Friday, January 16, 2009

How To Retrieve Illinois Criminal Records?

By Jed Elaine

Illinois criminal records form part of the public domain and as such, unrestricted access is available to any interested individuals. Although these are public records, the use of any information obtained from these is strictly regulated to uphold the right to personal privacy. If the information obtained were to be used for an employment background check for example, then prior permission to use the information would need to be obtained from the individual in question.

The first stop for any search of Illinois arrest records would be the Illinois State Police where information relating to all criminal matters is held.Any search there however, will involve payment of a non-refundable fee of $16.00. Apart from the State Police, you could also try one of the state Circuit Courts. A database is also held at Jackson County where searches can be conducted after payment of a $12.95 fee.

Law enforcement agencies are required to keep their databases of criminal records properly maintained and up to date. This information will often be disbursed to other law enforcement agencies or officers. Courts can also request access to any information held on file, as can a number of individuals. Information maintained will typically be updated on a quarterly, monthly or daily basis by the operator in charge. The level of arrest records information available will be a direct result of the proper maintenance of the database and its regular updating.

Statistically, in recent years, Illinois criminal records show a higher arrest rate then the national average. Not withstanding this however, the number of arrests in the state has shown a gradual decline. 1990 saw 1237 arrests made for every 100,000 inhabitants of the state. By 2002, this figure had decreased to 894 arrests for every 100,000 inhabitants. Roughly translated, this shows a 28% reduction in the number of arrests made over the 12 year period.

Similarly to almost all information searches today, the internet is the most popular method to access Illinois criminal records. Government agencies inevitably mean long queues and time delays. An alternative to these delays are commercial information providers. Factor in the ability to access private networks over and above the public databases and these commercial providers soon become an attractive option. Search results are typically available for download within a few minutes of running the search - 15784

About the Author: