2.5  Data Dictionary

2.5.1  Data Sharing Strategy

Each justice agency depends on information to do its job within the justice system. Information is created whenever a form is filled out, whenever a motion is filed, whenever a new case is established. The information may be used by its creators or by others. The need to use and to share information makes each agency dependent on the other.

If the information available to a justice agency is not complete, timely and accurate, there may be consequences to the administration of justice and to individuals. Time gaps between processes, redundant information storage, duplication of data entry work, the handling of paper documents - these factors contribute to the increased risk of error and wasted time.

On the other hand, good information supports the making of good decisions that public safety depends on. Good information is timely and accurate if it can be collected promptly and sent where it is needed when it is needed. Good information retains the integrity of its parts and is distributed in a form useful to all its users. It is the responsibility of each justice process to maintain the quality of the information it uses.

To promote the sharing of high-quality information, the Department of Information Services devised the following diagram while working on a project with similar needs. The model represented in the diagram is proposed as the standard way to share information among justice agencies.

The proposed model allows each agency to carry the shared information in its current system format and only requires the standard format when information is sent or received. The sending agency will translate non-standard data into standard format before sending it out. The receiving agency may translate the data in standard form into a non-standard format for use in its own systems. As systems are upgraded, it is hoped that agencies will choose to use the standard formats so translation will not be necessary.

The following diagram depicts the strategy for sharing data among all justice agencies.