In the wake of some recent stories toting the perceived benefits of fingerprint checks for workers, CDIA wants to remind readers that name-based criminal background checks are the most effective and thorough way to screen out those with a criminal past. For example, FBI Assistant Director Stephen Morris said that “[t]he misnomer is that FBI has everything that exists on criminal history records in some big repository, and that’s simply not true.” Additional background is laid out in an op-ed to the Albuquerque Journal.
Eric J. Ellman is Senior Vice President for Public Policy and Legal Affairs at the Consumer Data Industry Association (CDIA) in Washington, DC. He also served for eight months as Interim President and CEO of the Association. More