The power of information technology (IT) is multiplied when information is shared among the different components of the justice system. However, the challenges that accompany information sharing, or "IT integration," are complex.

The technical challenges of integrating and linking databases and building network connections are only part of the justice information sharing challenge; the organizational strategies to support operational information sharing can be much more difficult. States must identify new ways to budget for interagency and cross-jurisdictional projects; change agency policies and practices; and, in some cases, pursue legislative changes to obtain necessary authorities. Interagency efforts also may require unique or new management and governance structures, and partner agencies at all levels of government may require significant investments and support to fully participate in an integrated information-sharing system.

Privacy Policy Development
Major improvements in information sharing now allow criminal and justice-system records to be quickly and easily synthesized, analyzed and shared. These capabilities offer significant benefits for public safety, but they also may have troubling consequences for the privacy of victims, witnesses and intelligence sources. Robust privacy policies are therefore an essential component of any information-sharing system.

The primary objective of any privacy policy is to publicly demonstrate how an agency intends to abide by existing laws while handling personally identifiable information. Privacy policies also should address how agencies intend to deal with gaps or vulnerabilities in existing laws.

Focus of Center Activities
The NGA Center, with support from the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), currently is working with three state initiatives in a Privacy Policy Academy focused on the development of privacy policies for justice information sharing programs. The nine-month project affords state officials the opportunity to work with their colleagues from other states and to receive customized technical assistance and access to a national faculty of experts.

Governance Resources:

• Improving Public Safety through Justice Information Sharing
  NGA Center Issue Brief

• Who Decides? An Overview of States' Governance Structures
  This is a report on the findings of a survey of the governance structures of statewide integrated justice initiatives.

• Federal/State Collaboration to Promote Justice Information Sharing

Privacy Resources:

• Protecting Privacy in Integrated Justice Systems
  NGA Center Issue Brief

• Privacy, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties
  This report by the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) provides policy templates for Justice Information Systems.

• Privacy and Information Quality Policy Development for the Justice Decision Maker
  This report by the Global Privacy and Information Quality Working Group (GPIQWG) introduces the framework for developing agency policies to ensure information quality and protect constitutional privacy rights while engaged in critical justice information sharing.

• Drafting Privacy Policy in an Integrated Justice Environment
  This report by the Illinois Integrated Justice Information System (IIJIS) discusses the need for justice agencies to have privacy policies, citizen's expectations of privacy, and the National Criminal Justice Association's privacy guidelines.

Funding Resources:

• Optimizing State Investments for Justice Information Sharing
  NGA Center Issue Brief

• Funding Justice Information Sharing
  This report by the National Conference of State Legislatures addresses ways to fund justice information sharing programs by reviewing various case studies.

Other Resources:

• Justice Information Sharing Practitioners (JISP)
  As a network of state and local Justice Information Sharing Practitioners, JISP is interested in best practices, standards and resources for solving the issues of information sharing within Criminal and Juvenile Justice, at local, state, and national levels. NGA serves as an Advisory Board member.