Summary of Modifications, Deletions and Additions to 2016 Survey

2014 to 2016 Survey Questions

Modifications, Deletions, New Question Justifications

SECTION I: REPOSITORY

Modifications include updating all referenced dates to reflect that all reported data should be for calendar year 2016, or as of December 31, 2016. Because of text deletions/additions, number changes between 2014 and 2016 have resulted. Added subsets to existing questions at 3b, 6d-g and 7c-g were added for clarity and to capture time measurements for reporting and capturing information from states about protection orders and warrants.

Deletions include 2014 questions 3a-b and 9a-b. With respect to question 3a-b, states were asked if they combined both criminal events and noncriminal justice applicant information in the same record and if they did, what percentage of their data represent records that contain both criminal events and noncriminal justice applicant information. Because this question was asked in previous cycles, the degree in which states combine criminal and applicant information is well documented and known. Similarly, question 9a-b concerning employed software and state data processing environments were asked in previous cycles and its information is also more readily available and well documented.

One new question is asked at 9a. This question replaces 2014 questions 9a and 9b where attention is directed at current state planning initiatives to replace computerized criminal history and automated fingerprint identification systems that are at or nearing the end of their lifecycles and to gather cost estimates and anticipated funding sources for upgrading or replacing this technology in states.

SECTION II: ARREST/FINGERPRINT REPORTING AND ENTRY

Modifications beyond date changes to reflect the 2016 calendar year are minimal. Question 3 from previous survey cycles was enhanced to better identify and account for the age of backlogs where they exist.

With the implementation of Next Generation Identification (NGI) at the FBI, questions 4 and 5 were added to account for palm print impression backlogs and poor quality fingerprint images. Also, three new questions and related subsets are asked at 6, 7 and 8. These questions attempt to obtain information about states that have established or have plans to establish statewide contracts for purchasing livescan devices. Also and to measure the degree in which states cite and release individuals without fingerprinting is explored to obtain knowledge for identifying strategies to capture the fingerprints on all arrests regardless of being booked into a jail or given a citation on a promise to appear at a later date.

SECTION III: DISPOSITIONS

Modifications beyond date changes to reflect the 2016 calendar year are minimal. The opening and long standing definition of a “final disposition” was enhanced to align to the definition used by the FBI/CJIS Advisory Policy Board and the National Crime Prevention and Privacy Compact Council. Added subsets to existing questions at 2f, 4b, and 5b were added or clarified to account for new NGI functionality and to determine the degree in which state repositories receive disposition information directly from a centralized court case management system or from individual local court case management systems. Added subsets at questions 6 and 7 were enhanced for clarity and to capture time measurements for reporting, receiving and entering court disposition information into state repository systems. Question 10a-b was simply better defined to limit its scope to local prosecutors and their case management systems as opposed to linking it to statewide prosecutors associations.

With refinement of the National Fingerprint File (NFF) at the FBI, question 1 asking if NFF states have elected not to forward disposition information on second and subsequent arrests to the FBI was determined to no longer be relevant and was deleted.

No new questions where added to this section but a new subset at question 4c was added to ascertain if a vendor was used to assist states in identifying or locating missing dispositions.

SECTION IV: NON-CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS

Modifications beyond date changes to reflect the 2016 calendar year are minimal and no existing questions or subsets were modified or deleted. Also, no new questions were added.

SECTION V: CRIMINAL JUSTICE RAP BACK SERVICES

Modifications beyond date changes to reflect the 2016 calendar year are minimal and no existing questions or subsets were modified or deleted. Also, no new questions were added.

SECTION VI: NON-CRIMINAL JUSTICE RAP BACK SERVICES

Modifications beyond date changes to reflect the 2016 calendar year are minimal and no existing questions or subsets were modified or deleted. Also, no new questions were added.