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Date: April 30, 2024 Tue
Time: 2:13 am
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Results for criminal records (u.s.)
4 results foundAuthor: Gaebler, Helen Title: Criminal Records in the Digital Age: A Review of Current Practices and Recommendations for Reform in Texas Summary: “Smart on Crime” reentry reforms have tended to focus on problems arising after criminal records are already publicly available. This is too late. Once criminal records have been released and incorporated into online databases it is difficult, if not impossible, to put the genie back in the bottle. It is time to broaden the reentry discussion and take a comprehensive look at how criminal records are accessed, disseminated, and utilized in this digital age and to find ways to make the criminal justice system more effective at providing meaningful opportunities for successful and lasting reintegration into our communities. Across the United States criminal records are increasingly available to the public through government repositories and commercial vendors alike. The opportunities and benefits lost as a result of a criminal record create lifelong barriers for anyone attempting to overcome a criminal past. Easy access to records means that most employers and landlords routinely request criminal history information when screening applicants. A criminal record severely restricts most employment opportunities and can entirely eliminate the opportunity to work in hundreds of licensed professions. A criminal record makes it significantly harder to find housing, whether with private landlords or in publicly subsidized housing, with some offenses requiring lifetime bans. Government benefits, including, cash assistance, food stamps, and student loans, may be denied or restricted because of a criminal history. More than 65 million adults nationwide have a criminal history; the numbers in Texas are equally alarming, with an estimated 4.7 million adults possessing a criminal record. These numbers continue to increase as more people are arrested and drawn into the criminal justice system. In Texas alone, law enforcement makes more than 1 million new arrests annually. All of these individuals are at risk for the long term negative collateral consequences that flow from a criminal record. With the rise of the Internet and the emergence of electronic databases, more than 40 million criminal background checks are performed annually for non-criminal justice purposes. But despite the technological advances that make criminal records so easy and cheap to access, little oversight exists to ensure that the information being reported is accurate and legally compliant. Equally problematic is that efforts to minimize collateral consequences by limiting access to the criminal records are undermined by the absence of uniform statewide release procedures. Widespread access to criminal records has serious long-term societal implications: Employment and housing are determinant factors in assessing recidivism risks, with the first year following release being the most critical time for reentry. Collateral consequences affect everyone in contact with the individual, including families and children. Many communities most affected already contend with high rates of unemployment, homelessness, and crime. The overrepresentation of African Americans and Latinos at every level of the criminal justice system puts these individuals at greater risk of harm. The risk of recidivism and danger to public safety are the most common concerns voiced by those advocating for increased access to criminal records, but such fears are overstated. Few, if any, contend that criminal history information is never a relevant factor to be considered. Problems arise, however, when policies and practices allow searches to include any past criminal involvement or law enforcement contact, regardless of offense, circumstance, and time passed. Restricting all opportunity for those living with a criminal record does not enhance public safety. A review of legislative efforts from across the US illustrates the complex nature of these problems. Lawmakers must combine many small solutions to create comprehensive system-wide reform to better control access to and use of criminal records and to minimize downstream reentry barriers. It is time for Texas to engage in this same process. Details: Austin, TX: William Wayne Justice Center for Public Interest Law The University of Texas School of law, 2013. 43p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 9, 2013 at: http://www.utexas.edu/law/centers/publicinterest/research/criminalrecords_report.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.utexas.edu/law/centers/publicinterest/research/criminalrecords_report.pdf Shelf Number: 128687 Keywords: Criminal Records (U.S.)Ex-OffendersPrisoner Reentry |
Author: Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Title: Best Practice Standards: The Proper Use of Criminal Records in Hiring Summary: Hiring new employees is a critically important function in any business, government agency, or non-profit organization. Every hiring decision represents a major investment that employers must make with limited information. Checking criminal history is just a small part of this process, which may also include verifying education, prior employment and other reference information. The Best Practice Standards will help employers properly weigh adverse personal history to find those applicants who will contribute most to the productivity of the organization. Details: Washington, DC: Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, 2013. 30p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 9, 2013 at: http://www.lawyerscommittee.org/admin/employment_discrimination/documents/files/Best-Practices-Standards-The-Proper-Use-of-Criminal-Records-in-Hiring.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.lawyerscommittee.org/admin/employment_discrimination/documents/files/Best-Practices-Standards-The-Proper-Use-of-Criminal-Records-in-Hiring.pdf Shelf Number: 129309 Keywords: Criminal Records (U.S.)Employee ScreeningEx-Offenders, Employment |
Author: Center for Community Alternatives Title: The Use of Criminal History Records in College Admissions Reconsidered Summary: This report reviews findings from a first-of-its-kind survey conducted by the Center for Community Alternatives in collaboration with the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) that explores the use of criminal history screening in college admissions procedures. A 59-question survey was administered electronically between September 30 and October 29, 2009 through AACRAO's network of 3,248 member institutions in the United States. In all, 273 institutions responded to the survey. The survey helped inform the recommendations contained in this report. A majority (66%) of the responding colleges collect criminal justice information, although not all of them consider it in their admissions process. Private schools and four-year schools are more likely to collect and use such information than their public and two-year counterparts. A sizable minority (38%) of the responding schools does not collect or use criminal justice information and those schools do not report that their campuses are less safe as a result. Self-disclosure through the college application or in some cases the Common Application is the most typical way that colleges and universities collect the information. A small minority of schools conduct criminal background checks on some applicants, usually through contracting with a private company. Most schools that collect and use criminal justice information have adopted additional steps in their admissions decision process, the most common of which is consulting with academic deans and campus security personnel. Special requirements such as submitting a letter of explanation or a letter from a corrections official and completing probation or parole are common. Less than half of the schools that collect and use criminal justice information have written policies in place, and only 40 percent train staff on how to interpret such information. A broad array of convictions are viewed as negative factors in the context of admissions decision-making, including drug and alcohol convictions, misdemeanor convictions, and youthful offender adjudications. If it is discovered that an applicant has failed to disclose a criminal record there is an increased likelihood that the applicant will be denied admission or have their admission offer rescinded. A slight majority of schools that collect information provides support or supervision for admitted students who have criminal records, with more emphasis on supervision rather than supportive services. Details: New York: Center for Community Alternatives, 2010. 60p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 20, 2014 at: http://www.communityalternatives.org/pdf/Reconsidered-criminal-hist-recs-in-college-admissions.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.communityalternatives.org/pdf/Reconsidered-criminal-hist-recs-in-college-admissions.pdf Shelf Number: 134166 Keywords: Colleges and UniversitiesCriminal Records (U.S.)EducationEx-offenders |
Author: U.S. Government Accountability Office Title: Criminal History Records: Additional Actions Could Enhance the Completeness of Records Used For Employment-Related Background Checks Summary: Why GAO Did This Study Authorized employers use information from FBI criminal history record checks to assess a person's suitability for employment or to obtain a license. States create criminal records and the FBI facilitates access to these records by other states for nationwide checks. GAO was asked to assess efforts to address concerns about incomplete records, among other things. This report addresses to what extent (1) states conduct FBI record checks for selected employment sectors and face any challenges; (2) states have improved the completeness of records, and remaining challenges that federal agencies can help mitigate; and (3) private companies conduct criminal record checks, the benefits those checks provide to employers, and any related challenges. GAO analyzed laws and regulations used to conduct criminal record checks and assessed the completeness of records; conducted a nationwide survey, which generated responses from 47 states and the District of Columbia; and interviewed officials that manage checks from the FBI and 4 states (California, Florida, Idaho, and Washington). GAO selected states based on geographic location and other factors. What GAO Recommends GAO recommends, among other things, that the FBI establish plans with time frames for completing the Disposition Task Force's remaining goals. The Department of Justice concurred with all of GAO's recommendations. Details: Washington, DC: GAO, 2015. 58p. Source: Internet Resource: GAO-15-162: Accessed March 28, 2015 at: http://www.gao.gov/assets/670/668505.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://www.gao.gov/assets/670/668505.pdf Shelf Number: 134945 Keywords: Background ChecksCriminal Records (U.S.)Ex-offender Employment |