This is the last in a series on the use of fingerprint-based background checks. According to the National Association of Professional Background Screeners, the state of Wisconsin participated in a federal background check pilot program using a fingerprint-based search. But, “they opted to return solely to their existing Wisconsin Caregiver name-based background check process. In ‘Evaluation of the Background Check Pilot Program’…it is noted that there was ‘…some disagreement about whether the marginal benefits of a fingerprint-based check were worth the extra costs.’ Other deterring factors for the pilot program included the variations in completion times, with 25 percent taking 33 or more days to complete, and the logistical issues faced with fingerprint locations and hours.”
Here are additional facts from NAPBS: “The primary source of criminal record information resides in individual courthouses. Many of these records are not indexed to fingerprints, nor are they consistently reported to fingerprint repositories. Thus, while all states currently submit records to the FBI, the extent of state reporting varies widely, and some never reach the FBI.”
Based on the information contained in this series on the shortcomings of fingerprint checks, one is left to wonder why any employer would use this flawed search method at all!