Trends and Issues Update

              Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority 1
Collecting and maintaining
criminal history records in Illinois
By Chris Humble
Vol. 3, No. 2 November 2001
Trends & Issues
UPDATE
Nearly every component of the
justice system relies on
criminal records to provide
detailed information on an individual’s
contact with law enforcement. This
data also is used in the private sector.
From employee background checks to
verification prior to gun purchases, the
accuracy and completeness of criminal
history record information is crucial.
This Trends & Issues Update examines
the scope of adult criminal history
record information in Illinois.
As mandated in the Criminal
Identification Act, the Illinois State
Police (ISP) is the central repository for
Illinois criminal history record informa-tion.
All aspects of criminal history
records, including collection, mainte-nance,
and dissemination, are handled
by ISP. All law enforcement agencies,
state’s attorneys, and circuit clerks in
each county, as well as the Illinois
Department of Corrections (IDOC),
must submit arrest, charge, disposition,
and custodial information to the ISP
within a set time frame.
Criminal history record uses
Criminal history records are crucial in
many areas of decision-making. School
districts use conviction data to
investigate whether teachers, bus
drivers, and others who have contact
with children were convicted of sex
offenses or other employment-barring
offenses. Social service agencies also
rely on conviction information to
screen prospective foster parents.
State’s attorneys use criminal
history records to determine whether
an offender is eligible for enhanced
sentencing. For example, if a person is
convicted for the first time of domestic
battery the offense is classified as a
Class A misdemeanor. If a person is
convicted again of domestic battery the
offense is prosecuted as a Class 4
felony.
IDOC officials also use criminal
records to determine security levels
that affect housing and work assign-ments.
With the wrong information, a
high-risk inmate may be assigned to a
facility designed for low-risk offenders.
Liquor control commissions use
criminal history records to determine
whether an individual is qualified for a
liquor license. Criminal history checks
ILLINOIS
Criminal Justice Information Authority
Figure 1
Arrest fingerprint cards and livescan images
submitted to Illinois State Police 1989 - 1999
0
100,000
200,000
300,000
400,000
500,000
600,000
1989 1993 1997 1999
Year
Number of submissions Source: Illinois State Police