Travis County is years behind in getting legally required information into a state database that is widely relied upon by law enforcement and state licensing agencies for criminal background checks.

The Texas Criminal Justice Information System, the state's primary repository for data such as arrest dates and case outcomes, is used by law enforcement and state agencies about 40,000 times a day to screen potential employees for criminal behavior and to help prosecutors figure out the best charge for offenders. So gaps in the database can be glaring.

Prosecutors � not only in Travis, but also in surrounding counties � say missing information could cause them to inadvertently be too lenient on repeat offenders. Suspects in crimes such as drunken driving and domestic violence might face harsher penalties if they have prior offenses � if prosecutors know about their past.

Details.

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