NCJ Number
182576
Date Published
December 1999
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This report examines management information systems (MIS) in State prisons.
Abstract
The National Institute of Corrections Prisons Division and Information Center conducted a study to establish a baseline describing the status of offender MIS systems in departments of corrections (DOC) nationwide, with emphasis on the systems’ use in classification. The study reviewed MIS systems in terms of their data elements, external data sources and how data are transferred, integration with agency work processes, and reports and other system outputs. Broadly speaking, DOCs used offender MIS systems to make decisions about individual offenders and about facility or system operations based on aggregate offender data. More than half of the MIS systems contained core data on offenders’ criminal history, such as jail time served, warrants and detainers, probation or parole violations and prior adult convictions. Fewer than 10 DOCs used any digital transfer of offender data to the MIS from outside justice agencies and networks, although planning was underway in several locations to develop or improve systems. Most MIS systems appeared to have well developed data elements and to perform a reasonable range of functions. Tables, appendix, notes