National Criminal History Improvement Program
Forecasted
National Criminal History Improvement Program supports criminal justice agencies in improving records and upgrading Massachusetts’ NCIC platform to strengthen secure information exchange.
Funder: Office of Grants and Research
Due Dates (Anticipated): January 2027 (Annual application deadline)
Funding Amounts: Federal NCHIP award amounts are based on need, not population or formula
Summary: Supports improvements to criminal history records, including Massachusetts’ upgrade to NCIC 3rd Generation for secure information exchange.
Key Information: Federal NCHIP awards go to states, territories, and federally recognized tribes, with state awards administered by governor-designated agencies.
Description
The National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP) is a federally funded program supporting the quality, completeness, timeliness, and accessibility of criminal history records. In Massachusetts, the Office of Grants and Research (OGR) has partnered with the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services (DCJIS) to upgrade the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) platform to NCIC 3rd Generation (N3G). The project aims to improve communication and data management while meeting FBI standards for secure information exchange.
Nationally, the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) provides competitive awards and technical assistance to improve criminal history infrastructure and connections among law enforcement, prosecutors, courts, and corrections. The Massachusetts upgrade emphasizes protection against cyber threats, unauthorized access, and data breaches, supporting the confidentiality and privacy of criminal justice information.
