Introduction to Criminal Justice Information Systems


Book Description

The proliferation of information systems throughout the criminal justice system has prompted many universities supporting criminal justice programs to add criminal justice information systems technology to their curriculums. Several universities have gone so far as to hire professors with specializations in information technology and to offer criminal justice information systems as an area of concentration. Introduction to Criminal Justice Information Systems gives an overview of the various software systems and technologies currently used in the criminal justice environment. The book covers a variety of topics critical to each member of the criminal justice system: police, prosecutor, courts, and corrections. It details the current systems in use, how they are used, and how separate systems interact with others. It also suggests how the current technology and the processes built upon it will evolve. While designed as a textbook to meet the needs of an introductory criminal justice information technology course, Introduction to Criminal Justice Information Systems is also a flexible resource useful to professionals in relevant areas of the criminal justice system. With rapidly increasing development and use of technology in modern law enforcement, this book provides a much-needed reference for those who are responsible for its implementation as well as an essential introduction to those who will become responsible for it. An instructor's manual is available as an electronic download upon request.




Information Technology and the Criminal Justice System


Book Description

Researchers at US universities and various institutes explore the impact that developments in information technology have had on the criminal justice system over the past several decades. They explain that computers and information technology are more than a set of tools to accomplish a set of tasks, but must be considered an integral component of










The Criminal Justice System


Book Description

The Criminal Justice System: An Introduction, Fifth Edition incorporates the latest developments in the field while retaining the basic organization of previous editions which made this textbook so popular. Exploring the police, prosecutors, courts, and corrections, including probation and parole, the book moves chronologically through the differen







Directory of Automated Criminal Justice Information Systems 1993


Book Description

Provides information about management systems & the level of automation among justice agencies. Designed to facilitate the exchange of information & the transfer or adaptation of exemplary systems. Detailed system description records for hundreds of systems. Indices by agency name, total personnel, computer equipment, automated functions & criminal justice software. Five system indices. Comprehensive!




The Eternal Criminal Record


Book Description

For over sixty million Americans, possessing a criminal record overshadows everything else about their public identity. A rap sheet, or even a court appearance or background report that reveals a run-in with the law, can have fateful consequences for a person’s interactions with just about everyone else. The Eternal Criminal Record makes transparent a pervasive system of police databases and identity screening that has become a routine feature of American life. The United States is unique in making criminal information easy to obtain by employers, landlords, neighbors, even cyberstalkers. Its nationally integrated rap-sheet system is second to none as an effective law enforcement tool, but it has also facilitated the transfer of ever more sensitive information into the public domain. While there are good reasons for a person’s criminal past to be public knowledge, records of arrests that fail to result in convictions are of questionable benefit. Simply by placing someone under arrest, a police officer has the power to tag a person with a legal history that effectively incriminates him or her for life. In James Jacobs’s view, law-abiding citizens have a right to know when individuals in their community or workplace represent a potential threat. But convicted persons have rights, too. Jacobs closely examines the problems created by erroneous record keeping, critiques the way the records of individuals who go years without a new conviction are expunged, and proposes strategies for eliminating discrimination based on criminal history, such as certifying the records of those who have demonstrated their rehabilitation.




The Foundations of Communication in Criminal Justice Systems


Book Description

Myriad forms of communication occur within the criminal justice system as judges and attorneys speak to juries, law enforcement officers interact with the public, and the news media presents stories of events in courtrooms. Hindrances abound, however. Law enforcement officers and justice system personnel often encounter challenges that affect their ability to communicate with others, ranging from language barriers, to conflicting accounts of witnessed events, to errors caused by malfunctioning technology. Examining the relevancy of the U.S. Constitution to modern communications, The Foundations of Communication in Criminal Justice Systems demonstrates how information is conveyed from multiple perspectives in a range of scenarios, enabling readers to see how these matters relate to and affect the criminal justice system. Topics covered include: How to use the communications process within the justice system from the crafting of messages through the solicitation of feedback Effective methods for persuading individuals and audiences Federal regulations in the workplace and workplace communications tactics How law enforcement and public safety entities use marketing and advertising to influence the general public How to use multimedia resources when communicating Using multiple communications styles to support effective leadership The book concludes with discussions on innovations in communication technology, natural language processing, cybernetics, and other emerging concepts. With an emphasis on logical reasoning in communication, the book explores the perspectives of numerous players in the justice system, from patrol officers to attorneys. Supplemented by examples of written communication templates that can be adapted within a law enforcement organization, it provides readers with solid theoretical and applied approaches to the subject matter.




Digital Evidence and the U.S. Criminal Justice System


Book Description

This report describes the results of a National Institute of Justice (NIJ)-sponsored research effort to identify and prioritize criminal justice needs related to digital evidence collection, management, analysis, and use. With digital devices becoming ubiquitous, digital evidence is increasingly important to the investigation and prosecution of many types of crimes. These devices often contain information about crimes committed, movement of suspects, and criminal associates. However, there are significant challenges to successfully using digital evidence in prosecutions, including inexperience of patrol officers and detectives in preserving and collecting digital evidence, lack of familiarity with digital evidence on the part of court officials, and an overwhelming volume of work for digital evidence examiners. Through structured interaction with police digital forensic experts, prosecuting attorneys, a privacy advocate, and industry representatives, the effort identified and prioritized specific needs to improve utilization of digital evidence in criminal justice. Several top-tier needs emerged from the analysis, including education of prosecutors and judges regarding digital evidence opportunities and challenges; training for patrol officers and investigators to promote better collection and preservation of digital evidence; tools for detectives to triage analysis of digital evidence in the field; development of regional models to make digital evidence analysis capability available to small departments; and training to address concerns about maintaining the currency of training and technology available to digital forensic examiners.