Assignment Task: Legislative Issues
The criminal justice community has long recognized both the need and importance of having the capability to exchange information among criminal justice agencies. The inability of states and localities to communicate and exchange data has long posed problems in many of the tasks that the criminal justice community is entrusted with performing, such as responding to crimes, preparing for criminal proceedings, and classifying and detaining offenders.
As with many other things, the importance of information sharing and the interoperability of communications systems became much clearer on Sept. 11, 2001. Of the lessons learned from the tragic events of that day, one of the most important is the need to effectively communicate and exchange data in a timely fashion. U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft said at a recent meeting of the Global Justice Information Sharing Initiative (Global) Advisory Committee that police officers were able to escape the World Trade Center thanks to the warning they received from a police helicopter hovering outside about the towers' impending collapse. However, because the firefighters were unable to communicate with the police officers using the fire department's radio system, they did not receive the warnings and were unable to evacuate the building. The inability of state and local law enforcement, criminal justice and related agencies to communicate and share information on a timely basis is epidemic across the nation. The lack of interoperability among police agencies, fire departments, emergency medical services and the numerous other public safety agencies is a chronic problem. In addition, the effects of the inability to communicate and share vital data among criminal justice agencies are not just felt during national emergencies but rather, on a day-to-day basis.
The American Correctional Association has been an active partner in efforts to bridge the information technology gaps within the law enforcement community. Those in corrections want and need to know about the history of an individual entering an institution. Has the offender received medical treatment and vaccinations for potentially contagious diseases? Does he or she have a history of violence toward police or other inmates? And, upon release, probation officers should be provided with the information they need to ensure that the offender continues to receive the treatment he or she needs in the community.
ACA is a member of Global, which is seeking to develop information systems that enhance public and practitioner safety by providing patrol officers, prosecutors, court officials, corrections personnel and others with timely, secure and accurate information all while promoting efficiency and cost-savings. Global is a "group of groups," representing more than 30 independent organizations spanning the spectrum of law enforcement, judicial, correctional and related agencies. Global, which is sponsored by the Department of Justice, advises the DOJ on the latest technologies and works to develop standards that allow the criminal justice community to share vital information.
Global aids its member organizations and the people they serve through a series of important initiatives. These include the facilitation of the Global working groups, development of technology standards, such as the Justice XML Data Dictionary to identify and develop information-sharing standards within the justice community, the creation of white papers on data-sharing issues, and the dissemination of information via Global's Web site www.iir.com/global/. The Global Advisory Committee advises the nation's highest-ranking law enforcement officer -- the U.S. attorney general -- on methods to make certain that the nation's law enforcement communities are moving toward the common goal of making sure that information is efficiently and cost-effectively shared within the criminal justice community.
With the new realities the nation must confront following the events of Sept. 11th, sharing information will take on a greater importance in the future. Ensuring that the radio systems of the nation's fire, police and emergency responders are compatible is the first step. Corrections officials must make available the information about an individual that one part of the criminal justice system has obtained to all those who need it. There is a long road ahead, but the profession has, through the work of groups such as the Global Advisory Committee, slowly begun moving toward the same goal.
1) Utilizing publicly available search engines identify an example whereby lack of information sharing among criminal justice organizations may have contributed towards a negative outcome. Discuss some factors that served as a barrier to exchanging information among relevant agencies.
2) What are some steps that could have been taken to overcome the barriers you identified in part 1?