NCJ Number
103144
Date Published
Unknown
Length
22 pages
Annotation
This section examines design, procedural, and organizational aspects of a Project SEARCH (System for Electronic Analysis and Retrieval of Criminal Histories) demonstration system as they affect personal privacy.
Abstract
The Project SEARCH committee believes strongly that data included in any future criminal history system should be limited to those with the characteristics of public records. The paper identifies data which should be included in files and specifies data which are excluded, such as information concerning juvenile offenders and misdemeanor drunk and traffic arrests. In the collection stage, privacy concerns focus on data accuracy and completeness. Privacy guidelines governing the storage of data focus on system security, data purging, and data classification. The section on systems access addresses two categories: qualified users and offenders whose records are maintained in the file. Another set of privacy guidelines considers uses of system data by law enforcement and criminal justice agencies, by potential secondary users such as licensing agencies or the military, and for research. Issues of administrative policy are examined in three areas: proper legal and administrative relationships in the system, its participating agencies, and other public bodies; internal methods of control; and external remedies for those harmed by the system's activities.