GJXDM
Encyclopedia
The Global Justice XML Data Model (GJXDM or Global JXDM) is a data reference model
for the exchange of information within the justice and public safety communities. The Global JXDM is a product of the Global Justice Information Sharing Initiative's (Global) Infrastructure and Standards Working Group (ISWG), and was developed by the Global ISWG's XML Structure Task Force (XSTF).
The Global JXDM is a comprehensive product that includes a data model, a data dictionary
, and an XML schema
that together is known as the Global JXDM. Global JXDM is independent of vendors, operating systems, storage media, and applications and is quickly becoming key technology for assisting how criminal and judicial organizations exchange information. The Global JXDM is sponsored by the United States Department of Justice
(DOJ), Office of Justice Programs
(OJP), with development supported by the Global XML Structure Task Force (GXSTF), which works closely with researchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute
(GTRI). New releases are issued by the GXSTF, which reviews and evaluates each version of the Global JXDM. The GXSTF solicits feedback from technical experts and practitioners in both industry and government and authorizes Global JXDM changes based on this feedback. All approved additions, deletions, and modifications are applied to future releases, with a cumulative change log published along with each release. When a reasonable number of updates are approved by the GXSTF, a new version is released.
The Global JXDM is an XML
standard designed specifically for criminal justice information exchanges, providing law enforcement, public safety agencies, prosecutors, public defenders, and the judicial branch with a tool to effectively share data and information in a timely manner. The Global JXDM removes the burden from agencies to independently create exchange standards, and because of its extensibility, there is more flexibility to deal with unique agency requirements and changes. Through the use of a common vocabulary that is understood system-to-system, the Global JXDM enables access from multiple sources and reuse in multiple applications.
In March 2001, the OJP and the DOJ sponsored an effort to create a framework for the secure and timely sharing of information across the justice domain. Their objective was to lay the foundation for local, state, tribal, and national interoperability by providing a “common ground” that information systems across the country could use for data exchanges. After a two-year effort, the first prerelease of GJXDM was released in April 2003.
Complications arise, however, from the fact that the justice community does not utilize a standard, common vocabulary when describing and recording events. Differences in terminologies can make it difficult or impossible for shared data to be interpreted and utilized. For example, if the police department in the above scenario utilizes the term "Supervision Official" to describe the officer in charge of an arrest, while the prosecutor typically uses it to describe an officer supervising a suspect, the transmitted IEP will result in confusion.
The Global Justice XML Data Dictionary (Global JXDD or GJXDD) provides a solution to this problem by defining the common vocabulary utilized in the GJXDM. The GJXDD breaks down the information that is exchanged between agencies into individual data components and gives them unique names and definitions. These data components in turn serve as the “building blocks” of data exchanges.
Because the GJXDD defines a massive number of data components, smaller data dictionaries must be created for individual IEPs. These data dictionaries only contain the concepts and definitions relevant to their corresponding data transfers.
The GJXDM utilizes data models to describe the relationships between the different "building blocks" included in an IEP. Data models link these different concepts together by the use of two types of relationships: “is_a” and “has_a.” The “is_a” type is used when one object or concept inherits characteristics from another type. The “has_a” relationship shows what kind of information an object has. In the example above, the burglar “is_a” person, while an investigating officer “has_a” Employment Person ID.
(OJP), together with the Global Justice Information Sharing Initiative (Global), officially issued a newer version of the Global Justice Extensible Markup Language (XML) Data Model (Global JXDM) to the justice community, Version 3.0.3. http://it.ojp.gov/jxdm/3.0.3/ This "maintenance" release of the Version 3.0 Global JXDM series is enhanced to increase the ability of justice and public safety communities to share justice information at all levels laying the foundation for local, state, and national justice interoperability.
Some of the enhancements incorporated into Version 3.0.3 include the addition of new components that are compatible with previous version 3.0.2, new "sequenceID" values for "PersonNameType" sub-elements to assign an alternate ordering independent of the physical XML sequence, and an updated Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) (http://it.ojp.gov/jxdm/faq.html) resource that incorporates content from the Global JXDM Version 3.0 Reference Notes along with added FAQs.
An important feature is that the Global JXDM, Version 3.0.3, is forward compatible with all XML instances written for Global JXDM, Version 3.0. Global JXDM, Version 3.0, instances validate with all 3.0.3 schemas and schema subsets. Global JXDM, Versions 3.0.2 and 3.0, will remain available indefinitely. For a list of specific updates, refer to the Global JXDM Change Log http://it.ojp.gov/jxdm/3.0.3/changelog.html.
Since its first prerelease in April 2003, the Global JXDM has continued to undergo intensive reviews, receive feedback and error reports online from the public, and provide a Global JXDM Listserv discussion forum for sharing expertise and support. Today, more than 50 law enforcement and justice-related projects have been implemented utilizing the Global JXDM, further demonstrating the flexibility and stability of the Global JXDM.
The Global JXDM, Version 3.0.3 Global Justice XML Data Dictionary (Global JXDD) types and properties are rendered as XML Schema types, elements, and attributes. Also included are the most current enumeration type schemas (code tables) and their proxy schemas. Version 3.0.3 is compatible with Versions 3.0.2 and 3.0. See the FAQ on compatibility (http://it.ojp.gov/jxdm/faq.html#) for an explanation.
Data Reference Model
The Data Reference Model is one of the five reference models of the Federal Enterprise Architecture .- Overview :The DRM is a framework whose primary purpose is to enable information sharing and reuse across the United States federal government via the standard description and discovery of common...
for the exchange of information within the justice and public safety communities. The Global JXDM is a product of the Global Justice Information Sharing Initiative's (Global) Infrastructure and Standards Working Group (ISWG), and was developed by the Global ISWG's XML Structure Task Force (XSTF).
The Global JXDM is a comprehensive product that includes a data model, a data dictionary
Data dictionary
A data dictionary, or metadata repository, as defined in the IBM Dictionary of Computing, is a "centralized repository of information about data such as meaning, relationships to other data, origin, usage, and format." The term may have one of several closely related meanings pertaining to...
, and an XML schema
XML schema
An XML schema is a description of a type of XML document, typically expressed in terms of constraints on the structure and content of documents of that type, above and beyond the basic syntactical constraints imposed by XML itself...
that together is known as the Global JXDM. Global JXDM is independent of vendors, operating systems, storage media, and applications and is quickly becoming key technology for assisting how criminal and judicial organizations exchange information. The Global JXDM is sponsored by the United States Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
(DOJ), Office of Justice Programs
Office of Justice Programs
The Office of Justice Programs is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that focuses on crime prevention through research and development, assistance to state and local law enforcement and criminal justice agencies through grants, and assistance to crime victims.The major bureaus...
(OJP), with development supported by the Global XML Structure Task Force (GXSTF), which works closely with researchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute
Georgia Tech Research Institute
The Georgia Tech Research Institute is the nonprofit applied research arm of the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia, United States...
(GTRI). New releases are issued by the GXSTF, which reviews and evaluates each version of the Global JXDM. The GXSTF solicits feedback from technical experts and practitioners in both industry and government and authorizes Global JXDM changes based on this feedback. All approved additions, deletions, and modifications are applied to future releases, with a cumulative change log published along with each release. When a reasonable number of updates are approved by the GXSTF, a new version is released.
The Global JXDM is an XML
XML
Extensible Markup Language is a set of rules for encoding documents in machine-readable form. It is defined in the XML 1.0 Specification produced by the W3C, and several other related specifications, all gratis open standards....
standard designed specifically for criminal justice information exchanges, providing law enforcement, public safety agencies, prosecutors, public defenders, and the judicial branch with a tool to effectively share data and information in a timely manner. The Global JXDM removes the burden from agencies to independently create exchange standards, and because of its extensibility, there is more flexibility to deal with unique agency requirements and changes. Through the use of a common vocabulary that is understood system-to-system, the Global JXDM enables access from multiple sources and reuse in multiple applications.
History
The federal government has long encouraged criminal justice agencies throughout the country to share information electronically. Historically, however, justice agencies have developed or invested in information systems independently of one another. While the applications that different organizations utilize to manage cases and store important information typically perform very similar functions, they often utilize unique technology or formatting that makes them incompatible with other systems. Consequently, many justice agencies have been forced to resort to inefficient methods of delivering information to each other, such as delivering important filings and documents via the postal service.In March 2001, the OJP and the DOJ sponsored an effort to create a framework for the secure and timely sharing of information across the justice domain. Their objective was to lay the foundation for local, state, tribal, and national interoperability by providing a “common ground” that information systems across the country could use for data exchanges. After a two-year effort, the first prerelease of GJXDM was released in April 2003.
Data Dictionary
When criminal justice agencies share data, they transmit Information Exchange Packages (IEPs) to each other. An IEP is a set of data that is transmitted between agencies for a specific purpose. For example, if a police department wanted the local prosecutor to charge an individual for a crime, the IEP sent from the police department would contain a very specific set of data (victim name, date and time of the offense, etc.) as well as any associated artifacts (dashcam video, 911 audio transcript).Complications arise, however, from the fact that the justice community does not utilize a standard, common vocabulary when describing and recording events. Differences in terminologies can make it difficult or impossible for shared data to be interpreted and utilized. For example, if the police department in the above scenario utilizes the term "Supervision Official" to describe the officer in charge of an arrest, while the prosecutor typically uses it to describe an officer supervising a suspect, the transmitted IEP will result in confusion.
The Global Justice XML Data Dictionary (Global JXDD or GJXDD) provides a solution to this problem by defining the common vocabulary utilized in the GJXDM. The GJXDD breaks down the information that is exchanged between agencies into individual data components and gives them unique names and definitions. These data components in turn serve as the “building blocks” of data exchanges.
Because the GJXDD defines a massive number of data components, smaller data dictionaries must be created for individual IEPs. These data dictionaries only contain the concepts and definitions relevant to their corresponding data transfers.
Data Model
While data dictionaries define the vocabulary utilized by the GJXDM to transmit IEPs, the relationships between the different data components need to be defined in order for the data to be interpreted correctly. For example, the personal information for a number of people may be included in a data exchange regarding a burglary. If the relationships between these data components are not defined, it will be impossible for justice professionals to distinguish the personal information of the owner of the house from that of the person who burglarized it.The GJXDM utilizes data models to describe the relationships between the different "building blocks" included in an IEP. Data models link these different concepts together by the use of two types of relationships: “is_a” and “has_a.” The “is_a” type is used when one object or concept inherits characteristics from another type. The “has_a” relationship shows what kind of information an object has. In the example above, the burglar “is_a” person, while an investigating officer “has_a” Employment Person ID.
Reuse Repository
The true power of the GJXDM lies in its reuse repository, known as the IEPD Clearinghouse. Whenever a data dictionary and data model are created for an IEP, they are packaged within Information Exchange Package Documentation (IEPD). These IEPDs can be utilized as standards or templates for the creation of IEPs. For example, if an agency created an IEPD for an arrest filing, they could submit the IEPD to the Clearinghouse, where it could be downloaded by any agency wishing to facilitate electronic arrest filings. This saves agencies a great deal of time and resources as they don't have to create an arrest filing data dictionary and data model from scratch.Version 3.0.3
In September, 2005, the Office of Justice ProgramsOffice of Justice Programs
The Office of Justice Programs is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that focuses on crime prevention through research and development, assistance to state and local law enforcement and criminal justice agencies through grants, and assistance to crime victims.The major bureaus...
(OJP), together with the Global Justice Information Sharing Initiative (Global), officially issued a newer version of the Global Justice Extensible Markup Language (XML) Data Model (Global JXDM) to the justice community, Version 3.0.3. http://it.ojp.gov/jxdm/3.0.3/ This "maintenance" release of the Version 3.0 Global JXDM series is enhanced to increase the ability of justice and public safety communities to share justice information at all levels laying the foundation for local, state, and national justice interoperability.
Some of the enhancements incorporated into Version 3.0.3 include the addition of new components that are compatible with previous version 3.0.2, new "sequenceID" values for "PersonNameType" sub-elements to assign an alternate ordering independent of the physical XML sequence, and an updated Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) (http://it.ojp.gov/jxdm/faq.html) resource that incorporates content from the Global JXDM Version 3.0 Reference Notes along with added FAQs.
An important feature is that the Global JXDM, Version 3.0.3, is forward compatible with all XML instances written for Global JXDM, Version 3.0. Global JXDM, Version 3.0, instances validate with all 3.0.3 schemas and schema subsets. Global JXDM, Versions 3.0.2 and 3.0, will remain available indefinitely. For a list of specific updates, refer to the Global JXDM Change Log http://it.ojp.gov/jxdm/3.0.3/changelog.html.
Since its first prerelease in April 2003, the Global JXDM has continued to undergo intensive reviews, receive feedback and error reports online from the public, and provide a Global JXDM Listserv discussion forum for sharing expertise and support. Today, more than 50 law enforcement and justice-related projects have been implemented utilizing the Global JXDM, further demonstrating the flexibility and stability of the Global JXDM.
The Global JXDM, Version 3.0.3 Global Justice XML Data Dictionary (Global JXDD) types and properties are rendered as XML Schema types, elements, and attributes. Also included are the most current enumeration type schemas (code tables) and their proxy schemas. Version 3.0.3 is compatible with Versions 3.0.2 and 3.0. See the FAQ on compatibility (http://it.ojp.gov/jxdm/faq.html#) for an explanation.
Previous releases
- 3.0 The first operational release of the Global JXDM.
- 3.0.1 Version 3.0.1 of the GJXDM has been retracted. See FAQ. (http://it.ojp.gov/jxdm/faq.html)
- 3.0.2 Version 3.0.2 (http://it.ojp.gov/jxdm/3.0.2/index.html) of the GJXDM has been superseded by Version 3.0.3 but its use is still permitted.
See also
- ISO/IEC 11179ISO/IEC 11179ISO/IEC 11179 is an international standard for representing metadata for an organization in a metadata registry.- Intended purpose :...
- Regional Information Sharing SystemsRegional Information Sharing SystemsRegional Information Sharing Systems is an information-sharing program funded by the U.S. Federal government whose purpose is to connect databases from local and regional law enforcement so that they can use each other's data for criminal investigations....
- Automated Trusted Information ExchangeAutomated Trusted Information ExchangeAutomated Trusted Information Exchange is a computer database containing homeland security and terrorist threat information, which is part of the U.S...
- Homeland Security Information NetworkHomeland Security Information NetworkThe Homeland Security Information Network is a web-based platform, run by the Department of Homeland Security, which is designed to allow local, state, tribal, and federal government agencies to share "Sensitive But Unclassified " information with each other over a secure channel.The HSIN provides...
- National Criminal Intelligence Sharing PlanNational Criminal Intelligence Sharing PlanThe National Criminal Intelligence Sharing Plan is an intelligence-sharing initiative that links the computer databases of local, state, regional, tribal law enforcement agencies with those of the U.S...
- Metadata registryMetadata registryA metadata registry is a central location in an organization where metadata definitions are stored and maintained in a controlled method.-Use of Metadata Registries:...
- National Information Exchange ModelNational Information Exchange ModelThe National Information Exchange Model is an XML-based information exchange framework from the United States. NIEM represents a collaborative partnership of agencies and organizations across all levels of government and with private industry...