Grant funding from state AG available to aid Ohio courts

The office of Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is accepting applications from local agencies through mid-May for three pools of federal grant money — $2.45 million in all — to continue improving the accuracy and completeness of the state’s criminal-records database.

Since its inception nearly 30 years ago, the National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP) has helped states join with the FBI to build an accurate and accessible national system of criminal records. Cross-state availability of these records is vital for many reasons, including criminal investigations; prosecutorial charges; sentencing decisions; correctional supervision and release; and background checks on those applying for licenses or firearms purchases, and those who work with children, older Ohioans or people with disabilities.

Yost’s office has allocated the funds to provide courts and other qualifying local entities with technological or financial assistance in three ways:

■ $1.2 million will pay for more than 60 LiveScan devices, which Yost’s office will distribute to qualifying entities through an application process.

■ $750,000 will be subgranted to facilitate the electronic reporting of adjudication information by Ohio’s Juvenile Courts.

■ $500,000 will be subgranted to help defray the costs associated with the recovery of case dispositions not previously reported to BCI. Eligible applicants include Common Pleas Courts, Municipal Courts, County Courts and Clerks of Court.

The deadline for submitting grant applications is May 15, 2024.