Source: onlinelibrary.wiley 7/23/23
Abstract of paper: Criminal records are routinely used by employers and other institutional decision-makers who rely on their presumed fidelity to evaluate applicants. We analyze criminal records for a sample of 101 people, comparing official state reports, two sources of private-sector background checks (one regulated and one unregulated by federal law), and qualitative interviews.
Based on our analysis, private-sector background checks are laden with false-positive and false-negative errors:60 percent and 50 percent of participants had at least one false-positive error on their regulated and unregulated background checks, and nearly all (90 percent and92 percent of participants, respectively) had at least one false-negative error.
We define specific problems with private-sector criminal records: mismatched data that create false negatives, missing case dispositions that create incomplete and misleading criminal records, and incorrect data that create false positives. Accompanying qualitative interviews show how errors in background checks limit access to social opportunities ranging from employment to education to housing and violate basic principles of fairness in the legal system.
This happened to me decades ago. I had do to a TSA security background check (to ensure I am not a terriost or connected to terrorist groups) for my TWIC.. I was denied even though promises of assurancss they didn’t care about other crimes. I requested information on denying me. The rap sheet didn’t even contain my name, nor any correct information about me. Just some guy that had 12 victims in Tennessee … I didn’t know the guy nor even been in Tennessee. Thankfully at the time my Parole Officer was able to join me at the TWIC office with DOJ’s “rap sheet” of me with all the appropriate information. In a week I received my TWIC and been renewing it since with no other problems.
Humans…the bane of their very existence when it comes to helping their fellow man…correctly.
This is another prime reason why those in CA should be able to review their online Megan’s list data… to ensure it is correct. They should not have to rely on others to do it for them but let them do it for themselves, which is the least restrictive and most private way to do it. Of course, there should be no online Megan’s list to begin with, but that is another case…