FAQs
Real-world situations sometimes yield data that are too irregular to model efficiently via the Unified Modeling Language™ (UML) class diagrams stipulated by the Information Exchange Package Documentation (IEPD) lifecycle process. WIJIS recently encountered such a situation and found an effective and generally applicable solution that is well supported by National Information Exchange Model (NIEM) — external unconstrained Resource Description Framework (RDF) attachments defined at the Instance level, rather than the Class level.
Please refer to the pdf attached for the full article.
Documents
https://bja.ojp.gov/media/document/29906
Donna Roy, executive director of the NIEM Program Management Office and director of the Enterprise Data Management Office with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, recently noted that "DHS has had a variety of successes with NIEM and at the same grand level that NDEx has been for the Department of Justice. Over 35 percent of the major IT Programs in DHS are working on implemented standardized information exchange using NIEM, with an expected increase to 60 percent by the end of 2009. Major drivers for adoption at DHS include requirements of all new IT programs and modifications to existing programs to use NIEM, based on the DHS-wide System Engineering Lifecycle. NIEM is working for DHS, and we will continue to both use NIEM and support the use of NIEM in federal, state, tribal, and local information sharing initiatives."
Please refer to the pdf attached for the full article.
Also, the Information Sharing Environment (ISE) has four success stories available that provide insight into how various elements of the National Information Exchange Model (NIEM), a key aspect of the Common Information Sharing Standards (CISS), can be applied in different user environments:
NIEM and the HHS Meaningful Use “SPRINT”
UCORE and NIEM: Creating Potent New Cross-Boundary Networks
Suspicious Activity Reporting
The DHS Domestic Nuclear Detection Office Goes NIEM
These success stories are available at http://www.ise.gov and are also attached to this article.
Documents
https://bja.ojp.gov/media/document/29911
https://bja.ojp.gov/media/document/29916
https://bja.ojp.gov/media/document/29921
https://bja.ojp.gov/media/document/29926
https://bja.ojp.gov/media/document/29931
In a progressive and unusual collaboration between the judicial system as represented by the National Center for State Courts and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, significant improvements have been made in improving outcomes for abused and neglected children, thanks to the use of the National Information Exchange Model (NIEM).
See attached pdf for full article.
Documents
https://bja.ojp.gov/media/document/29936
The following NIEM Presentation was given in October 5-6, 2009 at a "Workshop on Improving Access to Financial Data on the Web". It was co-organized by W3C and XBRL International, Inc, and hosted by FDIC, Arlington, Virginia USA. For more speakers: http://www.w3.org/2009/03/xbrl/minutes.html.
This presentation on "The National Information Exchange Model (NIEM) Program" was provided by Anthony-Hoang (DHS OCIO) and Justin Stekervetz (Deloitte) on behalf of Donna Roy, Director, Enterprise Data Management Office, and Executive Director, for National Information Exchange Model.
Link to presentation slides: http://www.w3.org/2009/03/xbrl/talks/Anthony-Hoang.pdf
The first step in working with an IEPD is to create a batch file that will execute Xsd.exe. Because NIEM IEPDs are comprised of multiple xsd files and Xsd.exe will not automatically find imported schemas, we will need to include every xsd in the Xsd.exe input. The batch file will take the format:
> Xsd.exe "<Path to xsd file 1>" "<Path to xsd file 2>" … "<Path to xsd file n>" /c
An example of this is found at: IJIS Technical Advisory Committee NIEM FAQ Series "NIEM IEPD XML Code Generation in C# with .NET 3.5"; see article ID# 547
This case study highlights the successful utilization of NIEM as part of the MassGangs project to support the exchange of information obtained by local, regional, and state criminal justice agencies regarding members of criminal gangs and illegal organizations in Massachusetts.
See attached pdf or link below for complete article.
Link: https://www.niem.gov/about-niem/success-stories/massachusetts-executive…
Documents
https://bja.ojp.gov/media/document/29941
There is no formal policy with respect to use of Schematron with NIEM.
Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) uses Schematron (in fact, publishes the Schematron rules) for the NIEM Conformance Tool. Schematron checks that IEPD schemas do not violate the NIEM Naming and Design Rules (NDR). However, Schematron could certainly be used to tighten constraints on schemas or instances for IEPD/IEPs that could not otherwise be checked by an XML Schema validator. As a result, the use of Schematron is be encouraged.
Originally, the concept of a constraint schema with two-pass validation was developed as the way to tighten constraints on XML instances if one cannot, or does not want to, design and apply Schematron rules. A constraint schema does not have to follow the NIEM NDR because it is used for a completely independent 2nd pass validation of an instance. So, as long as an instance passes the conformance validation (1st pass) with the NIEM subset (plus extensions and exchange schema), then it is conforming. A constraint schema can tighten the constraints without impacting conformance (because it's an additional pass with a constraint schema (usually a modified subset schema) that is independent of the first.
The disadvantage of this approach is that it requires a 2nd validation pass with a modified subset. However, Schematron also requires its own pass over the schema or instance being checked. In addition, you must write the Schematron rules - which are not always easy. For example, the Conformance Tool sometimes has to employ a set of as many as 3-4 Schematron rules to check a single NDR rule.
Many business rules can be formally designed and applied in Schematron. Lastly, since Schematron is the means by which NIEM conformance is achieved, the recommendation from a consistency point of view is to use the Schematron approach for complex business rules validation.
An announcement from the National Information Exchange Model (NIEM) LinkedIn Group, by Donna Roy, NIEM Executive Director:
Today marks a pivotal day for the NIEM program and the dedicated government users of the best in government XML based information exchange model. Altova's Mission Kit,according to Forrester Research, boasts over 3 million users across the world. Their lastest release, includes features built to make NIEM easier to implement.
http://ca.sys-con.com/node/1382623
BEVERLY, MA -- (Marketwire) -- 05/05/10 -- Altova® ( http://www.altova.com ), creator of XMLSpy®, the industry leading XML editor today announced the availability of Version 2010 Release 3 (v2010r3) of the Altova MissionKit®, an integrated suite of XML, database, and UML tools. Version 2010 Release 3 adds powerful new functionality including integration with the newly released Visual Studio® 2010, support for working with industry standards iXBRL and National Information Exchange Model (NIEM), support for mapping data based on SAP's IDoc EDI format, and much more.
"The new functionality available in 2010r3 adds to our already robust tool suite and gives users more flexibility to work with a variety of technologies and industry standards," said Alexander Falk, President and CEO for Altova. "By continually adding key features to support technologies such as XML and UML, and standards like XBRL and NIEM, we are helping our users to work as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible."
Each of the tools available in the Altova MissionKit 2010r3 includes several new features:
XMLSpy 2010r3 - With the release of v2010r3, the XMLSpy XML editor adds new usability enhancements to its graphical schema editor, including the ability to validate internal naming and coding conventions. The enhanced XMLSpy graphical schema editor allows schema designers to validate naming and coding conventions outside of the capabilities of the XML Schema standard. This new functionality is of key importance for users working with NIEM, a U.S. Government XML-based standard, when implementing their information sharing exchanges. Another new feature in XMLSpy 2010r3 is support for creating user-defined sample values for XML instance generation. Users can now add arbitrary sample data to their XML instance generations allowing them to control the sample data that is published. XMLSpy 2010r3 also integrates with Visual Studio 2010, adding to its existing support for VS 2005 and VS 2008.
On behalf of the NIEM community, a big thanks for the support of Alexander Falk and Altova!
For more information, please visit, NIEM LinkedIn Group.
The IJIS Institute Technical Advisory Committee (I-TAC) has two new documents available. They are attached to this article and are entitled: 1) NIEM IEPD XML Code Generation in C# with .NET 3.5; and 2) NIEM IEPD XML Code Generation in Java.
NIEM IEPD XML Code Generation in Java:
This document seeks to address generation of Java classes based on the JAXB standard. Initially, it was meant to demonstrate the similarities and differences between Axis and XFire. Since both technologies use the JAXB-XJC tool as one of the ways to generate Java classes for their code generation tools, this paper will address the use of the JAXB-XJC tool.
NIEM IEPD XML Code Generation in C# with .NET 3.5:
Programmatically working with NIEM IEPDs in C# can be challenging due to the overall complexity of working with large XML schema models, and the limitations in Microsoft’s Xsd.exe code generation tool. This document seeks to provide answers to frequently asked practitioner questions that may come up when working with NIEM IEPDs in .NET, and hopefully decrease the effort required to achieve successful NIEM IEPD programming. These questions address using Xsd.exe code generation, and rely on XML object serialization. It is worth noting that there are other viable approaches to working with C#.NET and XML that are available such as LINQ to XML.
Documents
https://bja.ojp.gov/media/document/29946
https://bja.ojp.gov/media/document/29951
There are many ways to execute the XJC tool on a NIEM IEPD. The IJIS Technical Advisory Committee NIEM FAQ Series "NIEM IEPD XML Code Generation in JAVA" will deal with three of them:
1. Executing XJC using the Java command;
2. Executing XJC using xjc.sh or xsh.bat; and
3. using an Eclipse plugin.
More details, please see: IJIS Technical Advisory Committee NIEM FAQ Series "NIEM IEPD XML Code Generation in JAVA"; see article ID# 547
The National Information Exchange Model (NIEM) is an XML vocabulary that is quickly gaining popularity as a means to support cross-domain information sharing. NIEM is about the semantics of the message, not transportation of that message.
“Web services” is a term for a group of industry standards that collectively provide a mechanism for exchanging XML-based messages, such as NIEM messages. One of these standards is the Web Services Description Language (WSDL), which standardizes the specification and description of a web services interface.
This technical brief (see source below) explains the crucial relationship between NIEM Information Exchange Package Documentation (IEPD) and WSDL. The information that travels between systems is critical to the workings of a web service. A WSDL has the responsibility of specifically defining what that information looks like. Though IEPD is a concept separate from web services, an IEPD can be used in conjunction with WSDL to clearly and unambiguously specify a web services interface, including all the semantics. In other words, web services can be used for exchanging messages defined by NIEM IEPDs. For further reading, please see the source below.
Source - Using NIEM with Web Services
Service Specifications are similar to National Information Exchange Model ([NIEM]) Information Exchange Package Documentation (IEPD), commonly used within the justice community. They document the conceptual, logical, and physical models of a service in the same way NIEM IEPDs document the conceptual, logical, and physical models of a data exchange. Also, as with IEPDs, Service Specifications are a composite set of documentation, models, policies, contracts, and schemas that together provide a clear view of the service capabilities and business and technical requirements. While both Service Specifications and NIEM IEPDs are sets of artifacts which enable justice agencies to effectively share information and are of similar construction, they are not equivalent concepts. From a GRA perspective, NIEM IEPDs are used to describe the information model of a service and, as such, become a part of the Service Specification.
1. What are the reasons for-or-against this effort?
2. Any recommendations on how such an inventory should differ from just a "giant mapping sheet"?
NIEM Model Package Description (MDP) Specification document available on the NIEM web site has the best overview surrounding how the future of NIEM leverages enterprise data models in individual exchange package development.
To answer the specific questions:
The reason for doing this is that this is in line with the future of NIEM as outlined in the MPD Specification. It also a great way to ensure elements are mapped/modeled consistently across various exchanges in the future.
While a simple spreadsheet would work, it may be advantageous to use the new (when that becomes available) instead as it embodies the MPD and also provides tools to graphically depict and textually document the larger enterprise data model.
The xsd:appinfo element is used to provide machine-targeted annotations of schema components. In NIEM, there are some specific defined uses. There are some rules constraining use of xsd:appinfo in the NIEM Naming and Design Rules section 6.4.2, and the specifically defined uses are addressed in section 7.2.2 with additional detail in Appendix C.
For a new element created in a NIEM extension, xsd:appinfo is generally only required for the following:
1. Association types and elements, to indicate the base type or element (appinfo:Base)
2. Augmentation and metadata types, to indicate base type to which the augmentation or metadata may be applied (appinfo:AppliesTo)
3. Reference elements, to specify the type to which the reference element may be applied (appinfo:ReferenceTarget)
While xsd:appinfo is required for NIEM conformance in these cases, xsd:appinfo is ignored by XML schema validation so an otherwise valid XML schema will still validate even if the xsd:appinfo elements are not included.
This video is a short overview of NIEM and how it can help organizations exchange information. Produced by T. Reinhardt, Canada. 11-2011.
A Unified Modeling Language (UML) Profile for NIEM which aims to provide a standard for modeling NIEM artifacts (such as Model Package Descriptions, or MPDs) using UML. The UML profile will be an industry standard that will enable the development of NIEM-conformant information sharing and exchange models across systems, agencies, and levels of government.
The development team for this effort consisted of members from the NIEM Program Management Office, the OMG Technical Committee, Program Manager for the Information Sharing Environment, and industry and academic partners. On February 20, 2012, the Revised Submission to the UML Profile for NIEM (NIEM-UML) was delivered to the Object Management Group (OMG).
Final approval is expected in the June 2012 timeframe. You can review the NIEM-UML revised submission by clicking here.
Videos Resources:
NIEM-UML High-Level Introduction
NIEM-UML Specification Overview
The 2011 NIEM National Training Event webcasts are located at this link - http://register.mediasite.com/?nd=login&setsite=39. A login is required.
The attached file provides a list of federal agencies and their NIEM adoption plans as of July 2012.
Documents
https://bja.ojp.gov/media/document/29956
A publication by ANSI/NIST may be used as an example for referencing NIEM. This standard was created to support the interchange of biometric data. See http://www.nist.gov/customcf/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=910136 for more details.
For more information regarding NIEM and how you can get involved in the NIEM Community see here - https://www.niem.gov/aboutniem/Pages/how-do-i-get-started.aspx.
NIEM webinars are a convenient way to help you learn more about using NIEM, from general concepts and tools to in-depth technical specifications. Whether you're completely new to NIEM or simply want to hone your skills, you'll find the webinar that's right for you.
Webinars contain videos that will show you how to learn about a variety of useful NIEM tools, including:
NIEM Wayfarer
NIEM Extension Wizard
NIEM Conformance Tool
And more!
For more information regarding NIEM Webinars see here - https://www.niem.gov/training/Pages/webinars.aspx.
The IC-ISM XML Schemas will not be included as part of the NIEM 3.0 release. Instead, each of the NIEM structures base types (ObjectType, AssociationType, AugmentationType, and MetadataType, as well as SimpleObjectAttributeGroup) incorporates an anyAttributes element as part of its definition. This wildcard allows any attributes to appear that have the IC-ISM namespace, as well as those having the IC-NTK namespace. This is in line with the recommendations of the developer of the IC Trusted Data Framework, and should support ISM, NTK, and the TDF. Developers that need schemas for these namespaces should download them from an authoritative source.
JSON is nothing more than a rendering and fully supported by libraries such as the Apache Java XML2JSON library we are using - bi-directional seamless transforms. There is nothing need to do here. NIEM does JSON, and JSON does NIEM, and its completely interchangeable. CAM demonstrates that as a reference implementation and anyone else can easily do this too.
CAM Reference Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeDbY0FSX3Y&list=UUHGjVfq4Rm-CC2ClFS2cD6w
For any submissions of wantlist's that do not load or receive an error message, please debug as follows:
1. Ensure the wantlist is a well-formed XML file!!! (use an editor that will check that)
2. Globally remove all cardinality constraints ‘minOccurs=”0” maxOccurs=”unbounded”’ and reload.
3. If wantlist still doesn't load: then globally remove 0,1 cardinality constraints and reload.
4. If wantlist still doesn't load: then globally remove the rest of the cardinality constraints and reload.
5. Do NOT reinsert cardinality constraints for the remaining steps.
6. If wantlist still doesn't load: then validate the wantlist against the correct NIEM wantlist schema.
7. Check that the headers are correct.
8. Ensure the namespaces for components in the wantlist are correct.
9. If wantlist still doesn't load: start a logarithmic decomposition and test each piece until you zero in on the bad component(s).
a. Split the wantlist in half - 2 files, each with the original headers.
b. Load each; if one loads and the other does not, then split the wantlist that does not load, put the other aside as good.
c. If both lists do not load then there is an error in both. Treat each list as another wantlist and split/load.
d. Continue this recursion until you identify the component lines that are incorrect, and remove or correct them.
10. If this still fails, then send a copy of the wantlist to the NISS Helpdesk and tell us when and how it was created (SSGT? another tool? If so, what tool? manually?)
In 2.1, EVERY schema that is NIEM-conformant MUST declare itself such with an i:ConformantIndicator.
Otherwise, the ConTesA ignores the schema and will NOT apply any conformance rules
because it does not recognize the schema as NIEM-conformant.
Here is an example for an exchange schema that should be immediately below the Schema element:
<xsd:annotation>
<xsd:documentation>exchange schema</xsd:documentation>
<xsd:appinfo>
<i:ConformantIndicator>true</i:ConformantIndicator>
</xsd:appinfo>
</xsd:annotation>
This should also be applied to conformant extension schemas as well. User should see the subset schemas – each one contains such an annotation. Note that once these have been inserted, ConTesA will apply other conformance Rules tailored to the schemas to determine what they are (reference, extension, exchange). There will likely be other auto rule failures at that point that had not appeared earlier because no rules are applied to schemas that are assumed to be non-conforming
(because they do not declare conformance with i:ConformantIndicator = TRUE). (a few namespace import issues will likely appear – these will need to be fixed as well)
The NIEM Migration Assistance Tool is an easy tool for you to migrate your current wantlist to the lastest version. The Migration Tool is a tool that allows you to upload your wantlist file that you find in an IEPD, and generate the ouputs for you in just a click of a button. The outputs should include a new migration wantlist, a new subset, and a migration report that indicate the status of that migration resolution.
Here are the supported levels of the tool:
NIEM 3.0 conversion to NIEM 3.0-with-domain-updates
NIEM 2.1-with-domain-updates conversion to NIEM 3.0
NIEM 2.1 to NIEM 2.1-with-domain-updates conversion
NIEM 2.0 to NIEM 2.1 conversion
NIEM 1.0 to NIEM 2.0 conversion
GJXDM 3.0.3 to NIEM 2.0 wantlist conversion
Notice: If you have a wantlist file version NIEM 2.1 and you want to upgrade to the latest version which is NIEM 3.0-with-domain-updated, the tool will migrate the file into the NIEM 2.1-with-domain-updated first, and you will take this wantlist file verison NIEM 2.1-with-domain-updated and continue upload to migrate to the next version. You need to repeat this step until you have the latest wanlist, the latest subset, and the status report.
Migration Assistance Tool: http://tools.niem.gov/niemtools/migration/index.iepd
Magic Draw - Cameo NIEM Plugin Tool can implement the complete NIEM-UML specification with specific enhancements to make modeling for information exchange easier and more effective. NIEM-UML offers a standards-based means to reduce the time, cost, and learning curve of sharing information with NIEM. The Magicdraw implementation provides modeling support for NIEM and can forward and reverse engineer 100% NIEM-conformant IEPDs and reference schema. Once in NIEM-UML, NIEM information models are more easily managed and more intuitive for stakeholders.
For more information on this tool, please click on the links below.
Resources:
Magic Draw - Cameo NIEM Plugin Tool
Creating a NIEM IEPD with NIEM-UML using Cameo NIEM Plugin Tool
Modeling Properties And Associations In NIEM-UML
NIEM-UML Subsetting and Extension
Documents
https://bja.ojp.gov/media/document/29961
https://bja.ojp.gov/media/document/29966
On September 23, 2014, NIEM hosted a Virtual Town Hall. More than 130 community members joined us to hear presentations from a Best of NIEM 2014 winner and updates from representatives of the Emergency Management Domain, as well as to participate in the question and answer session.
NIEM hosted its second annual NIEM in November event on Tuesday, November 4, 2014. NIEM in November was a half-day event filled with presentations, round tables, and discussions highlighting the community's hard work and success. Hosted at National Defense University and live-streamed on NIEM.gov, the event had attendees and presenters from across the United States and beyond.
Resource Links:
https://www.niem.gov/about-niem/news/niem-november-recap
https://www.niem.gov/about-niem/news/september-virtual-town-hall-recap
https://www.niem.gov/about-niem/news/niem-november-recap
The Office of Justice Programs (OJP) provides innovative leadership to federal, state, local, and tribal justice systems, by disseminating state-of-the art knowledge and practices across America, and providing grants for the implementation of these crime fighting strategies. Because most of the responsibility for crime control and prevention falls to law enforcement officers in states, cities, and neighborhoods, the federal government can be effective in these areas only to the extent that it can enter into partnerships with these officers. Therefore, OJP does not directly carry out law enforcement and justice activities. Instead, OJP works in partnership with the justice community to identify the most pressing crime-related challenges confronting the justice system and to provide information, training, coordination, and innovative strategies and approaches for addressing these challenges.
The Office of Justice Programs (OJP) aids the member organizations of Global Advisory Commitee (GAC), and the people they serve, through a series of important initiatives. These include the facilitation of the GAC Working Groups. The Global Infrastructure/Standards Working Group (GISWG) recommended that OJP form the Global XML Structure Task Force (GXSTF) to identify data requirements, explore XML concepts, and apply XML best practices to the design and implement of the Global Justice XML Data Model (GJXDM). This recommendation was accepted and today, the GXSTF is composed of government and industry domain experts (law enforcement, courts, and corrections), technical managers, and engineers.
Since 1984 the Office of Justice Programs (OPJ) has provided federal leadership in developing the nation's capacity to prevent and control crime, improve the criminal and juvenile justice systems, increase knowledge about crime and related issues, and assist crime victims. OJP's senior management team - comprised of the Assistant Attorney General (AAG), the Deputy Assistant Attorney General (DAAG), and the five bureau heads - works together with dedicated managers and line staff to carry out this mission.
The Assistant Attorney General is responsible for overall management and oversight of OJP. The AAG sets policy, ensures that OJP policies and programs reflect the priorities of the President, the Attorney General, and the Congress. The AAG promotes coordination among the bureaus and offices within OJP.
The bureaus are the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and the Office for Victims of Crime. OJP also includes the Community Capacity Development Office, the Office of the Police Corps and Law Enforcement Education. OJP's American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) Affairs Desk, coordinates AI/AN-related programmatic activity across the bureaus and program offices and serves as an information resource center for American Indian and Alaskan Native criminal justice interests.
Seven other offices within OJP provide agency-wide support. They are the Office of Communications, the Office of Administration, the Equal Employment Opportunity Office, the Office for Civil Rights, the Office of Budget and Management Services, the Office of the Comptroller, and the Office of General Counsel. Additionally, the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) provides information services in support of the bureaus and program offices.
OJP Website: https://www.ojp.gov/
The Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) is the nonprofit applied research arm of the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia. GTRI employs around 1,300 people, and is involved in approximately $100 million in research annually for more than 200 clients in industry and government. GTRI's research spans a variety of disciplines, including national defense, homeland security, public health, education, and economic development.
Major customers for GTRI research include United States Department of Defense agencies, the state of Georgia, non-defense federal agencies, and private industry. Overall, contracts and grants from Department of Defense agencies account for approximately 80% of GTRI’s total expenditures. Their goal is to create solutions through innovation, on time and on budget. They assist clients in federal, state, local and international government agencies, industrial firms, academic institutions and private organizations. More than 70 percent of their research personnel hold advanced degrees, and all are committed to an independent, unbiased approach to solving problems. They also offer association with Georgia Institute of Technology colleagues who can contribute additional talent and knowledge for meeting technological and engineering challenges.
Georgia Tech Research Institute: http://www.gtri.gatech.edu/
SEARCH, The National Consortium for Justice Information and Statistics, is a nonprofit membership organization created by and for the states. Since 1969, SEARCH's primary objective has been to identify and help solve the information management problems of state and local justice agencies confronted with the need to exchange information with other local agencies, state agencies, agencies in other states, or with the federal government.
SEARCH is governed by a Membership Group comprised of one gubernatorial appointee from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as eight at-large appointees selected by SEARCH's Chair. Members are primarily state-level justice officials responsible for operational decisions and policymaking concerning the management of criminal justice information, particularly criminal history information.
A staff of professionals works from SEARCH headquarters in Sacramento, California, to implement solutions identified by the Membership Group. Through its staff and with the direction of the Membership, SEARCH provides justice agencies with diverse products, services and resources through three program areas: Systems and Technology, Law and Policy, and Research and Statistics.
Funding for SEARCH activities is provided by annual fees from Member states for the operation of the consortium and Board of Directors; grants from various U.S. Justice agencies; state grants; and federal, state and local contracts.
SEARCH Website: http://www.search.org/
The NLETS was created by the principal law enforcement agencies of the states nearly 35 years ago. Since the founding, NLETS role has evolved from being primarily an interstate telecommunications service for law enforcement to a more broad-based network servicing the justice community at the local, state, and federal levels.
It is now the pre-eminent interstate law enforcement network in the nation for the exchange of law enforcement and related justice information. The mission of NLETS is to provide, within a secure environment, an international justice telecommunications capability and information services that will benefit to the highest degree, the safety, the security, and the preservation of human life and the protection of property. NLETS assists those national and international governmental agencies and other organizations with similar missions that enforce or aid in enforcing local, state, or international laws or ordinances.
NLETS hopes to continue to be the premier provider of the network, system, and services that will support and encourage a totally standardized, integrated, international justice system. Acting primarily as a network provider, and to the degree required, a data warehouse, NLETS will endeavor to serve every stratum of the justice and public safety communities. NLETS has led the effort to advocate for the use of XML technology for law enforcement purposes.
NLETS Website: http://www.nlets.org/
The Law Enforcement Information Technology Standards Council (LEITSC) is established to address the issue of information sharing across disciplinary lines from the law enforcement community to public safety to other social service areas.
LEITSC is comprised of four of the nation's leading law enforcement associations:
International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP)
National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE)
National Sheriffs' Association (NSA)
Police Executive Research Forum (PERF)
The LEITSC project began in 2002 with funding (Grant No. 2002-LD-BX-0002) from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance and continued in 2003 with funding (Grant No. 2003-MX-BX-0068) through a collaborative effort between the Bureau of Justice Assistance and the National Institute of Justice. LEITSC is currently solely funded by the Bureau of Justice (Grant No. 2006-LD-BX-K005) and continues to work in cooperation with the National Institute of Justice.
LEITSC has proven its strength and commitment to this endeavor by providing access to law enforcement experts to give input to standards development initiatives, creating outreach and training opportunities to keep law enforcement executives engaged in the process, and continuing to leverage collaboration and work that is currently underway to address the information technology needs of the law enforcement community. The law enforcement community understands the value of using information technology standards in their technology implementation , and over the last few years, significant progress has been made in the development and implementation of information technology standards to advance information sharing.
Projects within the Global Justice Information Sharing Initiative (Global), such as the Global Justice XML Data Model (GJXDM) and the National Information Exchange Model (NIEM), continue to evolve and develop standards that aim to ease information sharing across disciplinary lines from the law enforcement community to public safety to other social service areas. Through all of this, LEITSC has continued to promote information technology standards by exercising leadership and has brought the issues associated with information sharing to the forefront of the law enforcement executive's agenda.
LEITSC Website: http://www.theiacp.org/
The mission of NCSC is to improve the administration of justice through leadership and service to state courts, and courts around the world. Through original research, consulting services, publications, and national educational programs, NCSC offers solutions that enhance court operations with the latest technology; collects and interprets the latest data on court operations nationwide; and provides information on proven "best practices" for improving court operations.
NCSC also disseminates information to state court leaders on key national policy issues, and helps advocate their policies with Congress as well as supporting several prestigious national organizations. For more than 30 years, court leaders have called on the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) for up-to-date information and hands-on assistance that helps them better serve the public.
Through original research, consulting services, publications, and national educational programs, NCSC offers solutions that enhance court operations with the latest technology; collects and interprets the latest data on court operations nationwide; and provides information on proven "best practices" for improving court operations in many areas, such as civil case management.
NCSC are active advocates of the use of Global Justice XML Data Model in state courts. In fact, they designed Wayfarer which is an exploration and discovery tool to help us navigate the often intimidating size of the GJXDM. The National Center for State Courts is also the publisher of the Court Technology Bulletin (CTB).
The CTB started publishing in 1978 and has been a leading source of information on the application of technology to the court community since that time. The CTB has now gone ''hi-tech'' as a continually updated online resource available in a variety of formats like HTML, plain text, RSS news feeds and e-mail summaries, customizable by topic and sent periodically to subscribers at no charge. Judges and court staff, or anyone interested in court technology, who want to do their jobs better by staying informed on subjects such as GJXDM, courtroom technology, conferences and education, and new trends in technology are encouraged to read the CTB.
NCSC Website: http://www.ncsc.org
NCSC GJXDM Page: http://www.ncsc.org/Services-and-Experts/Technology-tools/National-stan…
Wayfarer: http://apps.ncsc.org/niem/
CTB Online: http://courttechbulletin.blogspot.com/
The National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC) system serves as the "honest broker" offering support, research findings, and technological expertise to help State and local law enforcement and corrections personnel perform their duties more safely and efficiently. NLETC was created in 1994 as a component of the National Institute of Justice's (NIJ's) Office of Science and Technology and the system is now assisted in its work by a national and regional advisory councils.
The NLECTC system consists of facilities across the country that are collocated The NLECTC system seeks to help law enforcement and corrections agencies through fostering the development and use of new and existing technologies. To do so, it has to identify and understand the needs and requirements of these agencies. A national advisory council and regional advisory councils that are attached to each center are important to this process. They form a bridge between the criminal justice community and the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Office of Science and Technology. Across this bridge flows information about the workaday worlds of policing and corrections, and their operational needs. NIJ uses this information to help fashion and adjust its technology research and development programs to meet those needs.
Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Advisory Council (LECTAC) LECTAC is the primary "big picture" link between the law enforcement and corrections community and NIJ's science and technology programs. Council members are appointed by NLECTC based on their records of distinguished service and include representatives from Federal, State, local, and international criminal justice agencies and organizations. Working to strengthen ties between NIJ and the law enforcement and corrections community, LECTAC reviews and analyzes the present and future technological needs of the criminal justice system.
The Council uses this information to recommend research and development priorities to NIJ and advises NLECTC on equipment testing, the creation of standards, user guidelines, and technical reports. At the same time, it relays information about NIJ's technology programs and products back to the criminal justice community for its review.
Guided by an executive committee, LECTAC is organized into subcommittees, all of which address technology areas of technology which are annually identified as priorities by NIJ and LECTAC. These subcommittees focus on law enforcement operations, corrections operations, communications, contraband detection, custody, investigative and forensic sciences, information systems, training and simulation, and weapons and protective systems. LECTAC and its subcommittees meet as appropriate to review NIJ programs, attend presentations on emerging technologies, meet with representatives of the centers' regional advisory councils, and discuss State and local technology needs.
Once a year, LECTAC recommends to the NLECTC system priorities for NIJ programs. Regional Advisory Councils The centers in the NLECTC system establish close ties to the States they serve through their regional advisory councils. Each council is made up of criminal justice practitioners who represent a cross-section of law enforcement and corrections agencies from each of the centers' constituent States. The regional advisory councils meet regularly to help center staff identify and rank the needs of the criminal justice community and provide feedback on NIJ programs. Council members
Ascertain and itemize current and future equipment and technological requirements of their criminal justice community
Review the programs of their center and the NLECTC system as a means of helping the system remain focused on the needs of State and local agencies
Recommend priorities for equipment testing and developing equipment standards, technical reports, and user guides
Review and comment on draft publications and reports as to their usefulness for law enforcement and corrections practitioners.
Regional advisory councils not only work with the regional centers but also provide information to LECTAC. Center Directors and council chairs relay information from the regional councils to LECTAC through regular meetings with the LECTAC executive committee.
Though the programs developed and funded by its bureaus and offices, OJP works to form partnerships among federal, state, and local government officials to control drug abuse and trafficking; reduce and prevent crime; rehabilitate neighborhoods; improve the administration of justice in America; meet the needs of crime victims; and address problems such as gang violence, prison crowding, juvenile crime, and white-collar crime.
The functions of each bureau or program office are interrelated. For example, the statistics generated by the Bureau of Justice Statistics may drive the research that is conducted through the National Institute of Justice and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Research results, in turn generate new programs that receive support from the Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
Although some research and technical assistance is provided directly by OJP's bureaus and offices, most of the work is accomplished through federal financial assistance to scholars, practitioners, experts, and state and local governments and agencies. Many of the program bureaus and offices provide award formula grants to state agencies, which, in turn, sub-grant funds to units of state and local government. Formula grant programs in such areas as drug control and system improvement, juvenile justice, victim's compensation, and victim's assistance, are administered by state agencies designated by each state's governor. Discretionary grant funds are announced in the Federal Register or through program solicitations that can also be found through bureau and OJP Websites. Grant applications are made directly to the sponsoring OJP bureau or program office.
OJP website: https://www.ojp.gov/
The Global Advisory Committee (GAC) is made up of key personnel from local, state, tribal, federal, and international justice entities. It helps steer and facilitate Global’s efforts in efficient sharing of data among justice entities and was formed to serve as an advisory committee to the U.S. Attorney General.
The GAC, through its Working Groups, works collaboratively to address the policy, connectivity, and jurisdictional issues that have hampered effective justice information sharing. The GAC membership reflects the tenet that the entire justice community must be involved in information exchange. Experts represent the following constituencies: law enforcement agencies; prosecutors, public defenders, and courts; corrections agencies; and probation and parole departments.
Links to organizations that comprise GAC: http://www.iir.com/global/committee.htm
The National Sex Offender Public Registry, coordinated by the Department of Justice, is a cooperative effort between the state agencies hosting public sexual offender registries and the federal government. This website is a search tool allowing a user to submit a single national query to obtain information about sex offenders through a number of search options:
By Name
By ZIP Code
By County (if provided by state)
By City/Town (if provided by state)
By State (one or multiple)
National
The criteria for searching are limited to what each individual state may provide. Also, because information is hosted by each state and not by the federal government, search results should be verified by the user in the state where the information is posted. Users are advised to log on to pertinent state web sites for further information and/or guidance, as appropriate.
For further details please visit http://www.nsopr.gov/
The Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting Initiative (NSI) provides fusion centers with the ability to receive and vet SARs within their state or region, and rapidly notify the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) of potential incidents with the push of a button. Essentially the NSI provides the law enforcement community with another tool to “connect the dots” to combat crime and terrorism in a manner that rigorously protects the privacy and civil liberties of Americans. The IJIS Institute has played a key role in the analysis, design, and deployment of technology solutions to support broad information sharing functional objectives and NSI technical requirements.
See attached pdf for complete article.
Documents
https://bja.ojp.gov/media/document/30011