CJIS Advisory Policy Board Disposition Task Force 1
History The APB discussed the issue of incomplete records and the need to include courts in future discussions The APB recommended the formation of a task force to address record improvement that involves the courts Spring 2009 The APB Disposition Task Force (DTF) was formed Fall 2009 The APB DTF held its inaugural meeting 2
Membership Comprised of a diverse group of representatives: Conference of State Court Administrators National Center for State Courts (NCSC) State Repositories State Supreme Courts National District Attorney s Association Office of Personnel Management Bureau of Justice Statistics SEARCH APB Compact Council 3
Inaugural meeting was October 29, 2010 in Columbus, OH Topics of discussion included: Importance of disposition improvement Clarifying the term Disposition Disposition rate calculations Available funding Disposition education Interim disposition reporting 4
Why are dispositions important? Dispositions ensure the availability of the most current information regarding an individual s criminal history record Used for criminal justice purposes - law enforcement, courts, probation offices, sentencing, firearm checks, etc. Used for noncriminal justice purposes employment, licensing, security clearances, facility access, visa applications, etc. 5
Disposition Rate Calculations Disposition rates are most simply calculated by determining the percentage of arrest cycles containing disposition information Not always an accurate portrayal of the true disposition rate Does not account for multiple arrest charges and/or arrest cycles for the same event Dispositions are generally unavailable for very old arrests and very new arrests (over 20 years and under 1 year) 6
Funding National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP) NICS Act Record Improvement Program (NARIP) 7
Disposition Education Provide education on the importance of timely and accurate disposition reporting to agencies responsible for sharing disposition, warrant and protection order information Design a program directed toward those individuals responsible for updating or forwarding disposition information Provide information to those agencies/individuals responsible for allocating funding/budgets for disposition improvement 8
Interim Dispositions Originate mainly from prosecutors Includes diversion programs and pre-trial actions May also include charges that were not prosecuted Work with prosecutor s offices and state repositories to determine how to account for interim dispositions for every applicable charge 9
August 17, 2010, meeting in San Diego, CA FBI staff provided information and updates on projects BJS provided funding updates SEARCH presented survey results NCSC provided information on a recent grant proposal Presentation of Connecticut s information sharing efforts H.R. 5300 presentation 10
August 2010 meeting action items Add a prosecutor representative to the task force Develop a marketing/education strategy for disposition reporting (webinars, DVDs, outreach, training) Develop alternative disposition rate calculation methods incorporating new parameters, available study results and other pertinent information 11
Update on Action Items Mr. Scott Patterson of the Talbott County, Maryland, State s Attorney Office will serve as a representative from the prosecutorial sector The FBI has had preliminary discussions on a collaborative effort with SEARCH and the NCSC to develop a disposition marketing/education plan The FBI is currently analyzing the results of various disposition rate queries and applying results from recent criminal history record projects to develop a more realistic disposition rate 12
Goals of the Disposition Task Force Develop strategies to improve the flow of disposition information with little or no funding Increase the electronic transfer of information from the courts to the state repositories Educate decision makers on the importance of allocating resources for disposition improvement 13
Do you or your agency have ideas on how to improve disposition reporting? 14
Contact Information Travis L. Olson Disposition Initiative Manager FBI CJIS Division Biometrics Services Section Criminal History Information and Council Team (304) 625-2978 travis.olson@leo.gov 15
Questions? 16