NCJ Number
61494
Date Published
1979
Length
36 pages
Annotation
THIS EVALUATION OF THE NEW HAMPSHIRE (OFFENDER-BASED STATE CORRECIONS INFORMATION SYSTEM) OBSCIS STATES THAT THERE HAVE BEEN MAJOR CHARGES IN THE SCOPE OF THE PROJECT SINCE IT BEGAN.
Abstract
IT HAD BEEN ORIGINALLY PROPOSED THAT OBSCIS WOULD CREATE A RECORD OF INSTITUTIONAL BEHAVIOR ON EACH PERSON PASSING THROUGH THE CORRECTIONAL PROCESS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. HOWEVER, THERE WILL LIKELY BE NO OBSCIS RECORD OF YOUTH DEVELOPMENT CENTER (YDC) RESIDENTS DUE TO THE CONFIDENTIAL AND SENSITIVE NATURE OF JUVENILE RECORDS. HOWEVER, AN OBSCIS APPLICATION MAY BE USED IN THE YDC DATABASE FOR MANAGEMENT OF DATA ON RESIDENTS AWAITING COURT DISPOSITION. THE PAROLE COMPONENT OF THE SYSTEM ALSO REMAINS UNDEVELOPED; OTHERWISE THE PROGRAM IS OPERATIONAL. PERSONNEL OF THE PROJECT INCLUDE A MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR, A SYSTEMS ANALYST, PROGRAMMER TRAINEE, AND DATA ENTRY OPERATOR AND INTERN. THE DIRECTOR OF THE STATISTICAL ANALYSIS CENTER IS PROJECT DIRECTOR. NEW HAMPSHIRE OBSCIS SOFTWARE IS WRITTEN IN BASIC COMPUTER LANGUAGE, AND DATA ARE STORED IN TWO DISCRETE FILES--A MASTER FILE AND A SENTENCE FILE. THE PROJECT AT ITS PRESENT LEVEL IS DESIGNED FOR USE BY THE PRISON. COMPUTER APPLICATIONS OF THE OBSCIS MODEL ARE MODULAR IN NATURE. TABULAR DATA INCLUDE SOURCES OF DATA FOR THE PRISON DATABASE, APPLICATIONS USED TO CREATE AND MAINTAIN FILES, AND THE VARIOUS REPORTING FEATURES OF THE PRISON OBSCIS DESIGN. NEW HAMPSHIRE HAS ASKED FOR AN EXTENSION OF THE OBSCIS GRANT. (MJW)