Justice Information Services

Store & Forward Implementation Overview

December 31, 2002

Introduction
Pre-Implementation Issues
System Installation and Implementation
Rapsheet Delivery Options
1. Mainframe Rapsheet
2. E-JusticeNY Rapsheet
Procurement Process
1. State Contract
2. Sole Source
3. Requests for Proposals (RFP)

Introduction
1. Store and Forward
  New York State law enforcement agencies normally are required to fingerprint arrested individuals multiple times to meet local, state, and federal requirements. Some law enforcement agencies may even have to enter the same textual data on multiple cards as well.
  
  Livescan and cardscan devices, however, allow agencies to acquire fingerprints only once and use the acquired images for multiple reporting requirements. Law enforcement agencies may elect to acquire a livescan or cardscan device, print fingerprint cards locally and mail them to DCJS. A more expedient process, however, is to transmit the fingerprint images along with other image and textual data to DCJS electronically. This transmission process is known as Store and Forward.
  
  The term 'store and forward' is often used in the field of electronic messaging to describe a method of routing information from once location to another. In the criminal justice arena, it more narrowly addresses the electronic transmission of data (biographic data, such as name and address, sex, race, date of birth, etc. as well as related arrest, inquiry, incarceration, parole, probation, disposition, and/or civil data), fingerprint images (captured by use of a livescan device, which eliminates traditional ink-and-roll images, or by use of a cardscan device, a high resolution scanner which captures images from an inked fingerprint card), mugshots, palmprints, scars, marks, and tattoos, electronic signatures, and other data pertinent to criminal justice efforts. This information can then be sent by a contributing agency to DCJS as an e-mail over secure network lines (not the public Internet). The formatting of the e-mail must adhere to specifications and guidelines published by NIST (the National Institute of Standards and Technology, U.S. Commerce Dept.), the FBI, and DCJS. (See the section entitled 'EFTS'.)
  
  Once DCJS processing is completed, information and images can be archived (the 'store' part of store and forward) at the state level. DCJS is presently in the design and acquisition stage for these types of archival services. Additionally, if the transaction needs to be sent to the FBI, it can be forwarded electronically (the 'forward' part of store and forward) so that their processing can also be accomplished within a short time frame. (The FBI is currently promising 2 hour or less turn-around on criminal identification submissions).
  
  Current procedures at DCJS result in fingerprint cards being printed by the 'store and forward' system. The images on these cards then need to be reacquired for SAFIS searching purposes. Strategic goals will eliminate this card printing, with images being imported directly into SAFIS electronically without recapture.
2. Store and Forward Phase 1
  Phase 1 of Store and Forward was implemented in November 1999, with a consortium of eleven arresting agencies in Monroe County being the first site to participate. This initial project phase utilized the specifications and standards within Version 1.1 of New York State Criminal Justice Electronic Fingerprint Transmission Standards (NYSCJEFTS) and provided a mechanism by which DCJS could receive and respond to these transmissions.
  
  The scope of Phase 1 supported adult and juvenile arrest transactions as well as criminal inquiry transactions. Messages contained both text and fingerprint image data and may additionally contain mugshots and signatures. Fingerprint images originated from either cardscan or livescan devices which met the technical specifications set forth in the NYSCJEFTS and the Policy and Guidelines for Acquisition and Implementation of Livescan, Cardscan and Photo Imaging Systems. Phase 1 received transmissions, printed the fingerprint cards, and forwarded responds to the contributor.
  
  DCJS processes Store and Forward transmissions as priority 1 transactions, which provides a maximum of three-hour turnaround time from receipt of data to the generation of the rapsheet. (The actual times experienced are usually far less.)
  
  Phase 1 relied on manual processes to transfer this data into the criminal history (CCH) database and to trigger sending identification responses to the contributor. Agencies submitting transactions did not need to make interface changes to submit transactions under Phase 2.
3. Store and Forward Phase 2
  Phase 1 was developed at DCJS as part of the National Criminal History Improvement project. The pilot was managed and developed primarily by the Advanced Technology Group (Office of System, DCJS) and Comnetix Computer Systems, Inc.
  
  Phase 2, implemented in March 2000 by the Enterprise Development Group (Office of Systems, DCJS), concentrated on the improvements needed to allow for expansion of the contributor base to Store and Forward. DCJS' development of a Store and Forward manager streamlined processing for message control and data entry, including the following:
  1. The manual data entry step was automated so that the incoming EFTS messages were sent directly to our application processing software, similar to current On-Line Booking transactions.
  2. The manual step to apply the data entry/SAFIS PCN label in the current system was eliminated at DCJS.
  3. The manual entry of final identification results was eliminated as the identification results are now automatically transferred to the contributor via the new DCJS Store and Forward.
  4. The additional manual entry step for rejecting EFTS transactions was also eliminated as the application software now directs the DCJS Store and Forward to send these rejection/error messages. Phase 1 allowed for only 3 possible rejection reasons (bad images, missing images, or bad data), all without further elaboration. Phase 2 expanded the possible list of reject reasons and returned all pertinent error messages.
  While not considered additional 'phases' of the project, subsequent and significant development has continued, including the ability to submit qualifying transactions directly to the FBI electronically, and the submission of civil, jail admission, FBI criminal resubmission, and FBI civil resubmission transactions. In the future, DCJS hopes to provide a fully functional image archival system for mugshots and scars, marks, and tattoos, and a direct interface to New York's SAFIS.
Pre-Implementation Issues
Agencies desiring to implement a Store and Forward system will need to address many issues beyond the acquisition of livescan or cardscan hardware. The introduction of this technology impacts many processes, both at the local and state levels. In addition, there are technical concerns to resolve in order to effectively and securely communicate with DCJS.

This document will briefly describe these concerns, in order to provide an overview and working checklist for the law enforcement agencies implementing store and forward systems. This overview is by no means comprehensive and it is intended to foster discussions with agencies at the local level as well as with DCJS.
1. Design and Policy Impacts
  The primary design document for sites pursuing store and forward technologies is the New York State Criminal Justice Electronic Fingerprint Transmission Standard. Store and Forward sites will be required to adhere to the standards described within this document. The initial version of the NYSCJEFTS was published in February 1998. All contributors and vendors should contact the Enterprise Development Group through the Customer Contact Center of the DCJS at 518-457-5837 or 1-800-262-3257 to obtain the latest version and ensure they are building to the newest specifications.
  
  Agencies implementing store and forward, especially those building county or regional systems, may also need to work with DCJS to update their Use and Dissemination (U&D) agreements.
  1. EFTS Requirements
    EFTS is the acronym for Electronic Fingerprint Transmission Specification (as published by the United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, or the FBI) or Electronic Fingerprint Transmission Standard (as published by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, or DCJS). Contributors wishing to submit electronic transaction to DCJS must adhere to these standards.
    
    The FBI's Electronic Fingerprint Transmission Specification (CJIS-RS-0010, V7) contains background information on why such a standard exists. The FBI and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), along with advice from others in the criminal justice community, have developed a standard for electronically encoding and transmitting fingerprint image, identification, and arrest data. This EFTS references additional standards developed by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) entitled 'American National Standard for Information Systems - Data Format for the Interchange of Fingerprint, Facial, & Scar Mark & Tattoo (SMT) Information' (ANSI/NIST-ITL 1-2000). This defines the content, format, and units of measurement for the exchange of information that may be used in fingerprint identification. The use of such standards facilitates the interchange of such data between various criminal justice organizations, and provides a common format so that systems from various vendors can easily share such information.
    
    In summary, the NIST-defined format for data and image transmission is based on utilization of numbered tags (or record identifiers) within specified record types. A Type 1 record, for instance, is basically a header record used between systems to identify a transaction; Type 2 records contains descriptive and biographical date; Type 4 records contain fingerprint images; Type 8 records contain signatures; and Type 10 records contain photographs. (There are other record types in addition to these.)
    
    When a transaction is received by DCJS, a deNISTer program (or unNISTer, NIST parser, etc.) breaks apart the message and stores the individual items and tag numbers in an Oracle database. When transmitting to another agency, the database fields are built into a new NISTed record and sent.
    
    DCJS recognized the need for additional tags and policies to govern transactions between agencies within the State of New York. As a result, the New York State Criminal Justice Electronic Fingerprint Transmission Standard (NYSCJEFTS) was issued in February 1998, and continues to be updated as necessary (the most current version may be downloaded from DCJS' web site at http://www.criminaljustice.ny.gov/advtech/efts.pdf). Its purpose is to further specify the requirements to which agencies must adhere in order to electronically submit certain types of processing requests to DCJS, and it defines the inclusion of additional data not found in the federal standard. These requirements include the specifications to be employed, transmission protocols to be followed, and the format and content of the messages transmitted. In addition, DCJS will support some peer-to-peer AFIS communications with other states based on the FBI's EFTS.
    
    It should be noted that as the ANSI/NIST and DCJS specifications continue to mature and are updated, that ever effort will be made to minimize the impact on software developed prior to these changes. Any further changes to the data fields or formats for these submissions will not cause invalidation of existing systems in place at user agencies. For example, if a change to a field definition results in a new tag being assigned reflecting the new definition, the old tag will remain acceptable for the original definition. Additional fields will simply be given a tag number as the need arises. In this manner, each user agency has the opportunity to enhance its own system to take advantage of the change(s) on its own schedule.
    
    The present release of the NYSCJEFTS details electronic submissions in lieu of physical fingerprint cards and mugshot/photo submissions. Later releases will add additional functionality (such as latent prints and/or palm prints) if and when it becomes available at DCJS.
  2. Use and Dissemination Agreements
    Pursuant to New York State Executive Law §837(6) and §837(8), the Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) is the State repository for Criminal History Record Information (CHRI) and other data, and requires DCJS to assure the security and privacy of this data. Access to CHRI is limited to authorized criminal justice agencies as defined in Executive Law §835(9), and the agencies authorized by law to conduct criminal history background checks for employment and licensing purposes. DCJS requires all CHRI user agencies to have a Use and Dissemination Agreement (U&D) on file. This Agreement outlines the terms and conditions of CHRI access, services to be provided, and permissible use of information.
    
    Execution of a U&D requires that a user agency abide by State and Federal administrative regulations, policies and laws regarding the use and exchange of criminal history, wanted and missing persons data. Agency personnel should be aware of its provisions, especially the requirement to maintain supporting documentation to facilitate audits, allowable reasons for making an inquiry, and dissemination of data. A comprehensive explanation of all applicable statutes and regulations is contained within the U&D. Access to CHRI will not be available to an agency until the U&D is executed by both parties.
    
    Note: If an authorized agency has a U&D executed with DCJS subsequent to 4/99, there is no need to re-execute a new U&D for transactions to be submitted via livescan.
2. Local Process Impacts
  1. Booking Process and Court Information Flow
    Perhaps the most readily apparent impact the installation of a livescan or cardscan device will have is on the booking process that takes place in the local agency. Where a system for collecting booking data already exists, the agency will want to work with its vendors to ascertain whether some sort of integrative effort can be applied to streamline the data entry process. At the very least, an agency will want to implement an efficient booking process which takes advantage of the new technologies.
    
    A secondary impact of a store and forward implementation is the more rapid availability of identification results from the state, and eventually the federal levels. Whereas identification results may not have been delivered in a timely fashion, store and forward provides a three-hour identification result turnaround time from time of fingerprint transmission to the state. As a result, agencies may want to factor the ready access to warrant and prior history information into their local decision-making processes.
    
    Less apparent is the impact of store and forward on the flow of information to the courts and district attorneys. In any arrest, there is a set of information which must be supplied to the court. Among them are the rapsheet and the criminal justice tracking number (CJTN), formerly known as the court control number. In an environment where paper fingerprint cards are used, the tracking number is reported to the courts via the stub of the fingerprint card and the rapsheet is delivered in any one of a number of options: mail, as a secondary copy delivered to the police department, etc.
    
    With livescan store and forward, the CJTN is centrally assigned by DCJS and is returned along with the acknowledgment of the fingerprint transmission. Because livescan store and forward eliminates the paper fingerprint card, care must be taken to assure the court receives the correct CJTN supplied by DCJS. Ideally, this would happen when the court receives the rapsheet containing the appropriate arrest and CJTN. In some circumstances, other alternatives may have to be worked out with your vendor and the courts.
    
    Agencies implementing store and forward should recognize rapsheets can be delivered in time to make arraignment decisions. Localities may want to give some thought to providing rapsheet printing capability for the court and the district attorney, and eliminate the delays introduced by mail and the extra work involved in using the police as couriers. DCJS will work with local agencies to suggest and provide viable rapsheet delivery solutions. A more thorough discussion of rapsheet options is provided later in this document.
  2. Standard Practices
    Because of the introduction of livescan and cardscan technologies and the accompanying changes, localities have the opportunities to make system improvements by implementing the practices set forth in the Standard Practices project. The goals of the project are to develop practices and procedures designed to collect data correctly and efficiently and to promote the smooth exchange of information among all agencies and jurisdictions involved in the criminal justice process.
    
    The development and dissemination of a compendium of Standard Practices is a critical step toward establishing a foundation for the improvement of criminal history data quality in New York State. This is the first phase of a criminal history data quality improvement process which, in future years, will involve an on-going cycle of training, monitoring and updating of standards.
    
    The implementation of any new technology, but especially livescan and cardscan, should include a review of current business practices. Furthermore, analysis should focus on possible improvements that can be made as a result of the introduction of new systems. Every police agency should already have a copy of the "New York State Standard Practices manual" published by DCJS in September 2001. This document may be order from DCJS by calling the Customer Contact Center at 518-457-5837 or 1-800-262-3257 (DCJS), or by using the DCJS website at criminaljustice.ny.gov (see the last item on the home page). The Arrest Practices describe methods for collecting and reporting data to DCJS which should be incorporated into the Store and Forward interface and into the business processes of the local agencies. Where questions or difficulties arise with adopting any of the Standard Practices, DCJS is available to work with individual sites.
3. Networking
  To insure the proper routing of livescan and cardscan transactions between the DCJS system and contributing agencies, certain network requirements must be met. Livescan and cardscan transactions cannot be routed over the Internet.
  1. IP Addresses:
    All routing on TCP/IP networks is based on unique IP network addresses. The IP addresses used for the Livescan/Cardscan systems must not be accessible via the Internet. If an address is accessible over the Internet or it is not unique, routing problems can occur and the messages may be routed over the Internet or to the wrong mail server.
    
    Either a or b is required:
    1. IP Addresses must be registered by the contributing agency with the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) and not propagated on the Internet. For further information on address registration, please see the ARIN website at www.arin.net
    2. IP Addresses must be registered with the NYS Office for Technology - Network Coordinating Unit. The OFT NCU maintains a private class A 10 address space. Any government agency that uses the NYT, or connects to an agency who uses the NYT, can obtain a IP network address from the OFT NCU. For further information or to request an address space, please contact the NCU through the Customer Contact Center of DCJS at 518-457-5837 or 1-800-262-3257.
  2. Domain Name Services:
    Domain Name Services associate an IP address with a domain name. The domain name used by the contributing agency for the EFTS mail system must be registered with the appropriate authority but not propagated on the Internet by a domain name server. This will reserve the name for use only by the agency who reserves it. If the name is not registered, another party can register it and propagate it on the Internet causing routing problem.
    
    For information on registering domain names, see www.internic.net. For .us domain name registration information, see www.us.
  3. Physical Connection:
    Each customer is responsible for acquiring and maintaining the appropriate communication equipment to establish a network connection to DCJS. Customers looking to establish such a connection must contact Infrastructure Support through the Customer Contact Center of DCJS at 518-457-5837 or 1-800-262-3257. Users will need to provide the following information:
    1. Name and phone number of site's network coordinator
    2. Location and type of network equipment
    3. Number of anticipated livescan/cardscan devices that will be used
    Based on the supplied information and an interview with the network coordinator, DCJS staff will assist the customer in setting up the initial physical connection into DCJS' network. This assistance could range from help in ordering circuits, CSU/DSUs, and routers to configuration and testing. DCJS will provide the customer with a network diagram of the planned physical connection which will be used for future troubleshooting purposes. Ultimately the customer will be responsible for all support and maintenance of their equipment including whatever equipment is used for the physical connection.
  4. Security:
    In order to secure the traffic between networks, DCJS and the customer will need to exchange appropriate IP addresses for servers at each site. On the DCJS side, all livescan or cardscan traffic will pass through a firewall; therefore only devices which are known to DCJS will be allowed to pass. If one or more firewalls exist within the customers' network that would be involved with livescan /cardscan transactions, the user will need to make the appropriate updates to their own firewall.
  5. Routing Information:
    DCJS and the customer may need to exchange additional routing information as appropriate. DCJS does not support any routing protocol into/out of any other organization's network.
  6. Network monitoring:
    DCJS requests that certain network monitoring devices within its network be allowed ICMP access to the livescan/cardscan devices. This is for troubleshooting and normal network purposes and is a negotiable item. DCJS will consider the same type of request for user's network management.
System Installation and Implementation
1. Testing Requirements
  All contributors who wish to submit electronic transactions to DCJS (using either livescan and/or cardscan fingerprint image capture technology) will need to go through a joint testing phase with DCJS. The purpose of this test is:
  - To ensure EFTS compliance (both on the messaging level and on the individual field level)
  - To make sure all communications protocols and connections work properly
  - To make certain that fingerprint images submitted to DCJS are of a high enough quality to be used when searching against our SAFIS database
  DCJS has established a basic test suite which needs to be run before any site can be considered for acceptance into a live production environment. The results of this test need careful review by DCJS staff, and if necessary, certain tests may need to be rerun after appropriate software or hardware changes are made. For criminal arrest agencies, the kinds of tests are:
  - Routine arrests submissions (adult and possibly JD)
  - Routine inquiry submissions
  - Resubmissions after DCJS rejects for either image or data problems
  - Graceful handling of various kinds of component outages and/or interruptions
  - Response generation - Transactions will receive either a positive identification response, a non-ident response, error rejects for image /and or data problems, or no response at all (which tests the contributor's internal reporting mechanism)
  Civil agencies and inquiry-only agencies (such as courts) will have a similarly designed test with transactions pertinent to their usual business process.
  
  DCJS reserves the right to add, modify, or delete tests as conditions, experience, and further enhancements dictate. Contributors can also arrange for specific tests, if requested, to test local system behavior.
  
  Contributors should plan on testing lasting a minimum of two or three days, although longer testing periods may be required if significant difficulties arise. The Advanced Technology Group at DCJS will be the main contact for coordination of testing, although the Quality Assurance staff will actually conduct the test. You may contact Quality Assurance staff through the Customer Contact Center of DCJS at 518-457-5837 or 1-800-262-3257. Due to the intensive nature of testing and the necessity of having dedicated test resources available at DCJS, such testing needs to be run consecutively (that is, DCJS cannot normally test with more than one contributors concurrently).
2. Implementation Schedule
  DCJS will ask each local agency to request a testing window (or test slot) when ready to test with DCJS. Generally, a two or three day testing period for each site will be scheduled. It is expected that if testing results are satisfactory and acceptable to DCJS, an agency should be able to go 'live' immediately or within a few weeks at most from the completion of testing.
  
  If a site is unable to test during its assigned period or if the test results are not acceptable, the site will be given a new testing period based on the availability of DCJS' and the local agency's resources.
3. Operational Support
  The DCJS Office of Operations is responsible for day to day processing of arrest fingerprint transactions. In this capacity, Operations interacts with contributing agencies to ensure that their fingerprint transactions meet DCJS' image and data quality standards for successful identification processing. Identification processing results in the production of the New York State Criminal History Record.
  
  In order for Operations support to work effectively, several areas of mutual concern need to be addressed and discussed to insure a successful livescan implementation. These areas include, but are not limited to 24 hour (contributor) contact names and phone numbers, understanding of re-roll options, poor print processing options and effects, arraignment strategies and priority processing, inquiry versus arrest transaction processing, single versus multiple agency submissions, livescan/cardscan options, livescan fall back plan, and contributor maintenance support.
Rapsheet Delivery Options
One of the end products of a Store and Forward submission to DCJS is the criminal history report, or rapsheet. As part of the analysis for implementing Store and Forward, local agencies will need to evaluate their current mechanisms for receiving rapsheets. These agencies will need to work with DCJS to ensure their Store and Forward transmissions are handled properly and the rapsheet is routed to the correct destination.

In many circumstances, DCJS will be able to suggest improvements to the local agencies. These improvements could include converting rapsheet delivery from mail or NYSPIN to an on-line transmission via e-JusticeNY, and possible delivery of court and/or District Attorney copies of the rapsheet directly to the courts and/or District Attorneys.
1. Mainframe Rapsheet
  1. Rap Delivery:
    DCJS will need to know which agencies will be using the livescan/cardscan system. Each agency must also let DCJS know where they want their raps delivered. In most cases, DCJS will recommend use of e-JusticeNY for electronic rap sheet delivery in the new national format, which is very easy to read and contains a helpful summary and the latest mugshot (if available). In rare cases, other mechanisms for rap delivery can be discussed (NYSPIN, direct to a computer, direct line to a printer, etc.), or sometimes two methods may be utilized for short time during a transition phase.
  2. Use of Fax Prefixes:
    A few sites currently using fax equipment have their own fax prefix. Some agencies have their raps routed based on the fax prefix; some have it routed by other means (most commonly ORI). DCJS wants to discontinue use of fax numbers as agencies move to Store and Forward, and will work with agencies if they feel there is some critical business need to continue using such a fax prefix. If you do not currently use fax equipment, this item does not pertain to you.
    
    Agencies should be aware the use of fax prefixes will eventually be phased out by DCJS, as fax equipment is old, and difficult and expensive to maintain.
2. E-JusticeNY Rapsheet
  Background:
  
  What is it? e-JusticeNY is a secure extranet site, accessed with a standard browser, developed to meet the needs of the Criminal Justice community. Five distinct service suites are currently available: Crime Mapping, Criminal Justice Repository, Civil Transactions, Criminal Transactions, and Sex Offender Registry. Each of these services is described below.
  
  Who gets it? Generally speaking, any authorized individual from an agency that has a legal right to CCH information can get access. More specifically, an authorized agency must complete an application which includes a new Use and Dissemination (U&D) Agreement and must specify the individuals for whom access is being requested.
  
  When will it be available? DCJS E-JusticeNY is now available for all agencies who complete the application and U&D process. To request an application, call the Customer Contact Center at 518-457-5837 or 1-800-262-3257 (DCJS).
  
  Other requirements? The information can be accessed using a personal computer (PC) via a dial-up phone line or from a networked PC. Other than the connectivity, the only software requirement for the end-user is a commercially available web-browser such as Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer.
  
  DCJS is an authorized distributor of the Netscape browser and will provide a CD, containing the Netscape browser software as well as a DCJS Secure Service installation wizard, free of charge.
  
  Explanation of Services:
  
  Crime Mapping. Based on previously submitted incident data, allows investigative personnel to perform crime related queries that return map images of geographic crime patterns.
  
  Criminal Justice Repository. Provides multi-faceted inquiries and searches of Criminal, Civil, Wanted and Missing data maintained by DCJS. NYPD's nearly one million record database of arrest photographs has been duplicated at DCJS, and new photographs are added daily by other agencies submitting mugshots within Store and Forward transactions. These images are available on both the Search and Inquiry Services.
  
  Search. A full function name search capability. The user may specify what database to search. Results are returned with a brief table of the most cursory data followed by complete identification data. A convenient transition from Search to Inquiry mode is provided.
  
  Inquiry. Supports inquiries of CCH, Wanted and Missing Persons data. In addition to NYSID, a wide array of Criminal Justice indices can be used. Many different combinations of data can be requested, ranging from a quick summary of the criminal history to a complete rap sheet. The general presentation format was adopted from the National Rap Sheet Standard which was developed by a joint task force of the FBI, NLETS and the Search Group.
  
  Audit. A log of inquiries, searches and resulting information dissemination. Agencies can produce audit reports to monitor usage and proper compliance with Use & Dissemination agreements.
  
  Civil Transactions. Provides searches and inquiries of civil fingerprint transactions which are in process or which have been recently completed.
  
  Search. Transaction queries using Name as a search parameter.
  
  Inquiry. Access to data for a single transaction by entering the CPSTransaction ID, the Transaction Control Number, Social Security Number, or the Unique ID assigned by the agency which submitted the fingerprint transaction.
  
  Criminal Transactions. Provides searches and inquiries on criminal fingerprint transactions which are in process or which have recently been completed.
  
  Search. Transaction queries using Name as a search parameter. Fax Prefix and Year are optional search criteria.
  
  Inquiry. Access to data for a single transaction by the DCJS Transaction ID, Criminal Justice Tracking Number, Fax Number, On-Line Booking System Number, or Process Control Number.
  
  Status. Inquiry into the current state of a transaction, a group of transactions, or a range of transactions via the DCJS Transaction ID, Fax Number, or On-Line Booking System Number.
  
  Sex Offender Registry. Provides convenient access to the Sex Offender Registry for authorized criminal justice agencies. Explains the background of the relevant legislation and provides multi-faceted searching of the registry. Additional features, such as searching the National Sex Offender Registry and electronic delivery of the New York State SOR sub-directory to authorized agencies, are planned.
  
  Secure Home Page. This is the initial screen received when accessing the DCJS E-JusticeNY site. You can look to this page for important informational updates, scheduled downtime, new services or product improvement updates. This page also includes links to get convenient access to Department of Motor Vehicle information. Functions include search and inquiry for Motorist ID, search and inquiry for Vehicle Registration and inquiry for Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). An on-line instruction manual is also provided.
  
  Public Home Page. This is our public, Internet Home Page, with convenient access from the DCJS E-JusticeNY site.
  
  Change Password. Allows you to change your password. As a standard security precaution, it is strongly recommended that you change your assigned password immediately after receiving it and once monthly thereafter.
  
  Behind the Scenes:
  
  Suppression. Based on the individual's logon and the stated reason for request, a database is consulted which tracks the associated agency's U&D agreement and determines whether the request is valid and the appropriate level of data to release. This process occurs for both the Inquiry and Search Services.
  
  Logging. All inquiry and search requests and resulting disseminations are logged and can be accessed by DCJS Audit staff.
  
  Future Enhancements:
  
  Though customer feedback will drive many enhancements, there are a number of improvements that we are already planning:
  - Complementary e-mail. Though this may include person-to-person communication which has a number of administrative issues, our initial focus will be for the e-mail to facilitate automated functions which do not always give the expedient response demanded from the interactive sessions provided by a browser alone.
  - Search and Inquiry of federal wanted records with results returned by e-mail.
  - Delivery of rap sheets, based on fingerprint submissions, to a specified mail box.
  - Inquiries to the FBI's Interstate Identification Index (III) and receipt of related multi-state rapsheet and wanted data from NLETS/NYSPIN which would be delivered via e-mail.
  - Trigger arrest notifications and deliver a notice and/or a full rap sheet to a specified e-mail account.
  - For volume users, a batch request screen with results delivered via to an e-mail account.
Procurement Process
An agency must decide if the department will procure the livescan, cardscan or mugshot systems off State contract, through a sole source purchase, or after issuance of a Request For Proposals (RFP). The FBI Certified Products List contains a list of equipment which meets the FBI IAFIS image specifications for livescan and cardscan devices and fingerprint card printers, available on the Internet at www.fbi.gov/hq/cjisd/iafis/cert.htm, or by contacting the Advanced Technology Group toll free at 518-457-5837 or 1-800-262-3257, extension 7-6120. The procurement process used by an agency will depend on:
- How quickly the purchase must be made
- The features desired
- Funds available
- Whether the department is already using a particular vendor's equipment.
1. State Contract
  There is a State contract in place (often referred to as the 'Backdrop Contract') that allows both State and local agencies to purchase FBI-certified livescan and cardscan devices, photo/mugshot systems and associated integrator services. The contract is Group Number 38214 and is entitled "Identification Equipment Electronic (Fingerprint and Photo)." There are a number of vendors to choose from in each lot. Individual prices can be obtained directly from the vendor. Contract information is available on the OGS web site at www.ogs.state.ny.us/purchase.
  
  In addition, local agencies may purchase certain equipment off the State SAFIS contract. It is recommended that if a local government wishes to purchase equipment off the SAFIS contract, that such local government send a letter to DCJS requesting authority to so purchase. The letter should be addressed to the Deputy Commissioner of the Office of Systems and Operations. The letter should clearly state the anticipated usage of the equipment. The request should also clearly state that the obtained software and hardware will be tied into the SAFIS system, as distinguished from standing alone.
2. Sole Source
  If the agency does not wish to purchase off the State contract, the department can seek to justify a sole source acquisition or issue an RFP. To justify a sole source acquisition, the agency needs to develop a rationale why competitive bidding would not be necessary. A sole source justification might indicate that:
  - The agency already uses the vendor's equipment and purchase of the livescan or cardscan device is essential for compatibility. This argument might be reinforced if the agency has an on-going contract with the vendor.
  - The vendor's equipment has unique features that are essential to the department's operations.
  In developing and justifying a sole source justification, the agency should consult with your local counsel and MIS staff to identify any local practices or requirements, and to obtain advice about the adequacy of the rationale provided. Acquisitions based upon sole source justifications would probably be completed more quickly than the RFP process, but more slowly than a purchase off of the State contract.
3. Requests For Proposals (RFP)
  Development and issuance of an RFP requires that the agency:
  - Provide background information about the need for the purchase
  - Identify the mandatory and desirable equipment features; and
  - Delineate the criteria for evaluating the RFP responses.
  DCJS staff should be contacted for clarification about the mandatory and desirable features. Local counsel should be consulted for information on the RFP format and other provisions that must be included in the RFP. Issuance and evaluation of an RFP would take the longest period before the equipment can be purchased and installed.

Store & Forward Implementation Overview

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