You Don’t Modernize the Justice System by Going Shopping
Today, the Louisiana Supreme Court issued an announcement about the progress the Louisiana Integrated Criminal Justice Information System (ICJIS) Policy Board made in 2025 to modernize criminal justice data sharing across the state. A dream that started in 1999.
What matters about this announcement is the reminder that modernization is not just about technology. It is also about relationships and hard work.
In a decentralized justice system, the hard part is getting independent offices to align on standards, trust the process, and stay at the table long enough to make it real.
Now, do not get me wrong. The right tools matter. Infrastructure matters. But new tech can also become a distraction.
As any golfer knows, you do not get better by buying a new driver or putter. It feels good to walk out with the shiny, new object. But the club will not fix your swing. Only the work does.
Justice modernization works the same way. We can buy all the new AI and case management systems we want. But we will not solve the problem unless we also build the infrastructure and governance agreements that make the system reliable, secure, and usable in the real world.
Progress does not come from buying anything. Progress comes from building the system around it.
As I stated in the press release, "For too long, our justice system lacked the infrastructure to share data securely and consistently. Thanks to our criminal justice partners’ hard work this year, we’ve changed that, and we’re headed toward making better decisions and making Louisiana safer.”
So let me personally thank all of the ICJIS Board Members. I look forward to working with you all in 2026.
Mr. Jim Craft - Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement
Deputy Chief Neal Noel - Louisiana Chiefs of Police Association
Mr. Zachary Daniels - Louisiana District Attorneys Association
Mr. Alan Davis - Louisiana Sheriffs' Association
Ms. Debbie Hudnall - Louisiana Associations of Clerks of Court
Judge William Jorden - Louisiana District Judges Association
Mr. Jamie Lee - Louisiana Department of Justice
Mr. Ernest Green - Louisiana Attorney General
Maj. JB Slaton - Louisiana State Police
Ms. Tammy Grant - Department of Public Safety and Corrections
Mr. Deron Patin - Youth services, Department of Public Safety and Corrections
Mr. Christopher Walters - Governor's Office
Sen. Jay Morris - Louisiana Senate
Rep. Tony Bacala - Louisiana House of Representatives
