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GBI makes changes after criminal background check glitches

ATLANTA — The Georgia Bureau of Investigation made changes to its computer system that allows criminal background checks after having issues since the middle of March, according to a spokesperson.
 
Sherry Lang told Channel 2's Amy Napier Viteri the GBI made software changes to the Georgia Crime Information Center, or GCIC, after experiencing delays of up to two to three days on name-based checks.
 
"It's a process that you should be immediately fixing when you know the issue is occurring," said Corey Hardiman.
 
Hardiman, a Morehouse senior, told Viteri he was locked up along with dozens of others after demonstrating for Medicaid expansion at the state Capitol. He said he and others were told the system was down and spent hours waiting to be processed out of jail after the judge signed bonds.
 
Lang said they began working aggressively to resolve the system problem as soon as they realized it and have not had the problem in the past. Attorney Mawuli Mel Davis represented many of those arrested in Tuesday's demonstration, including Dr. Raphael Warnock of the Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church.
 
"Because of a computer glitch they're being denied their due process," Davis said. "The person should be free once they've paid the bond, and keeping them is something that should raise a lot of red flags."
 
Hardiman said in the future he would like to see a backup plan in the event that a similar problem arises.