New Hampshire FY 2017 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.

Under the 2017 NCHIP priority 1 area of updating and automating case outcomes in state records and the FBI Criminal History File, the New Hampshire Department of Justice (NH DOJ) will manage one project with NCHIP funds to replace 12 Livescan devices and one portable Livescan machine. The NH DOJ is the State Administrative Agency (SAA) for Justice grant funding.

Livescan Replacement: NH DOJ will replace 12 Livescan devices which at the end of life and can no longer be updated. NH has benefitted from Livescan technology since 1997, with the Livescan capability put in use throughout the state in correctional facilities and law enforcement agencies. In 2004, the original Livescan devices were replaced with newer versions. Additional replacements occurred in 2005, 2007, 2009, and 2012. The 12 requested Livescans were installed before 2005 and are outdated with expensive and obsolete replacement parts. In 2016, 47,385 criminal and applicant Livescan fingerprint images were processed by the State Police Criminal Records Unit. The 12 Livescan will be deployed to 12 municipalities which will be operated by the NH State Police. In 2016, the Criminal Records Unit processed 19,221 applicant fingerprint images for licensing and employment purposes. Timeliness of the fingerprint submissions is critical to the state and federal records systems. At the present time, a scheduling backlog is up to six weeks for an applicant to be fingerprinted. The 12 identified locations for the new Livescans range from 223 to 1,413 on average fingerprint processed per year for the past five years. The 12 Livescans and one portable Livescan machine will improve the accuracy and efficiency of record processing to the state and federal reporting systems. (CA/NCF)