Aaron Gorrell

1
Forensic Information Data Exchange (FIDEX)

• Aaron Gorrell
• Waterhole Software

2
NFSTC Vision Mission

• The National Forensic Science Technology Center
  (NFSTC)
• Located in Largo, FL, the NFSTC provides goods
  and services at no-cost to forensic service
  providers through
• Training
• Technical Assistance
• Community Support
• Our Vision is for the forensic science community
  and its users to have complete confidence in the
  quality of the science provided to the justice
  community.
• Our Mission is that we are dedicated to assisting
  the forensic sciences in the achievement of the
  highest level of quality services for the justice
  community.

3
NFSTC IJIS Partnership

• Partnering with the IJIS Institute
• NFSTC contracted IJIS Instituteto create IEPDs
• IJIS provided
• Project Manager
• Volunteer Industry Participants
• Data Modeling Facilitator
• IEPD Developer
• Waterhole Software
• IJIS Efforts resulted in identifying at least two
  Forensic Reference IEPDs

4
FIDEX Working Group

• Help from Arizona Criminal Justice Commission
• Pat Nelson, ACJC Program Manager was on working
  group
• Pat NelsonProgram ManagerArizona Criminal
  Justice Commissionpnelson_at_azcjc.gov
• ACJC coordinated subgroup meetings in AZ to
  analyze business process and learn from other
  ACJC information sharing successes

5
Forensic Science Facts

• Forensic Science is one ofthe most important
  crimefighting tools available tothe criminal
  justice community
• It is used not only toinvestigate crime, but
  also to eliminatesuspects and exonerate the
  wronglyaccused and/or convicted

6
FIDEX DEFINED

• Goal
• Enhance the exchange of forensic information and
  data among criminal justice stakeholders.
• Objective
• Provide a modular, portable, NIEM conformant,
  reusable XML data format (and supporting
  documentation) to criminal justice agencies
  wishing to share forensic information and data
  electronically.
• Demonstrate use of the XML conformant data format

7
FIDEX Defined

• Informal assessment of 94 state and local crime
  laboratories was conducted results included
• 79 indicated some form of a Laboratory
  Information Management System is in place HOWEVER
  87 still accept forensic requests via
  hand-written long form.
• 98 of respondents indicated that some percentage
  of their submissions require clarification
  fromthe case agent.

8
FIDEX Defined

• FIDEX will provide an end-to-end solution for the
  real-time exchange of forensic case information.
• Intended to enhance LIMS, RMS, or other
  Information Management Systems

9

• BENEFITS
• Business Process Improvement
• Streamlined, paperless process
• Eliminate duplicate data entry
• Auto-populate feature
• Increased accuracy
• Reduced Procedural Time
• Real-time access to information
• Clarification from case agent to lab and vice
  versa
• Analysis status
• Examination Delay
• Disposition (court dates plea, etc)
• Ease of use / Web Interface

10
FIDEX Deliverables

• IEPDs Published on www.NIEM.gov
• Forensic Case Submission
• Set of technical specifications that will
  facilitate the electronic transmission of
  information between submitting case agencies and
  crime laboratories
• Forensic Case Disposition
• Set of technical specifications that will
  facilitate the electronic transmission of
  information between prosecutors, courts, crime
  laboratories and case agencies who have
  jurisdiction over the case.

11
FIDEX Implementation

• Proof of Concept Transforming the Theoretical
  into a Practical Solution
• Pilot Implementation
• Portal Customization and Validation
• Feedback Loops
• Performance Metrics / Evaluation Criteria
• Issues
• Security
• Appropriate Scope for Practitioner Participants
• Integration with Proprietary/Legacy Systems
• Technical Specifications

12
FIDEX Deliverables

• FIDEX PORTAL
• Demonstrates the data elements and the
  functionality of the IEPDs, giving implementers
  the opportunity to interface with the utility in
  a practical environment.

13
FIDEX Background

• FIDEX Background
• Where does the forensic (and related case)
  information come from?
• Law Enforcement
• Records Management Systems
• Evidence Management Systems
• Booking Systems
• Laboratory InformationManagement Systems (LIMS)
• Prosecutorial InformationManagement Systems
• Courts

14
FIDEX Development
Lessons Learned from Partnerships

• Iterative nature of defining common process model
• Iterative nature of defining common data model
• Identify strategic partners early-on
• Understand and recognize risks early-on
• Importance of Prototype Standards

15
Pilot Architecture Implementation

• LEA View
• Lab View

16
FIDEX Pilot - Phoenix

• Phoenix PD Challenges
• Electronic submission
• Electronic exchange from RMS to LIMS
• Case status
• Booking
• Upcoming Court Dates
• Examination Status
• Executive Dashboard

17
FIDEX Pilot Phoenix
18
FIDEX Pilot - Boston

• Boston PD Challenges
• Paper-based system
• Paper Long Form
• No LIMS System
• Additional examinations/evidence
• Case status
• Booking
• Upcoming Court Dates
• Examination Status
• Executive Dashboard

19
FIDEX Pilot - BOSTON
20
Live Demo
21
Contact Information

• Contact Information
• Aaron.Gorrell_at_waterholesoftware.com
• Mike.OBerry_at_nfstc.org
• Robin.W.Jones_at_usdoj.gov