NCJ Number
175041
Date Published
April 1999
Length
65 pages
Annotation
This report describes the status of State criminal history record systems at the end of 1997; data presented in the report are used as the basis for estimating the percentage of total State records that are immediately available through the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Interstate Identification Index (III) and the percentage that include dispositions.
Abstract
Other data include the number of records maintained by each State, the percentage of automated records in the system, and the number of States participating in the III. The data show that 49 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico have automated at least some records in criminal history record files. Twenty States have fully automated criminal history record files and master name indexes, while 45 States have fully automated master name indexes. Of those States maintaining partially automated criminal history record files, when an offender with a prior manual record is arrested, the prior manual record is subsequently automated in 23 States. Twenty-one States and the District of Columbia reported that 80 percent or more arrests within the past 5 years in the criminal history database have final dispositions recorded, 25 States reported that 70 percent or more arrests have final dispositions recorded, and 29 States reported that 60 percent or more arrests have final dispositions recorded. Twenty-nine States and the District of Columbia reported over 4.6 million final dispositions in 1997. Forty-two States and Puerto Rico flag some or all felony convictions in the criminal history database. An average of 42 days separates final court dispositions and receipt of that information by State criminal history repositories. An average of 33 days separates the receipt of final trial court dispositions and entry of disposition data into the criminal history database. As of December 31, 1997, over 54.2 million criminal history records were filed in State criminal history repositories, and 87 percent of these records were automated. Data are also provided on the completeness of data in State criminal history repositories, correctional populations, procedures to improve data quality, methods to link arrests and dispositions, and audits. 23 tables and 1 figure