With the issue about police defunding lately, one thing I think we should discuss is the idea of criminal records checks. Not only workplaces, but even many places to volunteer are requiring them as a condition employment or volunteer service. Should this practice continue?
Let's look at one aspect. Obviously having someone with a criminal record going into policing or joining the military is going to be an issue. If someone is convicted of embezzlement or fraud, that will be an issue if that person is applying for a position handling a large sum of money. The same is true of someone convicted of sexual offenses working with vulnerable populations. Most indications are that pedophiles, for instance, cannot be reformed and should not be allowed near children.
On the other hand, is this an open door to continually punish someone for a crime now and forever until the end of time? Say someone robbed a bank 20 years ago, served the sentence, and moved on to becoming a productive citizen. Is it fair to restrict said person's employment options based on such an act?
The biggest issue of all is that criminal records checks only deal with people who have been caught. There's always the possibility of bad people doing bad things who haven't been brought to the attention of the authorities yet, so criminal records checks do nothing to stop these people.
Thoughts?