Overview

The power of information technology is multiplied when information is shared between the different parts of the justice system. The challenges that accompany information sharing, or "IT integration" are complex.

Technical challenges of matching databases and building network connections are only part of the task. Developing the organizational strategies to support operational information sharing can be much more difficult. States need new ways to budget for interagency and cross-jurisdictional projects. Sharing information may require changes to agency policies and practices, and in some cases, underlying legislative authorities. Interagency efforts may require special management or governance structures. Justice IT integration depends on partnerships with courts and agencies at the local level. Partners at all levels may require significant investments to be ready for IT integration. For more information, please click here.

Privacy Policy Development
Major improvements in justice information sharing now allow criminal and civil justice records to be shared, synthesized, sold, and analyzed at speeds and with an ease not previously imagined. Unfortunately, in addition to many public safety benefits, these improvements can have unintended consequences. For example, the sharing of information concerning victims, witnesses, intelligence sources, law enforcement agencies, courts, and other justice personnel potentially exposes them to harm when privacy safeguards are inadequate.

The primary objective of a privacy policy is to publicly demonstrate how an agency intends to abide by existing laws while handling personally identifiable information. Privacy policies should address how a justice entity intends to deal with gaps or vulnerabilities in existing laws. For more information, click here.

• Improving Public Safety through Justice Information Sharing
  NGA 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.

Privacy Resources

• Protecting Privacy in Integrated Justice Systems
  NGA 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 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
  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.