National Fine Center: Implementation of Criminal Debt System Presents
Challenges (Testimony, 07/19/95, GAO/T-AIMD-95-215).

The Criminal Fine Improvements Act of 1987 required the Administrative
Office of the United States Courts (AOUSC) to establish a criminal debt
accounting and reporting system to (1) automate and centralize criminal
debt processing for all 94 judicial districts and (2) replace the
fragmented approach for receiving criminal fine payments and alleviate
long-standing weaknesses in accounting for a reporting on criminal
monetary penalties.  Although AOUSC has made progress in centralizing
new criminal debt information in 25 of the smaller judicial districts,
significant challenges ahead will require extensive coordination between
AOUSC, the Justice Department, and other system users if a system to
centralize criminal debt processing for all 94 districts is to be
successfully implemented.  This testimony briefly addresses AOUSC's
initial attempts to centralize criminal debt and implement a system and
then discusses additional actions needed by AOUSC and the Justice
Department to complete National Fine Center implementation.

--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------

 REPORTNUM:  T-AIMD-95-215
     TITLE:  National Fine Center: Implementation of Criminal Debt 
             System Presents Challenges
      DATE:  07/19/95
   SUBJECT:  Fines (penalties)
             Criminal procedure
             Computerized information systems
             Centralization
             Government collections
             Accounting procedures
             Restitution
             Statistical data
             Debt collection
             Criminals

             
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