Digital Collection, Storage and Submittal of Finger Prints

In 2005, the Agency received funding through the Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program to develop the capacity to collect, store and transmit digital fingerprints to the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED). This grant funded Phase I of a four-phase effort to place LiveScan devices in every SCDPPPS county office.

Instead using the old "ink and paper" method, LiveScan allows the Department to digitally scan fingerprints. The LiveScan device provides immediate feedback as to the quality of the prints, thus eliminating duplication of effort in reproducing prints. The digital prints are stored on-site and transmitted digitally to SLED where records are updated directly and verification returned within twenty minutes, rather than the five to seven days previously required.

The implementation of LiveScan will greatly streamline this process and result in better quality prints submitted to SLED. In the future, the Department plans to use this system to verify offenders taken into custody on warrants in the field.