“Flaws in the current system of criminal background checks limit the chances that individuals can rebuild their lives after they have served their time in prison by finding decent jobs, increases the chances of recidivism and affects public safety, argues a study released today.
“The Urban Institute study points out that the two main types of checks currently on the market –provided by the FBI and private vendors— have ‘functional flaws that prevent employers from effectively identifying relevant criminal histories among job candidates.’
“’Fingerprint checks, relying on criminal record data in the FBI’s database, often return records without court dispositions, and may take longer to process,’ said the study, prepared by Nancy La Vigne, Matthew Lynch and Emily Reimal.”