writing week 4

Criminal Background Check

Name

ENG/100

Erica Letourneau

September 1, 2019

Thesis Statement:

Criminal background checks help in determining a new employee behavior on the job, aids in illegal immigration or harboring a fugitive, and acts 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 organisation (Harris & Keller, 2005). Hiring a criminal puts the security of the customers and employees at risk. Without past information about an employee, an organisation 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 illegal immigration or harboring of 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.

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.