Opisis
Orleans Parish Information Sharing and Integrated System (OPISIS)-
Orleans Parish Information Sharing and Integrated System (OPISIS)-
In the history of Orleans Parish and the City of New Orleans never has the time been more right to develop an enduring partnership between often disparate criminal justice government entities. These organizations have traditionally been unable to share information that is basic to the apprehension, prosecution and disposition of criminals. The New Orleans Police Foundation is helping to develop the OPISIS Consortium consisting of the following organizations:
• Orleans Parish Criminal Sheriff
• Orleans Parish District Attorney
• Orleans Parish Criminal District Courts
• New Orleans Office of Homeland Security
• Orleans Parish Indigent Defender Program
• New Orleans Police Department
• New Orleans Police and Justice Foundation
The Foundation is uniquely positioned as a non-profit “neutral party” to receive and distribute funding to participating agencies to pay for the development of integrated information systems. Funds are distributed based on needs and goals identified by the Consortium governance structure managed by NOPJF. Current major projects include electronic subpoenas, universal evidence identification, homicide case management, and court management. This initiative was first funded in the fall of 2006 through a congressional earmark. Additional funds from the New Orleans Crime Coalition congressional earmark and NOPJF 2007 congressional earmark have raised the available funds to over $2.5 million. Police, DA, Clerk, Court, Sheriff and Public Defender are all involved in a two-tiered governance structure.
While technology is the linchpin of the OPISIS project, its reach is much broader and will improve the business practices of the entire justice system from arrest to incarceration. The ability to automate information exchanges that are now mostly manual and involve redundant data entry will also promote transparency, accountability, and efficiency.
