The state of Rhode Island may be small compared to its surrounding states, but its database of criminal history profiles is still quite extensive. In this state, the Rhode Island Department of Attorney General is the main office that deals with every arrest and criminal report in its jurisdiction. Through the department\'s Bureau of Criminal Identification, or BCI, the office serves as the main criminal record repository in the state. The bureau houses, maintains and disseminates anything from Rhode Island arrest records to the state\'s sex offender registry.
If you have had some unfortunate encounters with the law in this state in the past, you can view your criminal history through the Bureau of Criminal Identification. Any individual can request access to their own arrest history by way of a name-based search. There are two basic ways to do this. The first is by mail, which requires a notarized release form, five dollars for the application fee, a clear copy of your government-issued photo identification, and a stamped envelope with your home address clearly printed on it.
However, if you do decide to visit the Bureau of Criminal Identification\'s office in person, to get a copy of your personal arrest report, you will need valid government issued photo identification along with the five dollar fee. For third party access to criminal accounts, you will need the subject\'s signed and notarized release form as well, together with your own valid photo identification and the appropriate fee. The whole process is actually a lot easier than what most people think.
As far as the treatment of criminal history accounts are concerned, the state of Rhode Island considers these types of documents as confidential. Just like in most of the other 49 states. However, these records will be released to the public upon request, and with the appropriate procedures observed. The details included in the criminal accounts requested by approved agencies, personnel and law enforcement officers, on the other hand, are much more comprehensive. They include the subject\'s entire criminal history and conviction reports.
Another efficient criminal information resource is the Rhode Island Judiciary\'s office. The Judiciary oversees a total of six courts in the state. In addition, the office also offers various resources for attorneys and the public alike. The Judiciary operates a criminal information search feature that allows interested parties to access a variety of criminal reports online. This means that from the comfort of your own home or office, you can effectively run criminal background checks without the need to follow lengthy procedures or adhere to policies.
As a respectable alternative to the Rhode Island Judiciary, online criminal record providers have been collecting criminal data from every state in the country in the past few years. The most reputable criminal record search websites already have an extensive criminal database that houses comprehensive public arrest records and criminal histories from the east coast to the west. And, for a one-time fee, you can take advantage of one of these online services and perform unlimited criminal history searches without ever having to wait in line in a government building.
