803 CMR 7.02
Definitions
All definitions set forth in 803 CMR 2.00: Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI),
5.00: Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) - Housing, 8.00: Obtaining Criminal
Offender Record Information (CORI) for Research Purposes, 9.00: Victim Notification Registry
(VNR), 10.00: Gun Transaction Recording and 11.00: Consumer Reporting Agency (CRA) are
incorporated by reference in 803 CMR 7.02. The following additional words and phrases as used
in 803 CMR 7.00 shall have the following meanings:
Agency Head. The chief law enforcement or criminal justice official (e.g., Chief of Police,
Colonel, Commissioner, Executive Director, etc.) at an agency with access to CJIS or the
information contained therein.
Authorized Criminal Justice Purpose. Any purpose described in the definition of criminal justice
agency at M.G.L. c. 6, § 167(a), (b), or (c) which the agency in question is authorized by law to
perform and which the user in question is authorized by the agency to perform in the user's
official capacity. Authorized criminal justice purposes shall also include use of the Criminal
Justice Information System for criminal justice employment and background checks as well as
licensing where the criminal justice agency is the licensing authority.
Backup CJIS Representative. An employee of a criminal justice agency designated by the agency
head to be the agency's secondary point of contact with DCJIS.
Criminal History Record Information (CHRI). Criminal history record information means
information collected on individuals by criminal justice agencies anywhere in the United States
or its territories, which information consists of identifiable descriptions and notations of arrests,
detentions, indictments, informations, or other formal criminal charges, and any disposition
arising therefrom, including acquittal, sentencing, correctional supervision, and release. CHRI
does not include identification information such as fingerprint records if such information does
not indicate the individual's involvement with the criminal justice system.
CJIS Authorized User. An employee within a criminal justice agency that is authorized to use
CJIS in performance of the employee's official duties.
Criminal Justice Agency (CJA). Pursuant to M.G.L. c. 6, § 167, criminal justice agencies are
those agencies at all levels of government which perform as their principal function activities
relating to:
(a) crime prevention, including research or the sponsorship of research;
(b) the apprehension, prosecution, adjudication, incarceration, or rehabilitation of criminal
offenders; or
(c) the collection, storage, dissemination, or usage of criminal offender record information.
Pursuant to 28 CFR § 20.3(g), criminal justice agencies also includes courts and any
governmental agency or any subunit thereof that performs the administration of criminal justice
pursuant to a statute or executive order, and that allocates a substantial part of its annual budget
to the administration of criminal justice, including state and federal Inspector General Offices.
Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS). Local, state, regional, interstate, and/or federal
information systems, including databases, computer applications, and data networks, used by any
criminal justice agency for collecting, storing, sharing, or providing any law enforcement
intelligence or any identification or locating information of any individual for criminal justice
purposes. Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) specifically includes, but is not limited
to, public safety information systems such as CJISWeb, NCIC, and any law enforcement
intelligence database.
CJIS Representative. An employee of a criminal justice agency designated by the agency head
to be the agency's primary point of contact with DCJIS.
CJIS Systems Agency (CSA). The agency designated by the FBI to provide management control
of FBI CJIS systems within a state. The CSA for Massachusetts is DCJIS.
CJIS Systems Officer (CSO). The individual designated by the CSA within a state who
maintains management oversight of FBI CJIS systems on behalf of the FBI. The CSO for
Massachusetts is an employee of DCJIS.
CJIS Technical Representative. An employee of a criminal justice agency designated by the
agency head to serve as the technical liaison with DCJIS.
CJIS User Agreement. An agreement executed between DCJIS and an authorized criminal
justice agency that sets forth the rules and responsibilities for accessing and using information
maintained within CJIS or shared via a CJIS network. As referenced in 803 CMR 7.00, CJIS
User Agreement is synonymous with a DCJIS Policy.
FBI CJIS Security Policy (CSP). The FBI CJIS Division document that describes the security
requirements to which all CJIS user agencies shall adhere. A copy of this document is publicly
available on the FBI CJIS Division's website.
Global Justice and Public Safety User Agreement. An agreement executed between DCJIS and
an authorized criminal justice agency that sets forth the rules and responsibilities for accessing
and using criminal justice information maintained in systems other than those maintained or
shared by DCJIS.
Offense-based Tracking Number (OBTN). A unique identifying number assigned by a police
department or other criminal justice agency to each arrest event associated with a Massachusetts
criminal offense or offenses. The construct of each OBTN shall conform to the format
established by the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security. An offender may have
multiple OBTN numbers.
Originating Agency Identifier (ORI). A unique identifier assigned by the FBI CJIS Division to
each agency authorized to access or submit data to FBI CJIS information systems.
Public Safety Information System. Any database, application, system, or network service
facilitated, managed, or provided by or through DCJIS and used by criminal justice agencies for
any authorized criminal justice purpose.