Public Attitudes Toward Uses of Criminal History Information: A Privacy, Technology, and Criminal Justice Information Report, Summary of Survey Findings

• NCJ Number: 187663
• Date Published: July 2001
• Length: 78 pages
• Agencies: BJS
• Publication Type: Survey

Annotation

This report presents the results of the first national survey of public attitudes toward the use of criminal history information for a variety of purposes.

Abstract

Presents the results of the first national survey of public attitudes towards use of criminal history information for a variety of purposes. The survey was designed by Alan Westin, a noted expert on issues relating to privacy and uses of sensitive data in the private and public sector. The survey specifically addressed public attitudes toward use of criminal record data in various employment situations, opinions on uses of arrest vs. conviction data, and attitudes toward collection of fingerprint data.