| Author | Message | ||
     Kasey |
A follow-up by private e-mail with Michael: Dear Kasey and Ed: Thanks very much for your excellent suggestions and assistance over the past few days. I contacted TX Department of Public Safety and learned the meaning of the symbols found so often in our research files: "III" = Interstate Identification Index; "S/S" = Single Source Record; and "M/S" = Multi-State Source Record. This seemingly solves the riddle. I hope to be able to deal with you again in the near Future. Respectfully submitted, MPC | ||
| Lonnie |
Michael, I'm not from Houston. Will Richardson do? I think what you may be looking at are print-outs of the individual Criminal Histories supplied by DPS. The annotations you describe are not fingerprint related. The 'III' you describe does stand for Interstate Identification Index. I called Austin DPS to inquire what the S/S and M/S stands for directly under III but the people working the grave yard shift had no clue. Good luck! | ||
| Michael Patrick Cone |
6/21/04; Dear Kasey and Webservant: Thank you both very much for your comments. Recently, one of our Subjects was depicted as III/M/S so this differs from the others. In the next few weeks, we'll review the remainder of our sample files to determine how the rest are Grouped, and either way, I'll advise you of our findings. If we determine that the majority are alike, then what Implications come to your mind? And one last basic question for now: Are "Scars" on Fingerprints ascribed or achieved [now you know for certain that I'm not a Fingerprint Expert]? Respectfully submitted, MPC | ||
| Webservant |
Kasey and Michael, Kasey's explanations are probably on target. One of our local Houstonian experts may chime-in and further enlighten us. S letters are also commonly used in notations above Henry classifications where they represent part of "SML" (small, medium and large) extensions indicating line count values for loops. By itself, III is also an acronym for the Interstate Identification Index, but I doubt it represents that on the Texas cards mentioned. | ||
| Kasey |
Michael, It would be difficult to say for certain without looking at the card, but it appears to be markings of the previous "Henry" system of fingerprint classification. Fingerprint cards used to be filed based on the patterns (and combinations of patterns) as represented by the impressions in each block. Some of the classifications were "outer" "meet" and "Inner" for whorls (the I is probably the source of your "I"'s). A slash was used to denote an ulnar (normal sloping) loop pattern (the probable source of your /'s) and I believe an "S" would denote a scar. Each of the markings would be in a different block on the fingerprint card, or they would be around the actual henry formula in the top right corner of an FBI criminal fingerprint card. If the grouping is exactly the same on many cards of different people, then it has a different meaning. Hope this helps. | ||
| Michael Patrick Cone |
I am a Professional Sociologist employed by Harris County Community Supervision & Corrections Department in Houston, Texas and am presently reviewing case histories of Convicted Felons formerly on Probation in Harris County, Texas. I've noticed that the cases I've examined so far have the following symbols written nearby their fingerprint information: III/S/S. Plese explain what this grouping means [i.e. Is there also a I/S/S, II/S/S category?]. |
