U.S.
Department of Justice · Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Statistics |
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Criminal Record Systems Statistics On this page: Summary findingsIn this section: A criminal history record describes any arrests and subsequent dispositions attributable to an individual. Complete, accurate, and immediately accessible records enable States to:
Criminal records are maintained by each State in a central repository. To facilitate the interstate exchange of criminal history records, the FBI maintains the Interstate Identification Index (III) which is an “index-pointer” system to records of persons arrested for felonies or serious misdemeanors under State or Federal law. On December 31, 2001 --
* Interstate Identification Index, FBI data through December 2001 Source: BJS\SEARCH Survey of State Criminal History Information Systems, 2001, (data as of December 31, 2001) August 2003. Background checks for firearm transfers Federal law prohibits firearm possession by or transfer to prohibited persons including those who are under indictment for or convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for more than 1 year.
As of February 2001, 43 States had or planned to have an Internet site devoted to some aspect of SOR:
PublicationsTo see a full abstract of a publication and to download electronic versions of the publication, click on the title. Background Checks for Firearm Transfers, 2003: Trends for the Permanent Brady Period, 1999-2003, 9/04. Describes background checks for firearm transfers conducted in 2003, and presents trends during the Permanent Brady Period (1999-2003). NCJ 204428
Survey of State Criminal History Information Systems, 2001, 09/03. Describes the status of State criminal history records systems as of yearend 2001. NCJ 200343 Survey of State Procedures Related to Firearm Sales, Midyear 2003, 8/04. Provides an overview of the firearm check procedures in each of the States and their interaction with the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) operated by the FBI. NCJ 203701
Survey of State Records Included in Presale Background Checks: Mental Health Records, Domestic Violence Misdemeanor Records, and Restraining Orders, 2003, 8/04. Examines the quality and accessibility of certain criminal and noncriminal records when States conduct a presale firearm background check. Compendium of State Privacy and Security Legislation: 2002 Overview, 11/03. Overview of State legislation governing the privacy, security, maintenance, and dissemination of criminal history records. NCJ 200030
Background Checks for Firearm Transfers, 2002, 9/03. Describes background checks for firearm transfers conducted in 2002. NCJ 200116 Background Checks for Firearm Transfers, 2001, 9/02. NCJ 195235 Survey of State Criminal History Information Systems, 2001, 09/03. Describes the status of State criminal history records systems as of yearend 2001. NCJ 200343
Improving Criminal History Records for Background Checks, 05/03. A preliminary report to the Attorney General on the improved disposition coverage for background checks per directive of July 28, 2001. Summary of State Sex Offender Registries, 2001, 03/02. Summarizes information on the status of sex offender registries in the 50 States and the District of Columbia as they operated in February 2001. NCJ 192265 Summary of State Sex Offender Registries Dissemination and Procedures: Update 1999, 8/99. NCJ 177620 Use and Management of Criminal History Record Information: A Comprehensive Report, 2001 Update, 12/01. Contains a comprehensive description of all aspects of the Federal and State criminal history record information (CHRI) systems. NCJ 187670
Report of the National Task Force on Privacy, Technology and Criminal Justice Information, 8/01. Reports on the findings and recommendations of a BJS/SEARCH supported Task Force on Privacy, Technology and Criminal Justice Information. NCJ 187669 Public Attitudes Toward Uses of Criminal History Information, 7/01. Presents the results of the first national survey of public attitudes towards use of criminal history information for a variety of purposes. NCJ 187663 Report of the National Task Force on Federal Legislation Imposing Reporting Requirements and Expectations on the Criminal Justice System, 8/00. Describes the findings and recommendations of the Task Force which was sponsored by BJS and SEARCH. The report recommends greater involvement of the courts in the development of data systems and that greater consideration be given to the demands which implementing new legislative strategies impose on the judiciary system. NCJ 183458 Continuing Criminal History Records Improvement Evaluation: Final 1994-98 Report, 2/00. Describes the results of an ongoing evaluation of State activity relating to improvement of criminal records. NCJ 179768 Presale
Handgun Checks, the Brady Interim Period, 1994-98, 6/99.
Provides a national estimate of the number of presale background checks
conducted in connection with proposed firearm purchases, the number and
percent of rejections, and the basis for the rejections. NCJ 175034 (Data
on this subject after the Brady interim period are in Background
Checks of Firearm Transfers, 1999) Presale Handgun Checks, the Brady Interim Period, 1994-98, 6/99. Domestic and Sexual Violence Data Collection: A Report to Congress under Violence Against Women Act , 7/96. Reports how States and the Federal government collect data on the incidence of sexual and domestic violence offenses. NCJ 161405 Increasing the Utility of the Criminal History Record: Report of the National Task Force,12/95. This report describes deliberations of a multi-agency task force to develop a uniform RAP sheet format and identifies and discusses issues concerning inclusion and presentation of RAP sheet data. NCJ 156922 National Crime Prevention and Privacy Compact: Resource Materials, 1/99. Presents a section-by-section analysis of procedures for interstate exchange of criminal history records for noncriminal justice purposes such as background checks on persons seeking positions of responsibility involving national security, employment with children or the elderly. NCJ 171671 National Conference on Sex Offender Registries, 5/98. Contains presentations and materials on issues related to criminal record data quality, identification, domestic violence, and sex offenders by Federal, State, and local governmental representatives, administrators, and researchers. NCJ 168965 National Conference of Juvenile Justice Records: Appropriate Criminal and Noncriminal Justice Uses -- Proceedings of a BJS/SEARCH Conference, 5/97. Contains the presentations of speakers at the May 1996 conference on collection and use of juvenile records sponsored by BJS and SEARCH. NCJ 164269 Privacy and Juvenile Justice Records: A Mid-Decade Status, 5/97. A comprehensive and broad overview of the status of juvenile justice records and information systems as of 1995, as well as an analysis of related information and privacy issues. NCJ 161255 National Conference on Criminal History Records: Brady and Beyond -- Proceedings of a BJS/SEARCH Group Conference, 1/95. Includes presentations made by the speakers at the National Conference on Criminal History Records in Washington, D.C., in February 1994. NCJ 151263
Compendium of State Privacy and Security Legislation - references
and classifies State legislation on privacy and security of State criminal
history record information. Statutes are grouped into 29 categories and
presented both by classification and by State. It is compiled every two
years. Firearm Inquiry Statistics Project (FIST) - is designed to collect
annual data describing the number of inquiries made in connection with
presale handgun checks and the number and basis for rejection of such
inquiries. Data are collected directly from State agencies conducting
background checks and from local checking agencies and include the number
of firearm applications made to the agency, firearm applications rejected
by the agency, and the reasons for rejection. Data collection procedures
are adjusted to reflect the differing presale check procedures under the
permanent system (which became effective on 11/30/98) and the interim
period (02/28/94 - 11/29/98). National Instant Background Check (NIC) Survey - collects data from the States to identify major impediments to disposition completeness, with a primary focus on the linkage between criminal records repositories and the courts and prosecutors. The survey seeks information on:
Survey of State Criminal History Information Systems - collects
data used as the basis for estimating the percentage of total State records
that are immediately available through the FBI's Interstate Identification
Index (III) and the percentage that include dispositions. Other data collected
include the number of records maintained by each State, the percentage
of automated records in the system, and the number of States participating
in the FBI's Interstate Identification Index. Survey of State Procedures Related to Firearm Sales -
collects data about the State laws, regulations, procedures, and information
systems related to sales and other transfers of firearms that were in effect
as of June 30 of the collection year. These data were collected from
hundreds of Federal, State, and local agencies, including law enforcement
organizations, statistical analysis centers, and legislative research
bureaus.
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