CIMIS (Correctional Institution Management Information System) Operations Report - Cook County Department of Corrections

• NCJ Number: 93254
• Author(s): B Serxner; J R Coldren
• Date Published: 1982
• Length: 104 pages
• Corporate Author: IllinoisCriminal Justice Information Authority
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/; NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This report analyzes the use of the Correctional Institution Management Information System (CIMIS) at the Cook County Department of Corrections (CCDOC) and recommends changes designed to streamline system operation.

Abstract

The CIMIS Data Project has three goals: to survey inmate data in the CIMIS data base at all sites, to describe CIMIS operations at all sites, and to determine whether the decisions made by corrections personnel are patterned and predicatable using CIMIS data. The research methods used to obtain data for this report were: observation of CIMIS operations in all of the CCDOC divisions, interviews with CIMIS users, managers, and designers; and analysis of portions of the CIMIS data base. Findings show that CCDOC uses CIMIS as a secondary procedure in data entry, data update, living unit assignment, and daily inmate court tasks. The elimination of initial paper recording steps would simplify record entry and updates and would decrease errors. In addition, CCODC does not use CIMIS to distinguish between the Receiving Room and the housing units as separate entities, does not follow inmate movement with all the available CIMIS options, and does not use CIMIS to identify inmates with special status. CIMIS lacks emergency recovery procedures, and terminal capabilities do not reflect user needs. The system is not used to its field potential as a support system for administration information needs and take an inordinate amount of time for searches on common inmate surnames. Changes are recommended to remedy each of these shortcomings. If Cook County Criminal Court officials were to eliminate needless booking of inmates how have paid bond, the CCDOC workload would ease. Further improvements at CCDOC would result form streamlining of CIMIS record creation and from the automatic inquiry into CIMIS for outstanding warrants against inmates booked into a discharged from the institution. Appendixes include a glossary of terms, copies of CCDOC reports and documents, and a schedule of observational visits to CCDOC. A total of 33 tables accompany the text.