The Internet has had a drastic impact on the lives of millions of Americans. No one, I would argue, has been more affected by the Internet than those with a criminal record. Before the Internet it was conceivable that someone who was convicted of crime could avoid the ridicule of others after being released from prison by packing up his things, moving thousands of miles away, and starting fresh. Today, no physical distance travelled can escape the global reach of the Internet.
Within the last couple years sites have sprung up which have made all criminal records easily accessible to the public. On sites like familywatchdog and mapofsex offenders simply knowing ones name and zip code will give you a complete list of all the crimes one has committed. Though there are enormous benefits of the new accessibility of criminal records to the public, one can argue that the patriotic and comforting message of "second chances" no longer seems applicable. A young man who has lived a reckless life, for example, may choose to abandon this harsh lifestyle in favor of becoming a respectable member of society. However, one can never find peace knowing that a full list of ones destructive past is just a few clicks away. Also, this same young man will have enormous difficulty finding a job, an employer, who in the past would often not go through the time consuming process of a thorough background check on a potential employee, now can achieve this within a matter of minutes. What disturbs me the most however is the story of a man who was convicted of a crime but later proven innocent, yet, because numerous sites have yet to remove his criminal offense, no employer will hire him.
I don't doubt that the pros of making criminal records accessible to the public far outweigh the cons. Still, it scares me knowing that no matter how minor the crime, anyone with Internet access can see this.
I think it's a good thing to have websites like Family Watchdog. I know that my parents have gone to these sites and it turns out that there are a few sexual predators near where we live. So, we make sure my little brother and sister stay clear of the houses these criminals live in. I do think that if your crime is petty, then these sites might be more harmful than useful. But, who can say what is petty and what isn't? It's all relative. You can't have someone who filters out criminal records because you'd have all sorts of organizations crying outrage. I suppose that the public will simply have to learn to filter out the records on their own.
ReplyDeleteYeah I definitely agree that there are some major benefits to public records but I believe that you made a very good point. There are so many adults who had to learn things the hard way before becoming who they are today and yes, it seems sort of unforgiving to publish a persons entire criminal or misdemeanor history. Maybe this will give people an incentive to make the right decisions but likely some of them don't know their information is public. Time will tell.
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