|
FOR RELEASE
FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2001 202/307-0784
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT MAKES $44 MILLION
AVAILABLE FOR STATES TO IMPROVE CRIMINAL RECORDS
SYSTEMS
WASHINGTON, DC – The Justice Department has
$44 million available in direct awards and technical assistance to help states
improve the quality, completeness and accessibility of criminal history
records. States will use funds to
continue building the infrastructure that supports instant background checks for
firearms sales and to develop and enhance sex offender registry systems.
The Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice
Statistics (BJS) has just released the Fiscal Year (FY) 2001 application for
funding through the National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP). Applications are due by May 31, 2001 for FY 2001 funds.
The goal of NCHIP is to improve the nation’s public safety by enhancing and upgrading the nation’s criminal history records. These funds will allow
continued development of states’ automated criminal record systems, as well as
support partnerships among federal, state and local law enforcement and
government agencies to address problems of stalking, domestic violence and
sexual assault against children.
NCHIP funds can be used by states for several clearly defined areas including:
- to develop and
enhance automated adult and juvenile criminal history records;
- to implement
and upgrade automated fingerprint identification systems;
- to develop systems that facilitate full participation in the FBI’s National Instant
Criminal Background Check System (NICS) established under the Brady Handgun
Violence Prevention Act, including full participation in the Interstate
Identification Index; and
- to support
development of accurate and complete state sex offender identification and
registration systems and to establish domestic violence offender identification
and information systems.
States, the District of Columbia and territories, including Guam, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa, are eligible to receive NCHIP grants and technical assistance. The NCHIP application should be submitted by the agency designated by the Governor to administer the NCHIP program. This list is
contained on the BJS Website at
www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/nchipadd.htm
States may submit an application even if funds remain unexpended under previous NCHIP or National Sex Offender Registry awards. FY 2001 projects may overlap with FY
2000 projects or the projects may run consecutively.
The application and additional information about NCHIP
or the Bureau of Justice Statistics can be found online at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs or by calling the National
Criminal Justice Reference Service toll-free at 1-800/851-3420. A list of projects undertaken by states with previous NCHIP awards is contained on the BJS Website at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/crs.htm.
###
BJS01071
After hours contact: David
Hess, 888/763-8943 (pager)
| 
