The Eyes Have It:
FBI's Iris Service
Jeffrey Fisher and Amber Lynn Livengood
Along with fingerprint, palm print, and facial recognition services, the FBI provides another powerful biometric identification tool for criminal justice agencies: the NGI Iris Service. Irises and fingerprints develop in utero through a combination of genetic and random factors creating unique, individual patterns of ridges and folds. As with fingerprints, even identical twins do not have identical irises. With a degree of accuracy comparable to fingerprint identification, iris identification can enable law enforcement agencies to verify an individual’s identity quickly and reliably. The NGI Iris Service has assisted agencies with parole and probation check-ins, housing or transportation of arrestees, and defendant court appearances.
How the NGI Iris Service Works
In just a few seconds, agencies can submit iris images to the NGI Iris Service. Special iris cameras capture images using near-infrared light and are easily integrated into existing biometric capture stations. When an agency submits the iris images to NGI, the NGI Iris Service enters the individual’s iris images into the NGI Iris Service Repository and associates them with the individual’s Universal Control Number (UCN). The most common method of enrollment is for an agency to add the images to a fingerprint transaction as part of an arrest, criminal proceeding, post-trial release, incarceration, or national-security-related event.
To use the iris service effectively, an agency should set up the iris camera in a controlled location where it can be easily used without interruption. An operator captures images of an individual’s irises and submits them to the NGI System. The NGI System then searches for all iris images enrolled in the NGI Iris Service Repository—no human intervention is required in this search. Typically, a response is generated within seconds, providing identification or a nonidentification response. The identification response includes any available biographic data, the UCN, and information from the National Crime Information Center’s (NCIC) Wanted Person, Immigration Violator, and National Sex Offender Registry files. The response can also include mug-shot photos upon request.
To increase the effectiveness of the iris image searching, agency staff can easily ensure the images are of good quality. Some guidelines for best-quality iris images are:
• An individual should look straight at the camera with eyes wide open.
• An individual should not wear glasses.
• An individual can wear contact lenses if the lenses are not colored or patterned.
• The iris image should be sharp and in focus and centered on the iris.
• The iris should be fully visible in the image, with few reflections or highlights.
• If an individual looks away or blinks, the camera operator should retake the image.
Agencies can encounter some complications while taking iris images, such as:
• If an individual is wearing clear contact lenses, the lenses should not affect the image capture. However, some agencies tell all individuals to remove contact lenses as a general practice.
• If an individual is under the influence of a substance that causes eye dilation, an agency should wait until the individual is no longer under the influence before taking iris images.
• Slight pupil dilation is acceptable; however, a camera operator could try to reduce dilation by increasing the brightness of lighting.
• Rarely, an eye condition might alter the shape or color of an individual’s irises. Common eye conditions like glaucoma and cataracts usually do not affect the appearance of irises.
Since it takes only a few seconds to take a quality iris picture, the benefits far outweigh the burden for agencies. The process of iris capture can be simple, without the need for physical precision. And since iris image capture requires no physical contact, it can be part of an agency’s effort to increase officer safety during booking processes.
The FBI is working to promote the NGI Iris Service and enroll images submitted by authorized criminal justice agencies. As more agencies participate in the NGI Iris Service, the biometric database will grow. Iris images can be added to existing FBI records using the individual’s UCN and date of arrest. Also, agencies can submit bulk enrollments of existing iris images, which means that agencies can submit large numbers of iris images as part of the same file. Bulk enrollments require coordination with the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services Division, and agencies interested in bulk submission of iris images should contact the FBI at 304-625-IRIS (4747) or email iris@fbi.gov.
The NGI Iris Service in Action
In 2014, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) participated in an FBI pilot project to evaluate the benefits of an iris service. The Texas DPS submitted iris images from the state and promoted the NGI Iris Service. Since then, the Texas DPS has been using iris searches for identification validation. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) began to participate in the NGI Iris Service in 2016 to speed up the process of identifying inmates before release. The TDCJ operates the largest state prison system in the nation and oversees jails, prisons, and private correctional facilities that work under state contracts. According to statistics from 2020, the TDCJ releases an average of 22 inmates per day. The TDCJ already used NCIC queries as part of release processes, but the NGI Iris Service added to the TDCJ’s ability to identify individuals with warrants before releasing them.
The Texas DPS assists agencies across Texas with installing and testing terminals for iris submission. Loann Garcia, a biometric services manager with the Texas DPS Crime Records Division, pointed out that keeping communication open among all parties helps overcome challenges to using the system. Michelle Farris, the chief of the Texas DPS Crime Records Division, notes that iris identification can assist jails and correctional facilities by improving transfer and release processes. Farris understands that local criminal justice agencies might think of the steps to submit iris images as an extra burden, but the benefits of the technology make the effort worthwhile. One main benefit, of course, is the reduction of the chances of accidentally releasing the wrong person from custody.
Jeremy Desel, TDCJ’s director of communications, said, “It puts this agency on the cutting edge of technology and continues to keep potentially dangerous inmates from being released when there is an active warrant. The opportunity to innovate new technology for criminal justice is another benefit.”
Another participant in the NGI Iris Service, the Los Angeles County Regional Identification System (LACRIS), in California, has participated in the NGI Iris Service since 2015. LACRIS processes identifications for everyone arrested in Los Angeles County and researches, purchases, installs, and maintains equipment for criminal justice agencies in the county. This includes 64 agencies in 150 locations. To date, LACRIS has installed iris cameras for over 144 LiveScan devices that capture individuals’ biometrics. Mark Dolfi, a biometrics trainer with LACRIS, said, “Iris is an additional identification you can use. Fingerprints can be bad or distorted, and photos can change with an individual’s age, but the iris adds to the confidence level that you have the right person.”
Benefits of Iris Images
Since it takes only a few seconds to take a quality iris picture, the benefits far outweigh the burden for agencies. The process of iris capture can be simple, without the need for physical precision. And since iris image capture requires no physical contact, it can be part of an agency’s effort to increase officer safety during booking processes. Fingerprints are still the main biometrics in the NGI System, used to establish positive identification. But iris images can supplement an individual’s record, adding another biometric that can be useful for criminal justice purposes. Agencies can enroll biometric and biographic data without duplicating efforts. Capturing fingerprints, mugshots, palms, and iris images ensure one comprehensive criminal history record containing all arrests, dispositions, and biometrics available to all law enforcement and criminal justice agencies nationwide.
How To Get More Information
To learn more about the NGI Iris Service, contact the FBI at 304-625-IRIS (4747) or email iris@fbi.gov. Users of the Law Enforcement Enterprise Portal (LEEP) can also find the Iris Service community in JusticeConnect. The National Institute of Standards and Technology provides documents outlining best practices regarding iris cameras and image quality. For more best practice information, agencies can visit www.nist.gov.
Amber Lynn Livengood entered on duty with the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services Division in Clarksburg, West Virginia, in 2018 after graduating from Fairmont State University with Bachelor of Arts degrees in Political Science and National Security and Intelligence. During her employment, Mrs. Livengood has supported the firearm background check process with the National Instant Criminal Background Check System in multiple roles. Mrs. Livengood most recently supports the FBI’s Next Generation Identification Iris Service on the Iris Services and Analysis Team. Mrs. Livengood may be contacted by email at allivengood@fbi.gov.
Jeffrey Fisher is a writer-editor with the FBI’s Law Enforcement Engagement Unit. He has a Master of Science degree in Safety Management from West Virginia University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Fairmont State University. He has worked for the FBI for 25 years as a forensics expert, manager, and writer, authoring numerous articles about the bureau’s crime data collections and systems. He can be reached via email at jfisher2@fbi.gov.