The Criminal Justice Information Services Division (CJIS) serves as the focal point and central repository for criminal justice information services in the FBI. CJIS is a customer-driven organization that provides state-of-the-art identification and information services to the local, state, federal, and international criminal justice communities. The CJIS Division includes the Fingerprint Identification Program, National Crime Information Center Program, Uniform Crime Reporting Program, and the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS) -- a computer-based system that can store, process, analyze, and retrieve millions of fingerprints in a short period of time.

The mission of CJIS is to reduce terrorist and criminal activities. We do this by maximizing the ability to provide timely and relevant criminal justice information to the FBI and to qualified law enforcement, criminal justice, civilian, academic, employment, and licensing agencies concerning individuals, stolen property, criminal organizations and activities, and other law enforcement related data. In support of these efforts, CJIS administers an advisory process which shares management and policy making decisions with local, state, and federal criminal justice agencies.

For career-related information on the Criminal Justice Information Services Division, please see:

• Types of Work Performed
• Useful Educational Backgrounds
• Critical Skills/Desirable Backgrounds
• Career Advancement Opportunities
• Training Requirements and Opportunities
• Travel Requirements

Types of Work Performed

The CJIS Division is comprised of the following major functional areas:

• Criminal History Information and Identification Services – Identifies individuals and matches them to their criminal history records for criminal justice and civil suitability purposes
• National Crime Information Center – Makes available data files on wanted persons, stolen property, criminal organizations, and other criminal activity related information
• National Instant Criminal Background Check System – Manages and operates the background check program for checks on individuals purchasing a gun or being employed in a capacity that involves the handling of explosives
• Crime Reporting/Information Sharing – Automates the compilation of crime statistics for tracking criminal trends and for specific crime analysis
• Law Enforcement On-Line – Manages and operates an Internet system restricted to law enforcement personnel for the exchange of unclassified but sensitive law enforcement information

CJIS employees perform a wide variety of highly rewarding jobs. For example, our employees:

• Perform fingerprint comparisons
• Manage fingerprint and criminal history records (both paper and automated)
• Perform suitability checks – checking people's name, date of birth, and social security number against criminal history records for gun checks, explosive handler checks, and biohazard employment checks
• Coordinate meetings and conferences with our major external advisory policy boards made up of local, state, and federal law enforcement customers
• Build interoperability (electronic exchange of information) with other agencies
• Serve on Fly Away teams to obtain fingerprints for urgent reasons (e.g., fighting terrorism or identifying contractors for FEMA during natural disasters)
• Gather and compile crime statistics for publication
• Conduct off-line searches of the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) records
• Operate and maintain extensive automated systems
• Conduct major automation enhancements and design and employ new technologies

CJIS offers the following entry-level positions:

• Fingerprints Examiner – Employees are FBI trained to compare fingerprint images in order to identify a person and match them to their criminal history record
• Identification Records Examiner – Employees are FBI trained to manage criminal history records
• Legal Instrument Examiner – Employees are FBI trained to conduct suitability and risk assessment background checks on individuals purchasing guns and handling explosives, pursuant to statute

CJIS offers the following analytical positions:

• Program Analyst and Management Analyst – Requires experience in analyzing large amounts of information or experience in handling major technology contract matters. These analysts work to improve law enforcement's effectiveness and promote public safety and terrorism prevention programs by researching, evaluating, developing, and enhancing innovative criminal justice information programs which support and provide investigative and operational assistance to the local, state, federal, and international criminal justice communities
• Information Technology Specialist – Requires individuals with extensive computer technology backgrounds in programming, maintenance, and system development. CJIS manages and operates large information systems that serve as a mechanism to share criminal justice information with the FBI’s partners in the local, state, federal and international criminal justice communities. Information Technology Specialists research, develop, and evaluate new and emerging technologies, and develop enhancements to existing CJIS programs of importance to the law enforcement/criminal justice community
• Statistician – Requires individuals with experience in data analysis and statistics. The FBI conducts extensive analysis of crime statistics in order to identify criminal trends. Examples of such analysis would include the following topics: law enforcement officers killed and assaulted; hate crimes; National Incident-Based Reporting; Uniform Crime Reporting; and other key types of topical and historical data

Back to Top

Useful Educational Backgrounds

CJIS is heavily automated and requires candidates with backgrounds involving computer science (i.e., programming, systems analysis, system maintenance, etc.). Backgrounds in general analysis, such as business practices, major projects, federal procurement, and work processes are also of value to CJIS. Business backgrounds are also helpful because of the size of the CJIS operation.

Most of our hires within CJIS are given “on the job” training for the lower- and mid-level positions involving fingerprints and background checks. College degrees are not required for these entry-level positions.

Back to Top

Critical Skills/Desirable Backgrounds

CJIS looks for the following critical skills and desirable backgrounds:

• Information Technology/computer science
• Government contracting (contracting, earned value management, source selection, quality control, configuration management)
• Government business and financial matters (budget and formulation)
• General trades - carpentry, plumbing, construction, etc. (CJIS maintains several large facilities)
• Data Analytics/Analysis

Back to Top

Career Advancement Opportunities

Career advancement within CJIS spans up to GS-14 and GS-15 supervisory positions and the Senior Executive Service. Promotions are merit based and require the demonstrated ability to perform higher-level duties.

Back to Top

Training Requirements and Opportunities

New employees are trained for specialty jobs, such as fingerprint examination, gun check functions, etc. Moreover, computer and other more general training is provided if those skills are crucial to carrying out the mission. Our analysts are provided the opportunity for training where needed.

Back to Top

Travel Requirements

Because of the nature of the work we do within CJIS, travel is generally required for those higher-grade level positions that deal with customers and stakeholders. In some cases, technical and financial personnel also travel.

Back to Top