ASSESSMENT OF THE FEASIBILITY AND COSTS OF ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES FOR PROVIDING A STATE WIDE INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR THE DELAWARE COURTS - CRIMINAL COURTS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROJECT

• NCJ Number: 43774
• Author(s): D FLEMING
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 21 pages
• Contract Number(s): J-LEAA-013-76
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Corporate Author: American University
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

FOUR OPTIONS FOR IMPLEMENTING AN AUTOMATED DATA INFORMATION SYSTEM TO SERVE STATE CRIMINAL JUSTICE COMPONENT AGENCIES IN DELAWARE ARE ASSESSED.

Abstract

ONE FUNCTION OF THE PROPOSED SYSTEM IS TO PROVIDE THE DELAWARE JUSTICE INFORMATION SYSTEM DATA BASE WITH COMPLETE REPORTINGS OF FINAL DISPOSITIONS THROUGH A COMPUTER-TO-COMPUTER INTERFACE, THUS ALLOWING COMPUTERIZED CRIMINAL HISTORY RECORDS TO BE UPDATED FOR ALL FINAL DISPOSITIONS. IN THE PROPOSED SYSTEM, THE DELAWARE JUSTICE INFORMATION SYSTEM COMPUTER WILL INFORM THE COURT COMPUTER OF ALL ARREST DATA, AND THE COURT COMPUTER WILL REPORT BACK FINAL DISPOSITIONS. FOUR APPROACHES TO ACCOMPLISHING THIS FUNCTION ARE AS FOLLOWS: USE OF A STATE CENTRALIZED FACILITY TO SERVICE ALL COURTS; USE OF A CENTRAL FACILITY ALONG WITH A SINGLE MINICOMPUTER TO SERVE THE COURTS; USE OF A CENTRAL DATA PROCESSING COMPUTER, WITH DISTRIBUTED COMPUTERS IN VARIOUS COURTS; AND USE OF A SEPARATE MINICOMPUTER BY THE FAMILY COURT. IN EACH APPROACH, THE MINICOMPUTERS WOULD BE LOCATED IN WILMINGTON, DELAWARE AND WOULD BE OPERATED BY THE COURTS. COURTS THROUGHOUT THE STATE WOULD BE CONNECTED TO THE COMPUTER THROUGH VISUAL DISPLAY TERMINAL DEVICES WITH PRINTERS. ANALYSIS OF THE NEEDS OF THE STATE AND OF THE ANTICIPATED BENEFITS OF THE PROPOSED SYSTEM LEADS TO THE RECOMMENDATION THAT A SINGLE MINICOMPUTER BE USED TO PROCESS AND CONTROL A COMPLETE DEFENDANT DATA BASE FOR ALL COURTS IN DELAWARE . THIS COMPUTER IS TO BE LINKED TO THE CENTRAL DATA PROCESSING COMPUTER, WHICH SERVES AS DELAWARE'S CENTRAL STATE REPOSITORY, AND TO THE STATE POLICE MESSAGE-SWITCHING COMPUTER. REASONS FOR THE RECOMMENDATION, INCLUDING CONSIDERATIONS OF PERSONNEL AND SYSTEM COSTS, ARE DISCUSSED.