KRS 15.280: Criminal Justice Statistical Analysis Center -- Reports -- Purposes --

Confidentiality of information and record copies.

(1) A Criminal Justice Statistical Analysis Center is hereby created as part of the

Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet.

(2) The Criminal Justice Statistical Analysis Center shall provide its reports and

recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly through the secretary

of the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet.

(3) The Criminal Justice Statistical Analysis Center shall:

(a) Improve the quality and usefulness of criminal justice statistics and research

results that are disseminated to citizens, public agencies, and private agencies

in Kentucky through the collection, analysis, assimilation, and analysis of

research and statistical data, information, and records;

(b) Receive, process, and preserve any criminal justice and public safety data,

information, and records within the possession, custody, or control of any

agency of the federal, state, or local government, or from a private entity;

(c) Publish research results and statistical data;

(d) Improve the relationship between citizens and criminal justice agencies of

Kentucky by conducting citizen surveys of the needs, attitudes, and behavior

relating to crime and justice;

(e) Strengthen the relationship between Kentucky criminal justice agencies and

the Bureau of Justice Statistics, United States Department of Justice, by:

1. Providing justice statistics to the Bureau of Justice Statistics as required;

and

2. Serving as a clearinghouse for Bureau of Justice Statistics materials; and

(f) Design, implement, and maintain a Criminal Justice Statistical Analysis

Center records information system.

(4) The Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet may expend any gene ral,

restricted, or federal funds appropriated for carrying out the functions and authority

as assigned in this section. Further, the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet

may employ such employees as may be necessary to fulfill the duties,

responsibilities, and functions assigned by this section.

(5) Information and record copies that are confidential under state or federal law and

are provided to the Criminal Justice Statistical Analysis Center shall not become the

information and records of the cent er and shall not lose their confidentiality by

virtue of the center's access to the information and records. The original information

and records used to generate information and record copies provided to the center

shall be maintained by the appropriate a gency in accordance with state and federal

law and shall be subject to the Kentucky Open Records Act, KRS 61.870 to 61.884.

All open records requests shall be made to the appropriate agency, not to the

Criminal Justice Statistical Analysis Center. Informat ion and record copies

provided to the Criminal Justice Statistical Analysis Center for review shall be

exempt from the Kentucky Open Records Act, KRS 61.870 to 61.884.