Even before the current DOGE-enthusiastic era, people have recognized the need for greater government efficiency and transparency. Reliable, accessible, and actionable data and information are essential to optimizing public services, particularly public safety—a top concern in Louisiana. To that end, the Integrated Criminal Justice Information System (ICJIS) Policy Board was created in 1999 to develop a unified, interoperable set of criminal justice information systems out of the various systems utilized by the executive and judicial branches at the federal, state, and local levels.

Recently, members of the ICJIS board met to discuss the ongoing process of modernizing Louisiana’s data collection systems. Among the topics discussed was House Bill 23, which has been introduced in the 2025 Regular Session. The bill aims to digitize data related to criminal justice.

Under current law, a sheriff must create a statement detailing the amount of time a defendant has been in custody before conviction. Additionally, the clerk of court is responsible for preparing and sending a copy of the indictment and the Uniform Sentencing Commitment Order to the sheriff in the parish where the defendant is sentenced. This has traditionally been done by mail via the United States Post Office. The proposed change would require the clerk of court to transmit these documents electronically to the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections. As most correspondence nowadays is done electronically, this change is a good way to “get with the times,” transmitting the information more quickly and less expensively.

The ICJIS board is working to make digital exchanges such as the one proposed in HB 23 as seamless as possible by helping parishes across the state set up broker systems. A broker serves as an intermediary between multiple systems, facilitating communication between them. ICJIS also operates a broker that can receive and transmit information from parish brokers and various government agencies. Those involved aspire to eventually have a broker system for each parish, replacing the current the point-to-point systems that vary widely across the state. Brokers represent a significant upgrade for state and local government agencies. For example, ICJIS is collaborating with the Office of Motor Vehicles to alert Louisianans via the LA Wallet app about small outstanding attachments (bench warrants) that need attention—made possible because of the ICJIS broker.

As more parishes and courts across the state adopt broker systems, Louisiana could benefit from a more interconnected, reliable network of information to better serve the public and data to enable greater efficiencies and positive outcomes for those who interact with the justice system.