Open vs. Confidential Records: Proceedings of a BJS/Search Conference

• NCJ Number: 113560
• Date Published: November 1988
• Publication Type: Publication

Annotation

This report on the proceedings of the National Conference on Open Versus Confidential Records (September 29-30, 1987) provides background information on the issues involved, the perspectives of the competing interests for both privacy and openness, and the implications of expanding public access to criminal justice records.

Abstract

The conference welcome, opening remarks, and keynote address introduce the issues in the debate on open versus confidential criminal justice records. The central focus of the keynote address is the National Crime Information Center, its integrity and use. Presentations under the topic "Setting the Scene" provide legal and policy analyses of the public availability of criminal history records as well as a discussion of the demand for criminal history records by noncriminal justice agencies. Presentations that address "Forces for Change" discuss the private employer and criminal history records, media access to criminal history records, and access to juvenile justice records. Presentations on "Implications of Change" cover a social science perspective on open records, open records and civil liberties, a public policy perspective on open records, and the implication of open criminal records.