There are no central databases for federal, state and local criminal records. There are literaly thousands of federal, state and local courts, and state repositories around the united states. Only some states and counties submit their criminal record information to any type of statewide or a national database.
Before the Internet age, all criminal record search records could only be accessed manually. There was no such thing as a nationwide database of criminal records. Small amounts of data were stored in various databases by local communities, parishes, counties, or states. Therefore, retrieving free criminal public records meant going through all local, parish, county, or state registries. This is of course, time-consuming, expensive, and difficult even for a savvy public records researcher.
For employers, a criminal record search offers protection for your organization. You can protect your company with comprehensive background checks, including criminal record search to make sure that you are dealing with a person with good character.
In big-time research firms, Internet research usually only comprises the first part of the job. The bulk of the job involves physically going to courts, public libraries, hospitals, state registries, et cetera in order to get the documents needed. But no matter how small a part Internet research might play in public records research, it still plays vital role.
Criminal record reports and background files helps a company make better-informed decisions during the pre-employment screening. The information they provide are indispensable as they are the determinants of a person’s character. In a way, criminal record search and background reports are steps that a company can take to protect its own interest. There have been too many cases in the past wherein no background checks whatsoever was made on an individual and so when that individual was hired as an employee and then later on committed a crime in the context of his or her job, the company was held liable.
Several states in the U.S. have laws requiring criminal record search and background searches during the pre-employment process. States, such as Florida, are especially particular about criminal record search records and background checks on certain industries where care is provided as a service. Thus, any prospective employee or volunteer of a facility for the elderly, children, and people with disabilities are required by state statute and by federal law to undergo free criminal records and background checks.
Click here for the best criminal record search site