been withdrawn. The National Center will be responsible for immediately notifying the DOJ contact person, in writing, of the need to withdraw penalty mail envelopes and other materials related to a particular child from circulation. Photographs which were reasonably current as of the time of the child's disappearance shall be the only acceptable form of visual media or pictorial likeness used on or in DOJ penalty mail.

(g) DOJ will give priority to penalty mail that:

(1) Is addressed to members of the public and will be received in the United States, its territories and possessions; and

(2) Is widely disseminated and read by DOJ employees such as inter- and intra-agency publications and other media.

(h) All DOJ employee suggestions, ideas or recommendations for innovative, cost-effective techniques for implementation of the Missing Children Penalty Mail Program should be forwarded to the DOJ contact person. DOJ Mail Managers shall hold biannual meetings to discuss the status of implementation of the current plan, and to consider recommendations to improve future plan implementation.

(i) This shall be the sole DOJ regulation implementing this program.

It is estimated that this program will cost DOJ $78,000 during the initial year. This figure is based on estimates of printing, inserting, and administrative costs. It is DOJ's objective that 50 percent of DOJ penalty mail contain missing children photographs and biographical information by the end of the first year of the program.

DOJ will compile and submit to OJJDP, by June 30, 1987, a consolidated report on its experience in implementation of 39 U.S.C. 3220(a)(2), the OJJDP guidelines and the DOJ regulation. The report will consolidate information gathered from individual DOJ organizational units and cover the period February 5, 1986 through March 31, 1987. The report will provide the following information:

(a) DOJ's experience in implementation, including problems encountered, successful and/or innovative methods adopted to use missing children photographs and information on or in penalty mail, the estimated number of pieces of penalty mail containing such information, and the estimated percentage of total agency penalty mail, domestic penalty mail, and domestic penalty mail directed to members of the public which this number represents.

(b) The estimated total cost to implement the program, with supporting detail (for example, printing cost, hours of labor or labor cost, cost related to withdrawal of photographs, etc.).

(c) Recommendations for changes in the program which would make it more effective.

(a) The General Services Staff, Justice Management Division (JMD), will be the liaison between the National Center and the principal organizational units of the Department. The General Services Staff, JMD shall be responsible for:

(1) Developing and disseminating Departmentwide guidelines and monitoring the implementation of the Missing Children Penalty Mail Program.

(2) Ordering camera-ready copies and other photographic and biographical material from the National Center, using the format established by the Center, and distributing the material within the Department of Justice.

(3) Immediately notifying DOJ components, in writing, of the need to use or withdraw from circulation, within 90 days, penalty mail envelopes, inserts and other material related to a recovered child or child whose parent(s) or guardian has withdrawn consent to use the photograph and biographical information. See 28 CFR 0.1, Organizational Structure of the Department of Justice, for a listing of DOJ principal organizational units designated as components.

(4) Collecting, analyzing and consolidating cost, mail volume data and other program related information and reporting to OJJDP, by June 30, 1987, on DOJ's experience in implementing the program.

(5) Conducting biannual meetings with selected components contacts to discuss current plans and solicit suggestions and/or recommendations for innovative and cost effective techniques to enhance the success of the program.

(6) Providing guidance and assistance to components in internal program development and implementation.

(7) Maintaining a list of DOJ personnel assigned to serve as Missing Children Program Coordinators for the components.

(b) Bureau Mail Managers and components Executive/Administrative Officers shall be responsible for:

(1) Establishing and implementing internal procedures and guidelines for the dissemination and use of missing children photographs and biographical information on or in domestic penalty mail. For example, the Bureau Mail Manager will provide guidance to Bureau offices on the types of missing children information which are available for use on or in penalty mail and establish procedures for obtaining and using the information, as appropriate.

(2) Identifying and reviewing publications and other Bureau media for suitable use in disseminating missing children photographs and information and obtaining approval for its use from the originating office.

(3) Ensuring that all printed penalty mail envelopes, inserts, and other penalty mail material containing photographs and biographical information on a missing child are used or removed from circulation or other use within 90 days from the date of DOJ notification by the National Center to withdraw material for that child.

(4) Designating Missing Children Coordinator(s) at headquarters and in each component and field office participating in the program.

(5) Arranging for printing and/or acquisition through designated channels, adequate supplies of inserts or penalty mail envelopes and other materials containing photographs and biographical data related to missing children.

(6) Collecting and reporting to the General Services Staff, Justice Management Division, the information identified in § 19.5 of this part as required for inclusion in the DOJ's consolidated report to OJJDP.

(c) Component and Bureau Missing Children Program Coordinators shall be responsible for:

(1) Insuring that adequate supplies of envelopes or inserts are ordered, received or disseminated for use within the organizational unit or requesting camera-ready copy for printing from the DOJ contact person using a written form to be established by DOJ Guideline.

(2) Ensuring that the acquisition and use of missing children information through inserts or printing of these materials in publications or on envelopes is approved by appropriate authority within the organizational unit.

(3) Maintaining and disseminating supplies of inserts, envelopes, and camera-ready copy (for publications) to personnel who prepare domestic penalty mail for dispatch through the U.S. Postal Service.

(4) Notifying employees within their organizational unit to use or remove from circulation all printed penalty mail envelopes, inserts, and other material containing a photograph and biographical information on a missing child within 90 days from the date of DOJ notification by the National Center to withdraw material for that child.

(5) Serving as the central point of contact within their organizations for all matters relating to the Missing Children Penalty Mail Program.

(6) Collecting and reporting essential management information relating to the implemention of this program within their organizational unit and reporting this information to the appropriate Bureau Mail Manager or component Executive/Administrative Officer.

(d) Missing children pictures and biographical information shall not be:

(1) Printed on penalty mail envelopes, inserts, or other materials which are ordered and/or stocked in quantities which represent more than a 90 day supply.

(2) Printed on blank pages or covers of publications that may be included in the Superintendent of Documents' Sales Program or are to be distributed to depository Libraries.

(3) Inserted in any envelope and/or publication the contents of which may be construed to be inappropriate for association with the Missing Children Penalty Mail Program.

(e) Each component shall provide the General Services Staff, Justice Management Division, with the name(s), telephone number(s) and mailing address(es) of each designated Missing Children Program Coordinator within 30 days of the effective date of this regulation.

(f) Each component shall submit a quarterly report to the General Services Staff, Justice Management Division, within 5 days after the close of each Fiscal Year quarter providing the specific information identified in § 19.5 concerning implementation and participation in the program.