Virginia Criminal Records
In 1996, State of Virginia legislation enacted by the Virginia General Assembly provided for the establishment of a state database containing public records including inmates, sex offenders, and criminal records. The database is referred to as the Central Criminal Records Exchange (CCRE) and it was originally located at 12th and Main Street, Richmond, Virginia. As a separate entity of state of government under the Office of the Attorney General, the CCRE is the sole repository for criminal records in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
The History
The beginnings of CCRE are comprised of the transfer of 75,000 fingerprint cards associated with criminal records from the Virginia Department of State Police. Additionally, a total of 80,000 inmate commitment fingerprint and criminal records were also transferred from the Department of Corrections. Thus, the baseline file of the CCRE is composed of 155,000 criminal records.
On January 1, 1968, law enforcement agencies and clerks of courts were required by state statute to submit arrest fingerprints and final dispositions to the CCRE in order to comprise Virginia criminal records history files.
It was not until July 1, 1970 that the CCRE became an official section of the Virginia Department of State Police and the criminal records it contains became the responsibility of the Virginia police. The absorption of the CCRE into the Virginia police was pursuant to Chapter 23 of Title 19.2, Section 987, of the Code of Virginia.
Today, Virginia‘s CCRE is nationally recognized as a leader in maintaining a comprehensive criminal records database. Also, it is also known to develop aggressive programs to deliver the most complete and accurate criminal records information and automated support programs available.
The Purpose of Criminal Records
The first legitimate purpose of criminal records is for use by the Criminal Justice. The criminal records maintained in the Virginia CCRE are available to criminal justice entities and individuals of the state and on national level.
The documents provided for by the criminal records database are used by criminal justice authorities to derive at prudent decisions that range from determining the propensity for violence an individual may have. Criminal records may also be used by a reviewing judge prior to passing sentence. Additionally, they may also help in guiding a correctional official in assigning a custody level to an inmate, determining probation/parole status, and to efficiently support computerized criminal justice programs such as the firearms transaction programs on the state/national level, et cetera.
Aside from use by the Criminal Justice, Virginia criminal records may also be used other entities or individuals for employment purposes. To ensure suitability for employment in certain employment environments, criminal records searches are conducted. Such environments include licensed homes for adults, Virginia Power, district homes for adults, day care centers for children and adults, nursing homes, et cetera.
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