NCJ Number
180326
Journal
On Good Authority Volume: 3 Issue: 3 Dated: September 1999 Pages: 1-4
Date Published
1999
Length
4 pages
Annotation
The 1996 audit of criminal history records, or rap sheets, in Cook County was conducted by the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA) to determine whether information contained in criminal history records was accurate.
Abstract
The Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County requested the audit to help determine why many court dispositions were not added to rape sheets, even though they were reported to the Illinois State Police (ISP). To address these concerns, the ICJIA collected and analyzed a representative sample of arrest records and court cases and reviewed procedures for meeting information processing requirements. Auditors analyzed the accuracy and completeness of tracking numbers and statute citations reported by local agencies to the ISP and evaluated information exchanges between law enforcement agencies and the circuit clerk. The audit was based on 3,501 arrests, 3,998 court cases, and 5,029 charges. It was found that 51.7 percent of dispositions were not added to rap sheets for three primary reasons: (1) the arrest was not added; (2) tracking numbers were inaccurate or incomplete; and (3) statute citations were inaccurate or incomplete. Recommendations to improve the maintenance of criminal history records are offered. 3 figures