ICJIA HISTORYThe Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority dates back to 1973, when its predecessor, the Criminal Justice Information Systems division of the Illinois Law Enforcement Commission, developed information system standards for state and local government units. The CJIS also developed an inmate tracking system for the Stateville Correctional Center and oversaw installation of two large federally mandated grant accounting systems on the states computer network. In 1982, federal funds used to support the ILEC were eliminated by Congress, so alternatives had to be developed. Through an executive order, then-Gov. James R. Thompson abolished the ILEC, as well as the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Council, which was established in 1977 to develop policies and procedures, promulgate rules and regulations, and take any other actions required to protect the security and privacy of criminal justice information in Illinois. A second 1982 executive order issued by Gov. Thompson established the Illinois Criminal justice Information Authority as an independent state agency. The Authority officially began operating , Jan. 1, 1 983, after passage of the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Act [20 ILCS 3 930/1 et seq.] by the Illinois General Assembly. The Act has been amended once, to add the Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Program, which has been administered and staffed by the Authority since Jan. 1, 1991. Aspects of ILECs operations that remained when the Authority was established include grants administration and auditing of the states criminal history records information system. The Authority also continues to focus a great deal of its work on the development and operation of computerized management information systems for criminal justice agencies across Illinois, as well as the responsibilities of the ICJIC. Another component of both the ILEC and the Authority is the Statistical Analysis Center (SAC), which was established in 1977. Its purpose is to improve the quality and availability of criminal justice data, to develop new statistical methods and applications, and to help state and local criminal justice agencies apply statistical techniques to problem-solving and more efficient management of resources. The SAC evolved into what is now the Research and Analysis Unit.
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