ChatterBank1 min ago
back ground check
9 Answers
I comitted a crime 40 years ago,when i was 15-16 years old I was arrested, finger printed and had a mog shot taken. Now today I have applied for a job with a school district and it is the schools policy to have a back ground check Will this crime show up on the back ground check? I really want this job.
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Depends what the crime was i guess - is the conviction "spent"? In which case i think it does disappear, think mostly they disappear after 5 or 8 years. Having said that, it really does depend on the crime, you don't say what it was and i'm not suggesting anything (please don't take it the wrong way) but if it was a serious or violent crime, or something involving children chances are it will stay on your record. Did you serve time in prison? It will also depend on other things, if you have to fill in an application form that asks you specifically "Have you ever been convicted of a crime" it is illegal to answer untruthfully. Good luck with the job though.
Were you actually convicted of the crime? Serious convictions such as those for murder, rape and child abuse never become 'spent' - you have to declare them when required (e.g. job applications) for the rest of your life. When a conviction becomes spent depends on the sentence you received, rather than the crime itself. However, even if your conviction can be considered 'spent', there are exceptiona circumstances when you are still obliged to disclose it, one of those being when you apply for a job working with children.
Sorry I didn't actually answer your question - assuming it is a job where you will be in contact with children, then your potential employer will carry out a police check on you. Your police record will show any convictions (including spent ones), and even warnings, you've received. Provided your conviction (if you were convicted) was a one-off and was for something like, say, shoplifting (i.e. not abuse/violence), then I really don't think a reasonable employer could hold this against you as it happened such a long time ago.
Did you not have to declare the crime already? 'Spent' convictions is a new idea and I don't think it backdates - I have a spend conviction for "Computer Misuse Act 1990" but a friend has an unspend conviction from when he was arrested in the 70s for walking down the street with a beer glass. I don't have to declare mine, but he's a maths teacher and did have to resolve it. But I thought you couldn't get a criminal record under 18? Too young for responsibility etc.
I might be totally wrong here but we don't normally use the term 'school district' in the UK - are you in the US? If so a big issue will also be whether or not the crime was drugs-related. If it was, I'm afraid it will probably still be on your record. Not qualified to give any specifics on the US system though.
If you're in the UK then totally agree with becks and Miss Zippy. What you did and whether you were actually convicted determines the tariff for rehabilitation and if it will still show up today. Plus you were a minor at the time - that also has an impact. Check out the Criminal Records Bureau for more info
http://www.crb.gov.uk/
I think what everybody's trying to say in describing severity of crimes, is whether it was a felony or a misdemeanor. Usually, misdemeanors on a juvenile record are dropped when you reach 18. Felonies may not be. -This applies to the US. I'm not sure if they use the terms, "Felony" and "Misdemeanor" in the UK, but it should be some similar terms. Also, the age of maturity may differ. But I also agree, do not try to lie about it. You needn't offer it up unless asked, but if confronted on it, own up to it. Some employers may admire your truthfulness. Lieing about it can only make more trouble.
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