Compendium of State Privacy and Security Legislation: 1997 Overview - Arkansas; Crime Reporting and Investigations

• NCJ Number: 170039
• Date Published: May 1997
• Publication Type: Publication

Annotation

This is a 1997 overview of Arkansas law pertinent to the privacy and security of criminal justice information.

Abstract

The subchapter of the Arkansas Code that pertains to crime reporting and investigations governs the collection, maintenance, and dissemination of criminal history information on identifiable individuals charged or pleading guilty or nolo contendere, or being found guilty of criminal offenses under Arkansas law. This subchapter establishes the Arkansas Crime Information Center as having general authority to issue regulations and implement the provisions of this subchapter. The Center is authorized to make criminal records on persons available only to criminal justice agencies in their official capacity, to regulatory agencies with specific statutory authority of access, and to any person or his/her attorney who has reason to believe that a criminal history record is being kept on him/her, or wherein the criminal defendant is charged with either a misdemeanor or a felony. The Child Support Enforcement Unit of the Department of Human Services is designated a criminal justice agency solely for the purpose of securing information from the Center regarding the address or whereabouts of any deserting parent from whom the Child Support Enforcement Unit is charged with collecting child support. One provision of the subchapter advises that nothing in the subchapter is to be construed to give authority to any person, agency, corporation, or other legal entity to invade the privacy of any citizen as defined by law, other than to the extent provided in this subchapter. Another subchapter included in this compendium addresses the expungement and sealing of criminal records, followed by a presentation of Arkansas' Freedom of Information Act of 1967. This act establishes the policy that except as otherwise specifically provided by law, all public records shall be open to inspection and copying by any citizen of Arkansas during regular business hours of the custodian of the records.