2020 National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP)

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 noncriminal 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.

The Connecticut Office of Policy and Management (OPM) will use NCHIP funding for two projects to be assigned to agencies that have the sole development and implementing responsibility for that particular project. The OPM will provide technical and grant support and continue its role of coordinating the Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) interrelationships on behalf of these projects. Under the 2020 NCHIP priority areas, the following projects will be conducted:

1) CCH and AFIS Replacement: The Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) will use NCHIP funds to continue to support its CCH and AFIS replacement projects with resources dedicated to the modernization through the post “go-live” timeline to ensure systems are operating properly, in accordance with contractual requirements, and any equipment issues are identified and resolved. The resources are necessary to ensure the success of its comprehensive strategy to modernize the State Police Bureau of Identification (SPBI) criminal history repository. DESPP’s FY19 NCHIP award continued with efforts to contract and implement the testing, interface development, staff training, project management, database conversion, and independent verification and validation of project deliverables. Activities for the project include: gather and validate specific CCH data quality requirements and priorities with SEARCH; identify data elements required to evaluate the requirements and priorities; validate the data extracts and troubleshoot data quality issues with SEARCH and DESPP stakeholders; develop and deliver a working data quality dashboard prototype populated with CCH data; and participate in training. The CCH and AFIS replacement project addresses a number of 2020 NCHIP priority areas including updating and automating case outcomes from courts and prosecutors in state records and federal databases such as III, NCIC and the NICS Indices.

2) Criminal Systems Security and Availability: The State of Connecticut Judicial Branch (JB) will use NCHIP funds to improve and safeguard court data systems from cyberattack, maintain the confidentiality of data, and ensure the uninterrupted availability of the court systems that provide data to various state and national systems. The project includes a significant update to one court system that is critical in preserving CT’s interface with the NICS. In addition, CT’s various legacy and more recently modernized court systems require a comprehensive assessment to ensure that the systems are consistent with state, FBI, and international cybersecurity standards. Funds will be used to support the three main initiatives: 1) cybersecurity assessment of court systems with criminal and NICS information; 2) incident response and disaster recovery enhancements; and 3) firearms interface modernization. These activities address the NCHIP priority areas of updating and automating outcomes from courts and prosecutors in state records and the FBI criminal history file as well as improving access to information concerning persons prohibited from possessing or receiving a firearm for disqualifying records, including mental health reasons, and transmitting relevant records to the NICS.

(CA/NCF)