Michigan Criminal History Improvement Program

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 Michigan State Police (MSP) will work with Michigan courts and prosecutors to: 1) perform year round audits of local law enforcement and criminal justice agencies' criminal history record systems; 2) render the services of a criminal history record liaison to provide intensive, long-term training to local agencies reporting criminal history data; 3) develop an instructional video to provide local agencies with easily accessible training materials regarding the proper submission of criminal history records data; 4) purchase and install livescan devices in MSP facilities throughout the state; 5) develop an interface tool to provide local agencies and courts with immediate access to open arrests and missing dispositions associated with their agencies; and 6) use staff to review records and update missing disposition information in the state system. MSP is also requesting funds to work with the remaining five court districts in the state to allow for the electronic reporting of disposition information to the state's computerized criminal history system. Annually, this will improve the timeliness and accuracy of over 2,000 dispositions which are currently submitted via fax or mail. Similar improvements will be made to the Michigan prosecutor interface to the CHR. The state anticipates an increase of 20 percent in the overall reported charges.

CA/NCF