Criminal Justice Specialized Databases

Communication is a very important part of life and new technology is constantly changing the ways in which people communicate. The criminal justice system also has to advance in the ways the different agencies and departments communicate. It is very important that the criminal justice system advances with the times, because communicating quickly and effectively can positively affect an investigation. Technology has had a big impact on the criminal justice system’s communication capabilities.

There are many specialized databases within the criminal justice system that have assisted in the advancement of crime solving, such as AFIS (Automated Identification Fingerprint System), facial recognition, live scan, mobile data terminals and iris scans. However, as with any criminal justice advancement, there are some advantages and disadvantages with the use of technology. Criminal Justice Specialized Databases: Technology and Communication Communication is a very important part of life and new technology is constantly changing the ways in which people communicate.

The criminal justice system also has to advance in the ways the different agencies and departments communicate. It is very important that the criminal justice system advances with the times, because communicating quickly and effectively can positively affect an investigation. Technology has had a big impact on the criminal justice system’s communication capabilities. There are many specialized databases within the criminal justice system that have assisted in the advancement of crime solving, such as IAFIS (Integrated Automated Identification Fingerprint System), facial recognition, live scan, mobile data terminals and iris scans.

However, as with any criminal justice advancement, there are some positive and negative effects with the use of technology. AFIS and Live Scan IAFIS stands for Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System. It is a national fingerprint and criminal history system that is operated by the FBI. Local, state and federal law enforcement agencies have access to the system. The IAFIS database includes fingerprints, criminal histories, mug shots, scars and tattoo photos, physical characteristics like height, weight, hair and eye color, and aliases (The FBI, n. d. ).

According to The FBI (n. d. , “IAFIS is the largest biometric database in the world, housing the fingerprints and criminal histories for more than 70 million subjects in the criminal master file”. IAFIS has significantly advanced the response time of submitting finger prints for identification. What use to take weeks or months to process, now only takes minutes or hours to process. Live scan is a new advancement in fingerprinting. The fingerprint is taken electronically, inkless and it captures the fingerprint digitally on a computer. The print is then sent electronically to a database, such as IAFIS, for identification.

According to Fingerprinting (2013), “For well over a century, fingerprinting has been the accepted verifiable method of personal identification. It is a fundamental truth that our fingerprint patterns are unchangeable and immutable during the course of our entire lives from gestation through death”. Live scan fingerprinting has many advantages. First, there is no mess. Ink fingerprinting can be messy and smudged. Second, there is less likelihood of human error, such as the “administration of the procedure from the rolling of the subject’s fingers to the amount of ink in the inkpad” (Fingerprinting, 2013).

Live scan fingerprinting has been one of the biggest advancements in identification. Positive and Negative Effects of Technology New technologies are developed every day. In any area technology has negative and positive effects. Specific to the criminal justice system, technological advancements can assist in detecting, preventing, and apprehending criminals. The criminal justice system and the individuals working within the system have benefited from new technology in numerous ways. Law enforcement departments on all levels are better capable of preventing, detecting and apprehending criminals on a wide-scale with new technology.

The modernization of technology is never-ending as individuals constantly search for a means to perfect existing technology. New technology leads to new ideas, better strategies and modified policies and procedures. New technology also enables police departments to store all types of information; criminal, civil and internal documentation for extremely long periods. New technology is expensive and sometimes not compatible with existing formats. The biggest negative effect that new technology has on the criminal justice system is that criminals can get ahold of it.

Criminals use this as an advantage to evade detection and apprehension. They discover strategies that will allow the criminal organization to continue forward with illegal operations. Technology I Would Like To Use The technology that I would like to use is live scan fingerprinting and IAFIS. I have seen live scan fingerprinting in action; as I have had my fingerprints taken for the military and security jobs. I would also like to search through the IAFIS system. IT fascinates me how the FBI compiles massive amounts of information on criminals from across the country. I would also like to see what my file says.

According to The FBI (n. d. ), “The system also includes civil fingerprints, mostly of individuals who have served or are serving in the U. S. military or have been or are employed by the federal government”. Conclusion Communication is a very important part of life and new technology is constantly changing the ways in which people communicate. The criminal justice system also has to advance in the ways the different agencies and departments communicate. It is very important that the criminal justice system advances with the times, because communicating quickly and effectively can positively affect an investigation.

Technology has had a big impact on the criminal justice system’s communication capabilities. There are many specialized databases within the criminal justice system that have assisted in the advancement of crime solving, such as IAFIS (Integrated Automated Identification Fingerprint System), facial recognition, live scan, mobile data terminals and iris scans. However, as with any criminal justice advancement, there are some positive and negative effects with the use of technology. ?