Section 9

Innovations in Justice Information Sharing

Overview

OJP, primarily through BJA and DOJ’s Global Justice Information Sharing Initiative (Global), supports national policy, practices, and technology solutions to improve information sharing capacity within the criminal justice community, while emphasizing the importance of privacy and civil liberty protections and improving safety in our communities.

Each initiative described in this chapter requires a multidisciplinary response, executive sponsorship, stakeholder ownership, and collaborative program implementation to address operational, technical, and policy needs. The initiatives presented do not require a large investment of resources and will support DOJ’s information sharing mission, improve the information sharing processes to strengthen decision making, and enable research and evaluation to identify promising practices with a strong return on investment.

In 2012, problem definition, coalition building, program design, training, and technical assistance will be critical to ensuring program processes are successful and replicable. In addition, field practitioners’ insights will continue to be invaluable for developing targeted, sustainable solutions nationwide.

Discretionary Programs

Program Name National Information Exchange Model (NIEM) Program Support
FY 2012 Funding $900,000
OJP Sponsor BJA
Web Link www.niem.gov
Program Contact Chris Traver, (202) 307-2963, Christopher.Traver@usdoj.gov
Program Description
NIEM represents a vital partnership between the DOJ, DHS, and HHS, as well as the state, local, and tribal government agencies representative of each discipline. NIEM provides common tools and a data model to derive common standards by which to share information across jurisdictional boundaries more effectively. The competitively selected grantee will provide technical development and assistance to users to allow NIEM to continue to expand and mature across domains. In addition, these efforts will support domain self-service through the development of open tools and interface requirements, permitting individual NIEM partners to create their own customized tools and workflows. This flexibility means that NIEM will provide a higher level of service to its customers, while improving efficiency and reducing overall program costs.

Program Name Federated Identity, Privilege Management, and Technical Privacy Implementation
FY 2012 Funding $600,000
OJP Sponsor BJA
Web Link www.it.ojp.gov/gfipm
Program Contact Chris Traver, (202) 307-2963, Christopher.Traver@usdoj.gov
Program Description
Federated identity allows a single user to access multiple information systems with a single credential or login account. The participating systems agree to grant access to the user based on defined policies, as well as the specific attributes the user carries (e.g., training certification, intelligence analysis experience). This program is the Global Justice Information Sharing Initiative’s (Global’s) approach to bringing the federated identity concept to justice agencies and jurisdictions. Using GFIPM, agencies can greatly expand the resources available to their users while providing adequate security and privacy controls and reducing overall costs.

This program will focus on delivery of Global-endorsed policy templates and guidelines to support GFIPM implementation in the field. It also will continue support of the National Information Exchange Federation (NIEF), a collaborative effort of Regional Information Sharing Systems, Homeland Security Information Network, Pennsylvania Justice Network, Criminal Information Sharing Alliance Network, and others. The NIEF delivery team is the initial user group for GFIPM, providing operational feedback and demonstrated results of the GFIPM program. This operational federation will continue to expand the services available to each member’s user community, as well as to increase the number of participants.

Program Name SMART FY 2012 Maintenance and Operation of the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website
FY 2012 Funding $1,000,000
OJP Sponsor SMART Office
Web Link www.smart.gov or www.nsopw.gov/Core/Portal.aspx
Program Contact Samantha Opong, (202) 514-9320, Samantha.Opong@usdoj.gov
Program Description
The Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW) provides an opportunity for jurisdictions to participate in an unprecedented public safety resource by sharing public sex offender data nationwide, working collaboratively for the safety of both adults and children. First established in 2005, NSOPW was renamed by the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 in honor of 22-year-old college student Dru Sjodin of Grand Forks, North Dakota, a young woman who was kidnapped and murdered by a sex offender who crossed state lines to commit his crime. NSOPW is the only government system that exists to link public state, territory, and tribal sex offender registries from one national search site. Parents, employers, and other concerned residents can utilize the Website’s search tool as a safety resource to identify location information on sex offenders residing, working, and attending school not only in their own neighborhoods but in other nearby states and communities as well. In addition, the Website assists citizens with learning the facts about sexual abuse and how to protect themselves and loved ones from potential victimization.

Training and Technical Assistance

Program Name Justice Information Sharing Training and Technology Assistance
FY 2012 Funding $850,000
OJP Sponsor BJA
Web Link http://it.ojp.gov; www.niem.gov
Program Contact Chris Traver, (202) 307-2963, Christopher.Traver@usdoj.gov
Program Description
The project will continue the NIEM Practical Implementers Training Course and the online (eLearning) version of the course that can be completed on demand by users anywhere in the world. The recipient will support the National Information Sharing Standards (NISS) Helpdesk and Knowledgebase, a function that assists field practitioners through providing an online catalog of implementation questions and answers, as well as one-on-one email support for implementation questions. In addition, the grant recipient will be responsible for expanding the catalog of JIS related training services, to include at a minimum, the Global Reference Architecture and the GFIPM program.

Program Name Global Support For National Policy, Practice, and Technology
FY 2012 Funding $2,500,000
OJP Sponsor BJA
Web Link http://it.ojp.gov
Program Contact Chris Traver, (202) 307-2963, Christopher.Traver@usdoj.gov
Program Description
The project will provide a TTA and implementation strategy that will meet the goals of the Program Manager for the Information Sharing Environment (PM-ISE) and DOJ’s Global in Transforming the Justice and Public Safety Business Model. The applicant will be responsible for working closely with BJA to support DOJ’s Global and related efforts, as well as coordinating with PM-ISE and all public and private stakeholders in order to inform project activities and evaluate outcomes.

Program Name Justice Information Sharing Architecture and Implementation Support
FY 2012 Funding $750,000
OJP Sponsor BJA
Web Link www.bja.gov
Program Contact David Lewis, (202) 616-7829, David.P.Lewis@usdoj.gov
Program Description
This program will provide training and technical assistance services on a variety of criminal justice topics related to information sharing. These could potentially include multiple projects to address specific training needs in areas such as data standards, service oriented architecture, federated identity, or privacy and security policy implementation. BJA seeks experienced national partner organizations with the demonstrated capacity to provide national scope services to assist justice practitioners in understanding and implementing information sharing capabilities utilizing a business-driven and architecture-based approach.

Program Name Improving Correctional Agency Information Sharing
FY 2012 Funding $600,000
OJP Sponsor BJA
Web Link www.bja.gov
Program Contact Chris Traver, (202) 307-2963, Christopher.Traver@usdoj.gov
Program Description
BJA is seeking applicants to support technical assistance (TA) and pilot site implementation to state, local, and tribal jurisdictions that result in justice information sharing enhancements which increase the effectiveness of offender management efforts. The applicant should propose and engage in collaborative partnership with appropriate organizations that have expertise in offender management strategies, in the translation of the contemporary justice research and literature into effective policies and practices, and in the implementation of strategies that leverage information sharing technology conforming with DOJ’s Global standards and tools.

Program Name Crime Analysis Center Improvement Program
FY 2012 Funding $1,600,000
OJP Sponsor BJA
Web Link www.bja.gov
Program Contact Chris Traver, (202) 307-2963, Christopher.traver@usdoj.gov
Program Description
Crime Analysis Centers (CAC) represent an essential resource to criminal justice agencies, in particular to law enforcement. These CACs draw information from a wide variety of sources, both internal and external, to identify trends, correlate crimes, and propose solutions or mitigation strategies. However, not all agencies utilize the CAC concept to full effect, or even have a CAC capacity of any kind. The competitively selected grantee under this program will collaborate with CACs across the country to identify best practices, common challenges, and opportunities for advancement. The result will be a toolkit supporting evidence-based practices for replication nationwide.

Program Name State Criminal Justice Technology Coordination and Enhancements Program
FY 2012 Funding $300,000
OJP Sponsor BJA
Web Link www.bja.gov
Program Contact Chris Traver, (202) 307-2963, Christopher.traver@usdoj.gov
Program Description
Without strong leadership and coordination from a state level, criminal justice IT projects often become fragmented, as local priorities and budget considerations outweigh state and national requirements for information sharing and interoperability. Advancements in technology can help maintain or improve operations in times of limited budgets, but adherence to national standards and best practices is essential to realize the full benefits of those advancements. This program will help ensure jurisdictions leverage evidence-based practices around data sharing, privacy protection, security, and interoperability at the state level, by engaging the SAA community and fostering state leadership and coordination of IT investments. This will not only improve how states, counties, and local jurisdictions implement information sharing, but also help BJA maximize the impact of grant funding by ensuring national policy is being adequately informed and disseminated.

Program deliverables will include training and technical assistance products that promote replication of information sharing best practices from an executive/policy level and targeted at state IT leaders; targeted communication methodologies; and pilot projects that demonstrate the value of supported solutions.

Program Name Federated Identity, Privilege Management, and Technical Privacy Implementation
FY 2012 Funding $800,000
OJP Sponsor BJA
Web Link http://www.it.ojp.gov
Program Contact Chris Traver, (202) 307-2963, Christopher.Traver@usdoj.gov
Program Description
This project will support the ISE and related initiatives in the full implementation of the Program Manager for the Information Sharing Environment (PM-ISE) Privacy Guidelines. The applicant will be responsible for supporting the ISE Privacy and Civil Liberties subcommittee of the Information Sharing and Access Interagency Policy Committee (ISA IPC) and updating the guidelines as required based on committee direction. The applicant will also implement a TTA program that will assist agencies and national programs on privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties (PCRCL) methods of adoption including Memoranda of Understanding (MOU), Privacy Act routine uses, and technology support/automation. The TTA program will enable adoption of appropriate PCRCL protections that are at least as comprehensive as the ISE Privacy Guidelines primarily among federal agencies, fusion centers, and private sector entities participating in the ISE.