The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) has published the findings of a biennial national survey that represents the most current and detailed snapshot of the data, trends, policies, practices, and operations of state criminal history records repositories nationwide.
Downloadable 2022 Survey
2022 Survey Abstract Page
SEARCH conducted the survey with support of BJS, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. It is the 17th survey of criminal history information systems that SEARCH has conducted for BJS in a series dating back to 1989.
As part of its National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP), BJS supports these biennial surveys, together with substantial direct funding to states and territories to improve the quality, timeliness, and accessibility of criminal history and related records, and a host of other research, conferences, workshops, and technical assistance.
The 2022 report provides results from a survey of the administrators of state criminal history records repositories conducted May–July 2023 for calendar year information ending December 31, 2022. SEARCH surveyed 56 jurisdictions, including the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the territories. All 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Guam submitted survey responses.
The survey findings are very detailed and provide insight into:
- the volume of records and transactions processed by repositories,
- operational policies and best practices,
- levels of automation,
- measures of data quality and timeliness,
- types of records and systems maintained,
- cite and release authorities and practices,
- sealing and expungement practices, and more.
To provide operational context for these findings, SEARCH plans to publish a series of short blogs that highlight key findings from the survey in the coming weeks.
Direct questions about the 2022 survey to becki@search.org.
NCJ Number: 309360
Authors: Becki R. Goggins, Dennis A. DeBacco
Date Published: Sept. 19, 2024
