Below is a press release from the Mississippi Joint Legislative PEER Committee:
The PEER Committee released its report titled Management of Offender Data and Records by the Mississippi Department of Corrections.
Management of Offender Data and Records by the Mississippi Department of Corrections: https://www.peer.ms.gov/Reports/reports/rpt673.pdf
Some of the Committee’s major findings and recommendations include:
- The Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) has limited controls over user access and permissions, which has resulted in duplicate user accounts and account errors.
- Data in Offendertrak does not consistently match the source documentation scanned into Legato. As a result, some offender records include incomplete, inconsistent, and missing information.
- MDOC’s offender program data is unreliable, inaccurate, and incomplete. This limits the effectiveness and efficiency of rehabilitation and re-entry decisions made by MDOC.
- Data in Offendertrak is not consistently updated for all offenders, resulting in outdated and inaccurate records.
- As a result of MDOC's unreliable data, the Legislature might not effectively use MDOC's data to make the most informed decisions regarding policy and the funding of the state's correctional system. Also, MDOC staff cannot ensure they are making the most effective and efficient decisions regarding the management of offenders and operation of facilities.
- Offendertrak is an outdated and inefficient legacy system that is nearing the end of its useful life and will no longer be supported by the system’s vendor as of June 30, 2025.
- The Legislature should consider enacting legislation to require the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services (ITS) to provide special assistance to MDOC. To fund this assistance, the Legislature should consider requiring MDOC to pay ITS expenditures associated with the project. ITS shall itemize its expenditures for each fiscal year in which they are incurred.
- MDOC should improve its management of offender data by: implementing internal controls (e.g., updating user roles and permissions across all facilities, defining what source constitutes the master record), conducting quality assurance on information produced in its reports, annually reviewing offender programs to ensure proper documentation, and providing annual training for all users on how to effectively use the data systems.
To read the full report click HERE.
