Understanding Your Criminal Background
Different places use different records. Many employers ask on their application if you were ever convicted of a crime, or they might word the question to ask whether you have ever been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor. Typically, the application says you do not have to divulge a case that was expunged or dismissed, or that was a minor traffic violation.
Reports Used
A court record maintained by the court system when cases are filed in
Circuit Court. Updated when court evens occur
Caution!
· Easy to mix people up
· May say more than you want it to
· Easy for people to access and misunderstand
CIB (Crime Information Bureau) www.doj.state.wi.us/dles/cib
Is a police arrest record AND is what the law requires employers to use.
Are listed in cycles – a cycle is started for each arrest
Updated when police or courts send info the state – Wisconsin Dept. of
Justice
Caution!
· There is no legislation stating this information must be accurate – no accountability
· Sometimes there is duplicate information making it look like there are more events than there actually are
· There are fees to access record. The amount of the fee depends on who you are.
· Contains too much information, including personal information
· Easily misunderstood
· Includes expunged cases
FBI Report http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cjisd/fprequest.htm
Good to check if you have cases in other states
Driving Record http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/drivers/index.htm
Request a copy of your driving record from the Department of Motor Vehicles, especially if you are applying for a job that involves driving. Don't be confused. An OWI conviction is not considered a minor traffic infraction. Applicants with an OWI who have not checked "yes" on a job application may be denied employment for falsifying the form -- even when the incident occurred only once or happened many years before. The employer perceives this as dishonesty, even though the applicant might only have been confused by the question.
