NCHIP 2014 - Criminal History Records Improvement

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 Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) will use funds to hire four criminal history record improvement auditors to conduct research in local criminal justice agencies throughout the state in an effort to locate previously unreported disposition data to decrease the number of open arrests in the Computerized Criminal History (CCH) system. The auditors will begin efforts in the counties with the largest number of open arrests and work down the list with the goal of reducing the open arrest backlog by at least 5 percent of the 7 million estimated open arrests. Three auditors will be dedicated to researching and updating dispositions and the fourth one will be focused on researching mental health related cases that would be made available at the time of a National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) check. Funds will also be used to continue efforts through the use of GBI staff overtime to assume ownership of Georgia criminal history records from the FBI that are maintained in the Interstate Identification Index. By assuming control of these records Georgia will become fully compliant with the National Fingerprint File requirements and ensure synchronization of federal and state criminal history files. (CA/NCF)