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Criminal Background Check

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ENG/100

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Introduction

It is difficult to know someone entirely especially when interacting for the first time. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary to conduct background checks on someone before entrusting them with a certain responsibilities . Background checks should be detailed such that issues like previous abuse of drugs and substance abuse and involvement in certain public scandals are checked. This is because criminal backgrounds are not enough to determine the kind of person one may be dealing with. For instance, and individual without a criminal record may have a history of substance abuse, thus giving such an individual a job in a hospital where he/she can easily access drug may result in problems in the near future.

Criminal background checks help in determining a new employee’s behavior on the job, aid in identifying illegal immigrants or harbored fugitives, and act as a societal norm.

Determining the Behaviors of a New Employee

One-way Criminal background checks helps employers is through acting as a guide in determining employee behavior before joining their task force. The character of an employee is a factor that should be considered before the employee is offered an opportunity to work for any organization (Harris & Keller, 2005). Hiring a criminal puts the security of the customers and employees at risk. Without past information about an employee, an organization is likely to employ a criminal. In this respect, a background check comes in place to make sure that the potential employee has no tarnished background.

Aids in Illegal Immigration or Harboring a Fugitive

Criminal background checks can also aid in identifying illegal immigrants or harbored fugitives in workplaces. In the modern day, illegal immigration has become a norm in the society. Considering that the illegal immigrants are not citizens of the country, it is evident that any person cannot access their records. A criminal background check does not only help to know the previous criminal engagement activities of a person, but it also helps to know if a person is in the country's system or not.

Acts as a Societal Norm

Criminal background checks act as a social norm which can help in a nation’s economic growth. The productivity of its citizens dictates the economy of any nation. Ethics and productivity go hand in hand. When one is involved in criminal activities, it is evident that the level of his or her productivity can be questioned (Blumstein & Nakamura, 2009). It has become a norm for the society to try and look if one is associated with shady dealings in the past. The norm has been essential in two different ways. The first way is associated with the aspect of making sure that the people who are engaged in business activities are people with a good reputation and trustworthy (Harris & Keller, 2005). The second way is associated with the influence that the background check has on the members of the society. Most members of the society try as much as they can to avoid engaging in criminal activities because such can affect their future and that promotes a norm of avoiding and staying away from crime.

Conclusion

Looks are deceiving and thus should not be used as a basis to judge someone’s behavior. I therefore conclude that background checks are critical in establishing the behavior of a person and hence act as a societal norm.

References

Blumstein, A., & Nakamura, K. (2009). Redemption in the presence of widespread criminal background checks. Criminology, 47(2), 327-359.

Harris, P. M., & Keller, K. S. (2005). Ex-offenders need not apply: The criminal background checks in hiring decisions. Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, 21(1), 6-30.

Concerns Areas that Need Work	Criteria Standards for This Performance	Strengths Evidence of Meeting or Exceeding Standards
Your introduction did not include your thesis—please click the lines on the side of your paper to see my edits. - 0.25	Criteria #1: The paper is titled appropriately. The paper begins with an introduction paragraph to provide context for the topic. The introduction includes a thesis statement that presents the main ideas included in the body paragraphs. Each body paragraph provides support for the main idea and transitions to the next idea. The paper ends with a conclusion paragraph that summarizes the main ideas of the paper. The paper represents original work and correctly incorporates quotations and paraphrases from outside sources that inform the writing. 7.5 points possible	Cody, this is a very strong rough draft. Your introductory paragraph covers nearly all of the points McWhorter (2016) discusses in Chapter 16: 1. It interests your reader in your topic. 2. It provides any necessary background information. (p. 450) Your conclusion returns to your thesis and looks to the future (McWhorter, 2016). Well done! Reference: McWhorter, K. T. (2016). Pathways: Scenarios for sentence and paragraph writing (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
N/A	Criteria #2: Faculty feedback from Body Paragraph assignment has been incorporated effectively. The paper is 525 to 700 words in length. The tone aligns with the assignment’s purpose, is written in third person, and is geared toward the appropriate audience. The paper is clear, is organized in a logical manner, addresses the main points, and demonstrates transition from one idea to the next. The references used for support are scholarly and relevant to the topic. 4.5 possible points	Your draft meets all requirements for Criteria #2. Two thumbs up! Please see my embedded comments for more feedback. With a few small changes, you will have an A final paper!
N/A	Criteria #3: The proper template is used for the assignment. Rules of grammar and punctuation are followed; spelling is correct. In-text citations have been added to paraphrases and direct quotes. In-text citations include the correct elements and are properly formatted according to APA guidelines. The title page, reference page, spacing, and font are consistent with the APA guidelines required for this assignment. References include the correct elements and are properly formatted according to APA guidelines. 3 points possible	Your writing is clear and nearly error free. You used the provided template and followed APA formatting. Well done!
Question for Further Reflection: How will you apply our Week 4 lessons when revising this draft during Week 5? For more tips on revision, check out: Revising Drafts
Final Score: 14.75/15

�Make sure you mention employment. For example: “Therefore, it is absolutely necessary to conduct background checks on someone before hiring them and entrusting them with responsibilities.”

�Your thesis belongs at the end of your introduction. If you click the line on the side of your paper, you will see how I deleted the “Thesis” heading and made your thesis statement part of the introduction. ��Good job editing your thesis!

�Watch out for unnecessary capitalization. You only want to capitalize the first words of sentences and proper nouns.

�This paragraph is much shorter than your other two, which throws off the balance of your paper (see Chapter 15). Can you find information in one of your sources to back up your ideas about illegal immigration?

�We never want to “announce” what we are doing in writing—we simply want to do it! You will want to remove “I therefore conclude that” and instead say, “Background checks are critical in establishing the behavior of a person and hence act as a societal norm.”