FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ??? OJP

MONDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2001???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ?????????? ?202/307-0703

 

 

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ANNOUNCES $40 MILLION TO ENHANCE STATES?
CRIMINAL JUSTICE RECORDS

 

 

WASHINGTON, DC ? The Justice Department announced today that it is awarding $40 million to state agencies to improve the completeness, quality and accessibility of the nation?s criminal record systems.? Since 1995, awards have totaled over $354 million and have gone to all states.?

Funding, which is provided under the Department?s National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP), is administered by the Office of Justice Program?s (OJP) Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS).? NCHIP assists states in automating and upgrading records that link to record systems administered by the FBI, including the National Sex Offender Registry and the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), which supports instant background checks on persons attempting to purchase firearms.

?Automating our criminal records will strengthen our nation?s ability to keep guns out of the hands of those prohibited from purchasing firearms and will enhance the ability of law enforcement agencies to prevent and deter crimes,? said OJP?s Assistant Attorney General Deborah Daniels.? ?Our nation?s citizens deserve a swift and permanent resolution to threats of criminal activities.?

Complete, accurate, and immediately accessible records enable states to: immediately identify individuals with prior criminal records in any state; more effectively identify felons and others prohibited from firearm purchase; check backgrounds of persons responsible for child, elder and disabled care; identify individuals who have a history of domestic violence or stalking; and make informed decisions relating to pretrial release and detention of offenders, prosecutions of career criminals and appropriate correctional confinement.?

?We are committed to giving our law enforcement agencies the resources they need to ensure the safety of all Americans.? Criminal behavior will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,? said Daniels.?

NCHIP awards are made to state agencies designated by the governor.? Awards are based on the amount requested and factors including: the condition of the applying state?s records, the anticipated impact the improvements will have on availability of records throughout the national system,? the extent to which the state has fulfilled goals of previous NCHIP awards and the technical feasibility of the state?s proposal.? State-specific information is attached.

Information about NCHIP is available on Office of Justice Programs Website at www.ojp.usdoj.gov under the ?OJP Press Releases? section, the BJS? Website at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/nchip.htm, or by calling the National Criminal Justice Reference Service toll-free at 800/851-3420.? For specific information about a state program, contact the individual listed on the attached chart.? Media should contact OJP?s Office of Congressional and Public Affairs at 202/307-0703.

?? Department of Justice

?? Office of Justice Programs

?? Bureau of Justice Statistics

 

?? National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP)

 

?? Fiscal Year 2001 Grant Awards to States, Territories and the District of Columbia

 

?? STATE

?RECIPIENT AGENCY

?STATE POINT OF CONTACT

?FY 2001 AWARD

?TOTAL NCHIP FUNDS TO DATE

Alabama

?Criminal Justice Information Center, Montgomery, Alabama

?Roger Humber, 334/242-4937

?$521,574

?$4,528,124

Alaska

?Department of Public Safety, Anchorage, Alaska

?Diane Schenker, 907/269-5092

?$585,000

?$4,801,318

American Samoa

?Department of Public Safety, Pago Pago, American Samoa

?Lancaster D.P. Allen, 684/633-2827

?$300,000(a)

?$1,400,000

Arizona

?Arizona Criminal Justice Commission, Phoenix, Arizona

?Gerald E. Hardt, 602/230-0252

?$1,000,000

?$5,868,988

Arkansas

?Arkansas Crime Information Center, Little Rock, Arkansas

?Richard Thomas, 501/682-2222

?$630,000

?$4,301,187

California

?Bureau of Criminal Identification & Information, Sacramento, California

?Gary Cooper, 916/227-3857

?$2,238,414

?$27,684,094

Colorado

?Colorado Department of Public Safety, Denver, Colorado

?Lance Clem, 303/239-4442

?$507,000

?$4,995,113

Connecticut

?Office of Policy & Management, Hartford, Connecticut

?Theron A. Schnure, 860/418-6416

?$545,000

?$5,362,968

Delaware

?State Bureau of Identification, Delaware State Police, Dover, Delaware

?Captain David E. Deputy, 302/739-5872

?$500,000

?$4,122,307

District of Columbia

?Metropolitan Police Department, Washington, DC

?Mark Brinkman, 202/727-1914

?$350,000

?$2,154,095

Florida

?Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Tallahassee, Florida

?Clayton Wilder, 850/410-8700

?$1,650,787

?$13,004,273

Georgia

?Georgia Crime Information Center, Decatur, Georgia

?Bill Holland, 404/244-2775

?$498,979

?$7,446,096

Guam

?Superior Court of Guam, Hagatna, Guam

?Jacqueline Zahnen, 671/475-3270

?$300,000(a)

?$1,399,796

Hawaii

?Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center, Department of the Attorney General, Honolulu, Hawaii

?Liane Moriyama, 808/587-3110

?$500,000

?$4,067,125

Idaho

?Idaho State Police, Meridian, Idaho

?Robert Taylor, 208/884-7133

?$342,873

?$1,897,434

Illinois

?Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, Chicago, Illinois

?Laura Egger, 312/793-8550

?$1,352,000

?$13,314,000

Indiana

?Indiana Criminal Justice Institute Indianapolis, Indiana

?Kevin Sifferlen, 317/232-1233

?$964,500

?$6,886,773

Iowa

?Iowa Department of Public Safety, Des Moines, Iowa

?Tim McDonald, 515/281-5138

?$208,915

?$3,230,977

Kansas

?Kansas Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, Topeka, Kansas

?Barbara Tombs, 913/296-0923

?$540,359

?$3,992,678

Kentucky

?Kentucky Justice Cabinet, Frankfort, Kentucky

?Kim Allen, 502/564-3251

?$507,000

?$4,991,497

Louisiana

?Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

?Carle Jackson, 225/925-4440

?$578,698

?$5,221,885

Maine

?Maine State Police, Augusta, Maine

?Lt. Colonel Jeffrey Harmon, 207/624-7060

?$508,930(a)

?$4,730,096

Maryland

?Department of Public Safety & Correctional Services, Towson, Maryland

?Alexius O. Bishop, 410/585-3101

?$630,462

?$6,182,962

Massachusetts

?Massachusetts Committee on Criminal Justice, Boston, Massachusetts

?Diana Brensilber, 617/727-6300, Ext. 25

?$1,028,000

?$10,123,012

Michigan

?Michigan State Police, Lansing, Michigan

?David Turner, 517/322-1658

?$1,200,199

?$9,504,521

Minnesota

?Department of Public Safety, St. Paul, Minnesota

?Karen R. McDonald, 651/642-0687

?$984,320

?$5,654,763

Mississippi

?Department of Public Safety, Jackson, Mississippi

?Will Spann, 601/933-2604

?$534,717

?$4,842,796

Missouri

?Missouri State Highway Patrol, Jefferson City, Missouri

?Captain Timothy McGrail, 573/526-6160

?$904,000

?$6,975,648

Montana

?Montana Board of Crime Control, Helena, Montana

?Tom Murphy, 406/444-4298

?$546,842

?$3,633,717

Nebraska

?Nebraska State Patrol, Lincoln, Nebraska

?David Deshong, 402/479-4099

?$553,237

?$4,150,490

Nevada

?Department of Motor Vehicles and Public Safety, Carson City, Nevada

?Sandy Mazy, 775/687-4166

?$810,000

?$3,920,000

New Hampshire

?New Hampshire Department of Justice, Concord, New Hampshire

?Mark Thompson, 603/271-3658

?$407,462

?$4,355,248

New Jersey

?Department of Law & Public Safety, Trenton, New Jersey

?Steven Talpas, 609/984-0634

?$892,980

?$8,793,513

New Mexico

?Department of Public Safety, Santa Fe, New Mexico

?Larry Austin, 505/827-9185

?$686,860

?$5,863,218

New York

?Division of Criminal Justice Services, Albany, New York

?James Shea, 518/457-6075

?$2,225,000

?$21,907,269

North Carolina

?Department of Public Safety & Crime Control, Raleigh, North Carolina

?Doug Yearwood, 919/733-4564

?$635,000

?$6,252,151

North Dakota

?Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Bismarck, North Dakota

?Robert J. Helten, 701/328-5500

?$544,470

?$4,038,398

N. MarianaIslands

?Criminal Justice Planning Agency, Saipan, MP

?Doris Pladevega, 670/664-4550

?Did not apply

?$300,000

Ohio

?Office of Criminal Justice Services, Columbus, Ohio

?Jason Mather614/466-7782

?$1,320,627

?$12,145,409

Oklahoma

?Oklahoma District Attorney's Council, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

?M. DeLynn Fudge, 405/264-5008

?$549,999

?$3,880,878

Oregon

?Department of State Police, Salem, Oregon

?Carmen Merlo, 503/378-3725, Ext. 4145

?$807,300

?$5,485,648

Pennsylvania

?Pennsylvania Commission on Crime & Delinquency, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

?Phillip Renniger, 717/787-2040

?$1,392,000

?$13,704,137

Puerto Rico

?Puerto Rico Department of Justice, San Juan, Puerto Rico

?Roberto Martinez, 787/729-2121

?$300,000(a)

?$1,112,436

Rhode Island

?Governor's Justice Commission, Providence, Rhode Island

?Gina Caruolo, 401/222-4499

?$500,000

?$3,385,294

South Carolina

?South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, Columbia, South Carolina

?Major Mark Huguley, 803/896-7138

?$1,195,406

?$7,451,999

South Dakota

?Office of the Attorney General, Pierre, South Dakota

?Judi Schneider, 605/773-4614

?$452,172

?$3,137,076

Tennessee

?Tennessee Department of Finance & Administration, Nashville, Tennessee

?Particia Dishman, 615/532-2985

?$550,000

?$5,496,978

Texas

?Criminal Justice Policy Council, Austin, Texas

?Gene Draper, 512/463-1810

?Did not apply

?$18,041,275

Utah

?Utah Commission on Criminal & Juvenile Justice, Salt Lake City, Utah

?Jennifer Hemenway, 801/538-1812

?$530,000

?$4,143,341

Vermont

?State Department of Public Safety, Waterbury, Vermont

?Philip Colby, 802/244-8786

?$683,459

?$5,927,426

Virgin Islands

?Law Enforcement Planning Commission, St. Thomas, VI

?Meredith Nelson, 340/774-6400

?$300,000(a)

?$503,157

Virginia

?Virginia State Police, Richmond, Virginia

?Gunnar Kohlbeck, 804/674-4606

?$1,035,143

?$8,625,501

Washington

?Office of Financial Management, Olympia, Washington

?Gary Robinson, 360/902-0593

?$674,000

?$6,631,682

West Virginia

?Department of Military Affairs & Public Safety, Charleston, West Virginia

?J. Norbert Federspiel, 304/558-8814

?$500,000

?$4,552,986

Wisconsin

?Wisconsin Office of Justice Assistance, Madison, Wisconsin

?Stephen Grohmann, 608/266-7185

?$681,000

?$6,708,700

Wyoming

?Division of Criminal Investigation, Cheyenne, Wyoming

?James Wilson, 307/777-7523

?$529,417

?$1,821,910

 

(a) To be awarded in FY 2002.

 

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OJP01200

After hours contact: David Hess, Pager #1-888-763-8943