State of New Hampshire FY 2019 NCHIP Project

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 2019 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 39 livescan printers for the recently purchased livescan devices. The NH DOJ is the State Administering Agency (SAA) for USDOJ grant funding.

Livescan Replacement: NH DOJ will replace 39 livescan printers which will be compatible to the recently purchased livescans. Currently, New Hampshire uses an AFIS that electronically receives arrest and applicant fingerprint impressions and demographic data from fifty-one (51) livescan stations located across the state. State owned livescans were funded by a previously awarded NCHIP grant, while others were purchased by individual law enforcement agencies.

The New Hampshire State Police (specifically the Criminal Records Unit) is the sole submitting agency for all criminal ten-print impressions to the FBI. All ten-print impressions, submitted via inked or electronically by state, county, local law enforcement agencies, and every correctional facility, are forwarded to the State Police Criminal Records Unit for processing and submission to the FBI. In addition, fingerprinting is also used as an identification technique for job applicants, particularly in those circumstances where identification is critical, and/or where a determination of criminal history is needed.

New Hampshire has benefitted from livescan technology since 1997, with the then state-of-the-art livescan capability put in use throughout the state in correctional facilities and larger municipal law enforcement agencies. The standard industry “shelf life” for a livescan machine is seven (7) years. Replacement parts for the oldest livescans are no longer manufactured, and any available parts are cannibalized from replaced livescans. New Hampshire State Police is in the process of replacing the current livescans, which do not include replacement printers.

(CA/NCF)