CENTER FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE TECHNOLOGY
WEEKLY NEWS: Covering Law Enforcement, Corrections
& Courts across the United States
| Vol. 3 #14 June 28, 1999 |
#1 Future integrated criminal justice information systems
#2 Public safety preparations for Y2K in Seattle and King County (WA)
#3 Lake County (FL) Sheriff's Office prepares for Y2K
#4 Y2K section added to Cattaraugus County (NY) Sheriff's Office web page
#5 Idaho Supreme Court ruling on sex offender registry
#6 Los Angeles County Municipal Court offers web payment of traffic fines
#7 Erie County (NY) sets up web site for jurors
#8 Penobscot
County (ME) buys Y2K-compliant air-exchange system
LAW ENFORCEMENT TECHNOLOGY NEWS
The future of integrated criminal justice computer systems is demonstrated by three projects: Colorado's Integrated Criminal Justice Information System , the McLean County (Illinois) Integrated Justice Information System (IJIS) and the Harris County (Texas) Justice Information Management System (JIMS). Federal funding efforts to continue this trend among the states, and link state systems, include the Integration Initiative at the U.S. Department of Justice.
Item #2 PUBLIC SAFETY PREPARATIONS FOR Y2K IN SEATTLE AND KING COUNTY (WA)
Public safety officials in Seattle and King County, Washington have tested their law enforcement and public safety computer systems -- including computer-aided dispatch system and enhanced 911 system-- and believe all are Y2K-compliant. Contingency plans include giving out seven digit phone numbers to residents should 911 fail. Law enforcement equipment vendors and telephone companies plan to demo their systems over the next few months to allay any fears cities and counties might have concerning Y2K failures.
[Source: "Greatest Public-Safety Threat is Fear; Police and Fire Departments are Preparing to Deal with Both Public Reaction and Potential Y2K Computer Problems" by Steve Miletich; Seattle (WA) Times, June 21, 1999, Pg. A8]
Item #3 LAKE COUNTY (FL) SHERIFF'S OFFICE PREPARES FOR Y2K
The Lake County (Florida) Sheriff's Office has spent $220,000 on software to make its computer dispatch system Y2K-compliant. The department is also using a $550,000 COPS MORE grant to put 90 laptop computers in patrol cars, some of which will go to two other area departments that share the Sheriff's Office dispatch system.
[Source: "Computers OK for Y2K; Sheriff Says 911 and Dispatch Systems Get Upgrade for New Year" by Karin Meadows; Orlando Sentinel (Central Florida edition) June 19, 1999, Pg. 1]
Item #4 Y2K SECTION ADDED TO CATTARAUGUS COUNTY (NY) SHERIFF'S OFFICE WEB PAGE
The Cattaraugus County (New York) Sheriff's Department has added information relating to Y2K on its web page at the request of area residents. The department also provides links to other Y2K resources, including the New York State Office for Technology and New York State Emergency Management Office, so residents can "make their own decisions about what plans to make".
[Source: "Y2K Data Added to Web Site;" Buffalo (NY) News, June 19, 1999, Pg. B5]
Item #5 IDAHO SUPREME COURT RULING ON SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY
By a 3-2 vote, the Idaho Supreme Court recently ruled in Ray v State of Idaho that being listed on a public sexual offender registry is only a "collateral consequence" of pleading guilty to a sex crime that should not be seen as additional punishment. The ruling upheld a decision by a judge who denied the claim of man who said he should have been notified before pleading guilty to a sexual abuse crime that he would, as a result, be placed in the state's sexual offender database. For a press release on the case go to: http://www2.state.id.us/judicial/opinions/raynrl.pdf
[Source: "Idaho justices uphold sex-crime registration; High court rejects claim that registry equals punishment" by Mark Warbis; Idaho Statesman, June 22, 1999]
COURT TECHNOLOGY NEWS
Item #6 LOS ANGELES MUNICIPAL COURT OFFERS WEB PAYMENT OF TRAFFIC FINES
The Los Angeles (California) Municipal Court now allows payment of fines relating to traffic violations over its web site with a credit card. Since 55,000 traffic tickets are issued each month, the court hopes the web site option will reduce delays for people paying fines by phone or in person. The web site also provides information on traffic violations and citations, and allows residents to register for traffic school.
[Source: "Court to Accept Online Payments of Traffic Fines;" Los Angeles Times, June 17, 1999, Pg. B4]
Item # 7 ERIE COUNTY (NY) SETS UP WEB SITE FOR JURORS
The Erie County Office of the New York State Commissioner of Jurors has set up a web site so jurors can track when they need to report for duty. The site also includes directions to courtrooms, dress policy and other frequently asked questions. The site can be accessed at http://www.eriejury.com and is available for viewing on a kiosk at the County Hall Annex.
[Source: "Web Site Allows Jurors to Check Up" by Matt Gryta; Buffalo (NY) News, June 17, 1999, Pg. E5]
CORRECTIONS TECHNOLOGY NEWS
Item #8 PENOBSCOT COUNTY
(ME) BUYS Y2K-COMPLIANT AIR-EXCHANGE SYSTEM
In order to make the air-exchange system for its county jail Y2K-compliant, Penobscot County (Maine) Commissioners recently purchased a new $44,946 system from Siemens Building Technology Inc. of Buffalo Grove, IL. The old system might have failed on January 1, not an attractive prospect considering the average winter temperatures in Maine.
[Source: "Jail to receive Y2K compliant air-exchange system" by Dawn
Gagnon; Bangor (ME) Daily News, June 16, 1999]
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CJITI Weekly News is compiled by Jeffrey Michaels jeffreym@mitretek.org