4 ms·

>But I am not fine with any government in the world being able to research my criminal record without authorization! Criminal records are a matter of public re

by learc83 12y ago

>But I am not fine with any government in the world being able to research my criminal record without authorization! Criminal records are a matter of public record in most countries (including the US). That means that anyone can search your criminal history, not just governments. There may not always be a central database, but the information is out there.

mschuster91 12y ago
Back when the rules placing criminal records in public were drafted, these records were usually kept at a courthouse, thus greatly restricting their use to those who actually traveled to the courthouse/archive and manually searched. These days, everything can be searched online and especially copied and stored everywhere, far after expiration. And this is not a good development at all.
- learc83 12y ago
  Yes, they used to be stored in a courthouse, but most people didn't leave the area they were born in either, so for the average person everyone you were likely to meet knew about your past. Criminal records were always meant to be as public as possible. I do have a huge problem with the content of criminal records, because I have a huge problem with what we consider criminal--drug offenses mostly. I also worry a lot more about the non-criminal mistakes we make being available for anyone and for all time.
  - eru 12y ago
    > I do have a huge problem with the content of criminal records, because I have a huge problem with what we consider criminal--drug offenses mostly. In the US you also have lots of really bad laws about sexual offenses (which aren't real offenses by any sane standard; like teenagers sending each other nude pictures).
  - maxlybbert 12y ago
    > I do have a huge problem with the content of criminal records, because I have a huge problem with what we consider criminal While the US wants to know immigrants' criminal history, the US isn't required to care about all of the crimes that show up on the record. For instance, convictions for performing or having an abortion (say, in Brazil) probably won't result in a denied visa.

by learc83 12y ago

mschuster91 12y ago

Back when the rules placing criminal records in public were drafted, these records were usually kept at a courthouse, thus greatly restricting their use to those who actually traveled to the courthouse/archive and manually searched. These days, everything can be searched online and especially copied and stored everywhere, far after expiration. And this is not a good development at all.

learc83 12y ago
Yes, they used to be stored in a courthouse, but most people didn't leave the area they were born in either, so for the average person everyone you were likely to meet knew about your past. Criminal records were always meant to be as public as possible. I do have a huge problem with the content of criminal records, because I have a huge problem with what we consider criminal--drug offenses mostly. I also worry a lot more about the non-criminal mistakes we make being available for anyone and for all time.
- eru 12y ago
  > I do have a huge problem with the content of criminal records, because I have a huge problem with what we consider criminal--drug offenses mostly. In the US you also have lots of really bad laws about sexual offenses (which aren't real offenses by any sane standard; like teenagers sending each other nude pictures).
- maxlybbert 12y ago
  > I do have a huge problem with the content of criminal records, because I have a huge problem with what we consider criminal While the US wants to know immigrants' criminal history, the US isn't required to care about all of the crimes that show up on the record. For instance, convictions for performing or having an abortion (say, in Brazil) probably won't result in a denied visa.