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Comment by ttul | Hacker News Reader

What they’re referring to is the court records that show whether someone was ever put through any kind of criminal justice process. If someone is arrested and charged, that record is publicly accessible to anyone for a few dollars. If the charges go nowhere, the record of the arrest and charge remains on the public record forever.

It is indeed an unfair system.

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It really is so unfair! Is it like this in other countries too? Like US, UK, Germany, etc.? I'd really like to know how this system works in other developed countries of the world.

It is very much the same in the US. Some states and cities have implemented a so called "ban the box" law, but most of the country has not. I've filled out many background check, employment applications, rental application etc that will ask "have you ever been arrested or charged with a crime", and regardless of circumstance will deny you if you say yes. If you are found innocent, or charges dropped because they messed up the evidence etc, doesn't matter.

In the US, as I understand it, you can go through a process (not free) to get your arrest record expunged and then you can legally answer no to that question. Still messed up but there is a path at least.

Well, not a developed country, but in Brazil the government can only disclose convictions (outside of the government, internally there are a few exceptions), only to the person or a security-related organization, and it's illegal to even ask for a record in a work related process unless it's about one of those security-related organizations (the Federal Police maintains a list of them). Also, the data stays there starting at the conviction and only up to the point the person is found innocent in another ruling or the penalty ends.

But the one things that keeps surprising me about the other countries isn't any of that discrimination against minor misbehaving. It is that justice promoters so often see their roles on society as harassing suspects until they break down. This seems to be the norm, and it's completely ridiculous.

> If the charges go nowhere, the record of the arrest and charge remains on the public record forever.

This isn't necessarily true. It's dumb that it's not automatic, but you can request in the destruction of non-conviction information.

And they can deny the destruction of that non-conviction information without having to explain why. https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/managing-criminal-record

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