Award Information
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2019, $400,864)
The goal of the National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP) is to improve the Nation's safety and security by enhancing the quality, completeness, and accessibility of criminal history record information and by insuring the nationwide implementation of criminal justice and non-criminal justice background check systems. BJS provides direct financial and technical assistance to the States to improve criminal history and other related records and to build their infrastructure to connect to national record check systems both to supply information and to conduct the requisite checks.
Under this award, the Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration, Office of Criminal Justice Programs will transfer funds to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) to aid in the state's efforts to improve criminal history records. TBI will improve the quality of expungement data through the development of an audit report table for staff to review and research transactions. In addition, TBI will continue the record completion project by connecting backlogged electronic case dispositions to criminal history records. Training will be provided to statewide constituents regarding disposition, domestic violence, and mental health reporting. Updates on Tennessee legislation involving these areas will be included in the training. As a follow-up to the larger trainings, the Criminal Justice Information Systems (CJIS) Unit proposes to pilot a Training and Technical Assistance program that will have one temporary CJIS staff person assigned to four major statewide divisions (West, Middle, East, and Upper East) to provide onsite training and technical assistance. Training will also be provided to booking agencies that use livescan devices to capture and process fingerprints. Two portable livescan devices will be purchased for training purposes.
Funds are also being requested to have two staff members attend the NAJIS Conference to explore IT technologies and standards that improve and engineer information sharing throughout the United States. Program management and support will also be covered with funds from the NCHIP 2019 program.
(CA/NCF)