Montana NCHIP 2012

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 Montana Board of Crime Control (MBCC) will use NCHIP funds to address recommendations outlined in several recent analyses conducted to evaluate the flow of criminal justice information at the local and state levels, primarily focusing on data that is reported to the state's criminal history repository, which is ultimately transmitted to the federal systems. Specifically, funds will be used to update the administrative rules, procedures, procedure manuals, and training materials regarding the accurate use of the Montana Automated Numbering System (MANS), which is intended to provide a consistent identifier through each phase of the criminal justice process. Current issues related to the MANS are prohibiting the state from deploying its electronic disposition process statewide and is creating serious deficiencies in electronic reporting. The proposed project will address these shortcomings and resolve issues with the current technology environment where the electronic disposition reporting is not able to be deployed because of the high number of unmatched dispositions to fingerprint cards or dispositions without fingerprint arrest records.

CA/NCF