This project addresses a major gap in the reporting of qualifying convictions and misdemeanor warrants in Louisiana.

The Office of Justice Programs funds the National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP) and the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Act Record Improvement Program (NARIP). Both of these programs provide essential support and guidance to improve reporting of criminal history and related records used for background checks conducted through the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) NICS, for individuals seeking to purchase certain firearms. Recent acts of violence have focused national attention on the urgent need to close several persistent information gaps remaining in the background check process. The Bureau of Justice Assistance, in close coordination with Bureau of Justice Statistics and the FBI, is funding a one-time grant program to complement the ongoing NCHIP and NARIP programs by improving and expanding the data accessible to NICS at the time of a firearm background check to ensure lawful purchases.

The Louisiana State Police and the Louisiana Supreme Court will use the funds to create an interface framework to connect their respective databases, and to enable each of the 48 City and Municipal Courts systems in Louisiana to upgrade their record management systems to allow the uploading of charges and disposition information to the State databases. The goal of the project is to increase the use of these disposition records by law enforcement, prosecution, and the courts to improve the overall performance of the criminal justice system making presently inaccessible data widely available. CA/NCF