Privacy Issues in Justice Information Sharing

As criminal justice entities achieve information sharing, it is important that privacy, civil rights and civil liberties protections are implemented for information that is collected, stored, maintained, accessed, shared and disseminated.  Such protections reduce privacy risks and legal liability and help to maintain credibility of public safety agencies and practitioners. 

Privacy policies are essential components of justice information sharing initiatives.  While many state, tribal, or local jurisdictions and agencies have policies and procedures that address the issue of privacy within their regular operations, agencies should adhere to a comprehensive privacy policy specific to justice information sharing.  States are strongly encouraged to take a leadership role in this effort by providing assistance to local and tribal agencies in the development of statewide model privacy policies or policy development templates consistent with Federal and State law.   Comprehensive privacy policies serve as the lynchpin to developing a system of trust that allows agencies to share personally identifiable and other sensitive information. There needs to be trust not only within and between justice partners sharing information, but also by the public, whose information is being collected and used, that justice agencies are responsible stewards of personally identifiable information and operating with respect for individual privacy and the law.  Without this trust, information sharing initiatives will not thrive and are, ultimately, doomed to public condemnation and civil liability.

NCJA, in partnership with BJA, Global, and other Justice Information Sharing Training and Technical Assistance provider partners, has access to tools and resources to help state and local jurisdictions develop and implement robust privacy policies.  For more information regarding Global privacy tools, including the Privacy, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Policy Development Guide for State, Local, and Tribal Justice Entities (Privacy Guide) and Template, the Policy Development Checklist, and a Technical Privacy Initiative, go to www.it.ojp.gov/gist.  To request technical assistance, please contact Tammy Woodhams, NCJA senior staff associate.