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 electronially collect, store and transmit fingerprints to the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED). Instead of using the old inkpad method, LiveScan digitally scans fingerprints and provides immediate feedback as to the quality of the prints, thus eliminating duplication of effort.

The first year funding allowed SCDPPPS to purchase 14 Livescan workstations. These workstations were installed in the largest fourteen counties in the state measured by the number of offender intakes. This process was complete in 2006.

In 2006 and 2007, the Department received second and third year grant continuations and installed an additional 26 workstations for a total of 40 currently installed and operational (39 in county locations and one workstation in the central office).

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.