So you thought a name based criminal background check was enough to get the information you needed?  Think again!

The concerns with a "name based" criminal background check:

• Name checks are performed with personal identifiers submitted by an individual (social security number, name, height, weight, etc.), meaning that results “are not” based on positive identification
  
• A “no record” response DOES NOT insure that conviction information does not exist; nor does a “record” response.  Common names, alias names, or maiden names can result in multiple hits, false hits, and “no hit” responses
  
• It is common for criminal offenders to use false or alias names, and dates of birth, which may not be detected by a “name based” request
  
• The Illinois State Police will not underwrite the accuracy of a “name based check,” and state that fingerprints are the only positive means of identification.  In fact, they note on their response:
• “To insure that the information furnished by the Illinois State Police positively pertains to the individual in question, a fingerprint inquiry should be submitted.”
  
• Name based checks for non criminal justice inquiries are not even accepted by the FBI, and cannot be posted to the Criminal History Record Information database (CHRI)

The reasons why "fingerprint based" criminal history background checks are so accurate:

• Fingerprints are based on the fingerprint minutia data contained in the submission; responses to a fingerprint based inquiry are based on POSITIVE IDENTIFICATION matched by computers (no multiple hits)
  
• Fingerprints provide for a Biometric Search of the Criminal History Database
  
• Fingerprints can be posted to the Illinois CHRI database, and can be processed through the FBI CHRI database
  
• Fingerprints are the gold standard of identification – no two individuals have the same identical fingerprints (even identical twins do not have the same fingerprints)
  
• Fingerprints confirm people are who they say they are!