State pulls in $9M to improve public safety, justice IT systems
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The funds will help West Virginia modernize IT systems and improve back-end services that will help protect the public.
West Virginia is poised to receive more than $9 million to boost public safety and improve the state’s justice systems, Sens. Shelley Capito (R-W.Va.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), said in a recent announcement.
The U.S. Department of Justice awarded grants to three IT modernization and data analytics programs within the West Virginia Department of Homeland Security, formerly known as the Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety, the announcement said.
One priority is the digitization of sex offender files in the state registry. The DOJ’s Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART) awarded $400,000 to West Virginia to digitize of all current files in the registry the announcement said. Funds will also provide for a high resolution and high volume fax machine, scanner and printer to convert the documents.
SMART awarded an additional $90,200 to strengthen Sex Offender and Registration Notification Act programs. As part of SORNA’s mission, funds may go towards upgrading registry systems, training and technical assistance for staff, procurement of hardware and software and hiring personnel and consultants to assist in developing SORNA-compliant registration and notification programs, to facilitate information sharing and access among jurisdictions.
DOJ’s Office of Justice Programs and Bureau of Justice Statistics awarded $164,590 to West Virginia’s statistical analysis center to collect and analyze data on individuals in the criminal justice system, including their sentencing length, crime categories and parole revocations. The data will allow West Virginia to use more accurate and comprehensive data throughout its justice systems.
The DOJ’s Office for Victims of Crime also allocated nearly $8 million from the crime victim fund to strengthen victim services for eligible individuals, and the state’s Legislative Office was awarded $442,000 to enhance state victim compensation payments.