Starting in 1996, the J-Link plan has addressed a complete overhaul of the Rhode Island Courts’ computer system. The comprehensive multi-year project has seen a complete rewiring of all courthouses to facilitate a changeover from the outmoded WANG VS system to PC-based servers and workstations. Installation of new hardware in the Superior, District and Family Courts has fostered the development of local and wide area communication networks (LANs and WANs).

The Court records management component of J-Link is of central concern to the criminal justice system as the year 2000 looms. The existing court case management software program, PROMIS, that runs on the old WANG system, is doomed for obsolescence for the simple fact that it cannot deal with the "00" that represents the year 2000.

As a result, the Courts formed a "Software Selection Committee" to develop a request for proposal (RFP) for a new criminal case management system and a juvenile software package. The timing of this portion of the J-Link project has been critical as the new system must be installed and tested by mid November and fully implemented by January 1, 2000.

A Significant, Unforeseen Deficit

The advertised RFP attracted just two bidders and the selected proposal was a collaboration between software developer, SCT, and the Oracle Corporation that will handle project management. Unfortunately, the J-Link plan had budgeted $3.3 million for the software and both bids came in at almost double the budgeted amount. While negotiations with the vendor have reduced the project deficit somewhat, a $2 million plus shortfall necessitated the Steering Committee and Policy Board to extend Byrne support of the J-Link project another two years. This situation precludes Byrne support for any other state criminal justice agency in Byrne fiscal years 2000 and 2001.

Additional funding for the J-Link project, over and above what has already been allocated from federal sources is provided to the Courts in their state budget.

Other Court system plans call for implementing a civil case-tracking system, the development of a juvenile/volunteer tracking system for the CASA office of Family Court, and further enhancements to the Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault case tracking systems to improve case flow management within the Family Court.