NCJ Number
49658
Date Published
1978
Length
118 pages
Annotation
A DESIGN FOR AN INFORMATION SYSTEM TO MEET THE FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS AND DATA PRODUCTION NEEDS OF LOCAL (CRIMINAL AND CIVIL) TRIAL COURTS IS PRESENTED.
Abstract
PROJECT GAVEL WAS UNDERTAKEN IN RECOGNITION OF THE NEED FOR A MECHANISM TO SATISFY THE OPERATIONAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE NEEDS OF TRIAL COURTS AND TO PRODUCE STATE JUDICIAL INFORMATION SYSTEM (SJIS) DATA, INCLUDING COMPUTERIZED CRIMINAL HISTORIES AND OFFENDER-BASED TRANSACTION STATISTICS. COURT ORGANIZATIONAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURES WERE ANALYZED, AND A COMPOSITE SET OF FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE OPERATION AND MANAGEMENT OF LOCAL TRIAL COURTS WAS DERIVED. EACH OF THE FUNCTIONAL AREAS OF THE COMPOSITE WAS ANALYZED IN TERMS OF THE TYPES OF INFORMATION GENERATED. INFORMATION SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS WERE ESTABLISHED AND MADE TO CONFORM TO SJIS STANDARDS. THE STATE OF TECHNOLOGY IN TRIAL COURTS INFORMATION SYSTEMS WAS ASSESSED, AND THE ABILITY OF EXISTING SYSTEMS TO SATISFY THE FUNCTIONAL AND INFORMATION NEEDS IDENTIFIED FOR THE COMPOSITE WAS EVALUATED. DESIGN CONCEPTS IN USE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY WERE SYNTHESIZED IN THE GAVEL MODEL TRIAL COURT INFORMATION SYSTEM. THE REPORT DOCUMENTS THE RESULTS OF EACH PHASE OF THE PROJECT -- THE COMPOSITE COURT, INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE EXISTING TRIAL COURT INFORMATION SYSTEMS, THE GAVEL MODEL SYSTEM (BASE STRUCTURE, DATA ELEMENTS, FUNCTIONAL AND OUTPUT REPORT SPECIFICATIONS). PARTICULAR ATTENTION IS DIRECTED TO THE TECHNICAL DETAILS OF THE GAVEL MODEL AND TO THE MODEL'S COMPATIBILITY WITH SJIS REQUIREMENTS. A GLOSSARY AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE PROVIDED.