Criminal history records are used daily for a wide range of criminal justice and non-criminal justice purposes. Ideally, these records represent a complete and accurate representation of a person’s involvement in the criminal justice system. However, creating and maintaining criminal history records requires the participation and cooperation of a number of entities, including law enforcement, prosecutors, courts, county jails, state corrections departments, and community supervision agencies. State criminal history repositories often find it challenging (and expensive) to maintain operational and technical connectivity with all parties responsible for contributing criminal history record information (CHRI).
SEARCH can help your state improve the accuracy and completeness of CHRI.
Our expert staff have extensive experience in:
- Conducting CHRI gap analyses
- Designing strategies to improve disposition reporting
- Facilitating criminal history repository Quality Assurance Program (QAP) self-assessments
- Assisting states in making records available to support firearms background checks
- Acquiring and implementing Automated Biometric Information Systems (ABIS)
- Supporting the work of the National Crime Prevention and Policy Compact Council and FBI CJIS Advisory Policy Board
- Conducting biennial Surveys of State Criminal History Information Systems
- Download the latest survey, published November 2020, with data as of 12/31/2018
- Organizing and hosting national, regional, state, and local conferences and workshops
SEARCH continues to use its experience and national leadership to address a wide range of legal, policy and operational issues relating to criminal history records, and to assist justice agencies, law- and policy-makers, and others in these broad areas: