News
Release
August
4, 2010
Contact: David Meyers, Iowa Department of Human Rights
(515) 281.6929
David.Meyers@Iowa.Gov
Polly Carver-Kimm, Governor's Office
(515) 281.0173
polly.carver-kimm@iowa.gov
Governor Culver and Chief
Justice Ternus Announce National Award
Des Moines, August 4, 2010— Today, Governor Chet Culver
and Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Marsha Ternus announced Iowa's receipt of
a national award for the State's Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS)
integration project. This award is sponsored by the national Integrated Justice
Information System (IJIS) Institute.
Iowa CJIS, which began in
2003, is a joint project of the Iowa Executive Branch and the Iowa Judicial
Branch. The purpose of the CJIS project is to align the state's numerous and
diverse criminal justice information systems and processes and create a
seamless electronic information sharing process that will improve the speed,
accuracy, and efficiency of critical communications among criminal justice
agencies, the courts and local law enforcement officials. Ultimately, these
improvements will strengthen public safety.
"The CJIS project, which
maximizes the use of technology to allow Iowa's criminal justice practitioners
to electronically transmit critical information in real-time, provides a model
for other states to follow," Culver said. "CJIS, when fully
implemented, will reduce the time and redundancy of the current, paper-based
process and enable automated information sharing in a common format between
state, local, and federal criminal justice agencies."
The award recognizes
"technical innovation that has contributed significantly to the
advancement of integration and interoperability in a justice, public safety, or
homeland security program." The IJIS calls Iowa CJIS a "stellar
example of what true, effective information sharing can accomplish at a
statewide level."
"All credit for this
prestigious award belongs to the CJIS Advisory Committee and project
staff," said Chief Justice Marsha Ternus, Iowa Supreme Court. "This
honor reflects the committee members' shared belief that public safety is a top
government priority and effective communication among all criminal justice
entities is essential when it comes to ensuring public safety. This award is a
tribute to the committee's strong leadership, collaborative spirit, and
commitment to excellence."
Oversight for the project is
provided by a nineteen-member, multi-jurisdictional advisory committee
comprised of criminal justice practitioners and elected officials from state,
county, and city government. The CJIS staff works out of the Iowa Department of
Human Rights, Division of Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning. More
information can be found on the CJIS project by visiting Iowa's CJIS web site
at www.cjis.iowa.gov.
CJIS
Advisory Committee Members:
David Meyers ,CJIS Advisory
Committee Project Manager
Department of Human Rights
Dennis Henderson, Chair
City Manager, Clive
John Baldwin
Director, Iowa Department
of Corrections
Gus Farmer
Waterloo Police Department
Darrell Mullins
Assistant Attorney General
Robert E. Sosalla
District Judge, 6th
Judicial District
Paul Fitzgerald
Story County Sheriff
Leesa A. McNeil
District Court
Administrator, 3rd Judicial District
James Strohman
Story County Supervisor
Julie Carlin
Scott County Clerk of
Court, 7th Judicial District
Dave Heuton
Iowa Department of Public
Safety
Julie Miller
State Public Defender
Robert E. Dvorsky
State Senator, District 15
Steve Kettering
State Senator, District 26
Lance Horbach
State Representative,
District 40
Mark Headlee
Deputy Director of
Information Technology, Judicial Branch
Helen Miller
State Representative, House
District 49
Darin Raymond
Plymouth County Attorney
Lt. Anthony Batcheller
Iowa Department of
Transportation
Tom Southard
Chief Juvenile Court
Officer, 2nd Judicial District
# # #
2010
Iowa Supreme Court
1111 East Court Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50319
515-281-3952
