The design and implementation of a criminal justice information system

This thesis describes how to design and implement a criminal justice information system by describing the development of such a system for Harris County, Texas. The paper goes beyond standard procedures used by private companies and describes some of the problems which are unique to government agencies—criminal justice agencies in particular. For background purposes, a description of Houston and Harris County is included. Also included is a brief description of previous attempts to develop similar systems in Harris County, the organizational considerations, planning procedures, and the design phase. A complete description of the final system is then given. The paper ends with a summary of the steps required to implement a criminal justice information system.