Mississippi Automated Systems Project

The Congressionally Selected Awards Program, authorized by the Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009 (Pub. L. 111-8), helps improve the functioning of the criminal justice system, prevent or combat juvenile delinquency, and/or assist victims of crime (other than compensation). Funds should be used for the projects selected by Congress, in the amounts specified in the joint explanatory statement incorporated by reference into Pub. L. 111-8, and generally consistent with one or more of the following statutory purposes: improving the functioning of the criminal justice system, preventing or combating juvenile delinquency, or assisting victims of crime (other than compensation). Each of these purposes is framed using language drawn, respectively, from the former Byrne discretionary statute, the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, the Victims of Crime Act, and the Violence Against Women Act. This project is authorized and funded through a line item in the FY 09 Congressional Budget and by the joint explanatory statement that is incorporated by reference into the FY09 Omnibus Appropriations Act.

The University of Southern Mississippi will use the FY 2009 Congressionally Selected Award to continue the Mississippi Automated System Project (MASP), which addresses the issue of lack of data sharing capabilities between public safety agencies (82 counties and 296 municipalities) throughout the State of Mississippi by providing a state-of-the-art software suite supporting Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD), Records Management System (RMS) for law enforcement, Mobile Data System (MDS) for roadside data access, Records Management System (FMS) for fire services, Jail Management System (JMS), and Case Management System (CMS) for all 22 Judicial district attorneys of Mississippi. MASP has developed a partnership with the Seminole County, Florida Sheriff's Department that grants non-exclusive use of that department's CAD, RMS, and MDS with rights to enhance the software as needed to fit Mississippi agencies' requirements. Over the next 24 months, MASP's goals are as follows: 1) customize Seminole software utilizing MASP developers; 2) deploy CAD, RMS, and MDS software in 15 agencies in Mississippi utilizing commercial vendor support; 3) provide the ability to share data between agencies; and 4) provide disaster recovery of data utilizing warehousing of agency data offsite.

NCA/NCF