I'm sure that back ground checks have been posted as a topic on here before, but its been a big issue lately so i want to have some fresher P.O.V.'s on this.

I want to know your opinion on a fair compramise to this issue that might make all parties involed feel better about how and what is involved with them...Thanks to all that gives there opinions on this.

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Probably when I was out there, I would have been against them but now as a consumer I think they are a good idea for all bussinesses like this to protect their patrons. I think there are some crimes that should not be tolerated for people in this type of business.

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Until they do background checks on every patron who walks through the gate, and on every member of the fair committee, they have no right to expect employees to be subjected to them.

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I just want to say thanks to all that have posted so far. I also see that it has brought about alot of hits even though only two posts..Also i would like to add that i am hoping to get insight from both members of the industry and people of the public in hopes to possibly come up with a fair compromise that will please all parties involved, so that workers dont feel as though they are being singled out and so that the committees and the general public can feel safer.....So please if you dont mind i would like to hear from owners and committee members that know this is a constant issue in the industry today that plays a important role on the hiring an what show plays where ................Thanks again..[:)]

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I am not any of those but have some conflicting thoughts on the subject.

As a father I would prefer if sex offenders, especially child molesters, were not allowed on a midway; whether working or not.

The problems I see is who pays for it? When I was on United in the summertime we could have 300+ show employees, not counting book-ins etc. If something like this is/was required at every fair the cost could be prohibitive.

The other problem, what level of a record prevents people from doing what jobs? Who decides what is acceptable and what is not? If you deny anyone with a record the opportunity to work then what will their alternative be?

I kind of agree that if someone is not allowed to work somewhere then they should not be allowed to be there but how to do that? A person has medical training but has a record so cannot work in a hospital but if sick/hurt could not go there? The reason I included this is once a precedent is established it carries over to other things.

Wish I knew the answers instead of the questions, might make a few dollars on it. [:I]

in the state of illinois we are fighting a bill. im sure you have all heard this has been discussed before. my problem as mentioned before is where do we stop......i do not want sexual pred. on my lot..as employees or as customers but how do we control it there are civil lib. and does the state or states want to enforce this at all "carnival like" functions. what about the small event that does not have the "typical" carnival they have say inflates and games will they be "qualified" to under go the same scrutiny. gas prices are already high we are a business like any other that has to pass along the expense to the customer..another expense that will be passes along to the consumer...i like like the above have all kinds of questions and concerns but do not have any of the answers....

Congress had the right idea when they instituted the National Sex Offender Registry. Those convicted of sex crimes are supposed to be in that registry and I would hope with thier mug shot. Although I have not read the law I would hope that if one applied for a job around kids and failed to notify the employer in advance the offender should then be jailed for the rest of thier life as the intent is there to reoffend.

As for who should pay for background checks it seems we already pay all law enforcement to keep us safe. This is just part of thier job and to charge again would be double dipping to me.

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i agree with them looking for sex offenders, and if thats all they were looking for id have no problem with it, but come on they will actually come on to your spot and arrest people for unpaid tickets from 15 years ago in different states then the one your playing at as we found out the hard way last year,so intill they change the way there doing it i say fight it

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in the state of illinois we are fighting a bill.

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I'm gad it hasn't passed yet.

I fail to see how background checks make anyone safe. At most, they keep people from turning their lives around, making them more likely to reoffend.

Carnival employees generally aren't ever alone with the local kids. However, they have a chance of alone around OUR kids. This is why no show wants to employ molestors.

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I do agree, there are alot of questions to this subject but not really any bottom line answers. The point of this topic is to get all parties involved to give there questions and answers on here.In hopes that from all the information shared on here we might be able to get some better suited answers that will not violate anyone's civil liberties, everyone is getting the same treatment that would be brought about on a pastor,teacher, or bus driver, and make the general public feel covered..Part of my reasoning for this topic as well is to bring back more of a good general raport to the industry than it already has and go from there... So please keep the comments coming.

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http://www.familywatchdog.us/ 

http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cid/cac/states.htm 

These offer a free method to check on sex offenders.

Whether any other offenses have a bearing would depend on whether the employer feels it is relevant to their company and the jobs being offered.

The sex offender part aside, what other offenses may disallow employment? All I see is an opportunity for those needing/wanting employment another place to be denied; which may lead them to doing something illegal.

back ground checks good if you nothing to hide it doesnt matter

I believe the bill in IL passed the House last week.

It usually doesn't matter if you do have something to hide. There are many people on the register who are not child molestors. A freind of mine is now being forced to move because the community found he, between the ages of 16 and 18, dated a girl 18 months his junior. He already did 5 years in prison. He's in his 30s now.

In '89 I got caught skinny dipping on private property in the middle of the night. If the judge hadn't suspended the case, I'd be on that list too, being denied employment and property for the rest of my life.

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I know and use the sex offender website database search engine (familywatchdog.com).

However, I also want to know if a prospective employee has a current warrant for their arrest.

Does anyone know of any websites that provide this service? There are many that profess to provide this information for about $15 each search, but I'm not convinced that the ones I have tried work.

Which website search engines work to look for criminal background, specifically warrants...also, any that are free???