Enhancement of Mississippi's Criminal History System

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.

Under this award, the Mississippi Department of Public Safety (MDPS) will use funds to convert Mississippi Bureau of Investigation files currently housed on outdated microfilm to a more robust format, categorize the files, and make them accessible for search and use by authorized MDPS personnel. Funds will also be used to transition the current Order of Expunction system from its separate platform to the Mississippi Criminal History System (MHCS) to improve the tracking capability of the life-cycle of expunctions issued by Mississippi court systems for criminal offenses recorded in MCHS. Other projects to be funded include moving the current journaling system that tracks and records NCIC transactions made throughout the state to a more reliable, secure virtual environment, as well as purchasing and updating outdated computer workstations and equipment to support Mississippi Crime Information Center personnel. MDPS will work with existing state-certified vendors to achieve the aforementioned goals as it continues to strive to provide the most thorough and complete criminal information for all city, state, and federal agencies authorized to attain this information. (CA/NCF)