Should California Universities Conduct A California Criminal Record Search Fo Students

There has been a debate about whether colleges and Universities in California and others states, should do a California criminal record search on prospective students. The recent influx of criminals and murderers in local and state colleges and Universities has caused this dilemma.

Due to several cases where students have been guilty of committing crimes and these same students had denied having ever had a criminal record. Many people think that Universities, at least in California should conduct California criminal record search on all incoming students.

There are others that believe that although Universities should protect their student body, they cannot condone background checks, and feel that this is not necessarily the solution to having a safer campus atmosphere.

We all know that a college education truly needed, because it allows students to go out into the world better prepared to enter the work force. So by conducting California criminal record searches on every student you would keep the majority of the student body safe, but we would also be committing civil liberties crimes by not allowing people who want an education, so they can better their life an opportunity.

What about these people? Do we ostracize them, pretend that they don't exist. Avoid giving them any opportunity in life, because they made a mistake. These people are trying to make amends.

We are doing much worse than keeping them in jail for the rest of their lives. We are making it impossible for people that have committed any kind of a crime to hold down a decent job and make something of themselves.

The question that needs to be asked then is: By asking for a California criminal record search from every prospective student, are we truly abiding by American values?

Have we not listened to any of the things our teachers have been trying to teach us? After all who are the people that make up this country? Were we not immigrants at one time? People fleeing for our lives because of criminal records in other countries? Can we truly say that this country did not offer aid to our ancestors who need a chance at a new beginning?

Because of the answers to these questions it is impossible for us to condone the use of a California criminal search in our University system.

We have enough problems as it is by letting companies use the California criminal record search when hiring new employees. A new system needs to be found, that will give these people that have had some trouble in the past, a way of redeeming themselves and entering the job market again.

If we don't then what are we telling other societies? That it is perfectly acceptable to be discriminatory, to set aside certain groups of our population. That it is fine to separate these groups and avoid them at all costs. Haven't other populations tried this process before?

Criminal Record