The maine judicial branch proposes to implement the court criminal records correction project to improve the accuracy and completeness of criminal history records in maine

The Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Statistics awarded the Judiciary Courts of the State of Maine $592,536 on July 1, 2026, through a Cooperative Agreement under the National Criminal History Improvement Program (CFDA 16.554).

The Maine Judicial Branch will implement the Court Criminal Records Correction Project to review and correct criminal case disposition records that were previously rejected by the Maine Department of Public Safety's State Bureau of Identification because they did not meet FBI submission standards. Court staff will conduct detailed reviews of electronic and paper case files, correct errors in the Maine Judicial Branch case management systems, and retransmit updated records to state and federal databases. The project will improve the accuracy and completeness of criminal history information available to law enforcement, courts, prosecutors, and background check systems, including the National Instant Criminal Background System. By reducing the backlog of rejected records and improving the quality of future submissions, the project will help ensure that criminal history information is complete, current, and accessible at both state and national levels.

The period of performance runs from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029. Work is performed at the Maine Judicial Branch Administrative Office and Court Clerk Offices throughout the state, with Portland, Maine as the reported place of performance.

The project will focus on reviewing and correcting criminal case disposition records that were previously rejected by the maine department of public safetys state bureau of identification because they did not meet FBI submission standards. Court staff will conduct detailed reviews of electronic and paper case files, correct errors in the maine judicial branch case management systems and retransmit updated records to state and federal databases. The project will take place at the maine judicial branch administrative office and court clerk offices throughout the state. This project will support more accurate criminal history information for use by law enforcement, courts, prosecutors, and background check systems, including the national instant criminal background check system. By reducing a large backlog of rejected records and improving the quality of future record submissions, the project will help ensure that criminal history information is complete, current, and accessible at both the state and national levels. The project is expected to improve public safety, strengthen the reliability of criminal history reporting, and reduce future submission errors.