General Accounting Office Releases Report on National Institute of Justice Offender Tracking Systems Standard

GAO has released Draft National Standard for Offender Tracking Systems Addresses Common Stakeholder Needs: A Report to the Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Oversight, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, House of Representatives. This report examines the extent to which (1) NIJ collaborated with stakeholders in developing the standard, and (2) how well the standard and guide address stakeholder needs and challenges. GAO analyzed NIJ's draft OTS standard, companion guide, and standard development process. To obtain perspectives on the standard development process and OTS needs and challenges, GAO interviewed stakeholders including NIJ officials, practitioners and experts who developed the standard, criminal justice and victims' associations, manufacturers, and officials from a nongeneralizable sample of 10 criminal justice agencies that employ OTS. GAO found that NIJ's draft OTS standard and guide address many common stakeholder needs and challenges, but earlier involvement of manufacturers in the development could have expedited the process.  To read the report go to http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-16-10.