NCJ Number
204587
Date Published
January 2004
Length
37 pages
Annotation
This GAO report assesses the timeliness of criminal fingerprint submissions by local and State law enforcement agencies to the FBI for inclusion in the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS).
Abstract
Fingerprint analysis, when completed in a timely fashion, informs fundamental criminal justice decisionmaking concerning detention, charging, bail, and sentencing. To facilitate the use of fingerprint analysis for criminal prosecution, the FBI implemented the IAFIS in 1999 with the goal of achieving electronic processing and improving the speed and accuracy of the fingerprint identification process. State and local jurisdictions arrest 94 percent of the Nation’s felony and misdemeanor offenders, taking fingerprints each time. Copies of fingerprints are submitted to each State’s central repository, and in turn, to the FBI for entry into the IAFIS. This assessment focuses on three central issues: (1) the importance of IAFIS to local and State law enforcement agencies; (2) progress made at the State and local levels toward the FBI’s goal of achieving electronic fingerprint processing; and (3) efforts made at the State and local levels to improve the timeliness of fingerprint submissions to the FBI. The assessment was based on data collected through interviews with FBI officials and from reviews of statistics, studies, and other information regarding fingerprint submissions. Additionally, interviews and reviews of relevant data were conducted in five States: Connecticut, Georgia, Missouri, Nevada, and New Mexico. All data collection occurred between March and December 2003. Results of the assessment indicate that the IAFIS is important to local and State law enforcement agencies because it facilitates updates to national criminal records databases and also because it allows agencies to obtain complete criminal records on suspects. The importance of the IAFIS is illustrated by the high number of requests for IAFIS information. Although local and State agencies have made some progress toward the FBI’s goal of electronic processing of criminal fingerprints, improvements are still warranted. During the 8 months of the assessment, the overall average time for submission of fingerprints to the IAFIS was 40 days, down from 118 days in 1997. A number of efforts have been put forth to improve the timeliness of fingerprint submissions, such as the availability of technical and financial Federal support including Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) grants. Ongoing efforts continue to be made as the need for automated fingerprint processing continues to grow. Figures, tables, appendix