Sometimes employers and ordinary citizens wonder how to find out whether a person has been to prison. In some cases, it is necessary to obtain information about the criminal record of the population. This is a very common occurrence. After all, a criminal record and, especially, imprisonment impose certain restrictions on human activity and rights. For example, he will not be able to adopt a child or work in a government agency.
Therefore, in the article below we will consider all possible ways to obtain information about a criminal record and whether a person has been in prison. If you are smart, you can complete the tasks without much hassle. And only occasionally will intuition have to be supported by documentation.
Methods for obtaining data
How to find out if a person has been in prison? This can be done in different ways. And each person chooses how to receive the relevant data.
Today, you can pay attention to the following methods for solving this problem:
- contacting law enforcement agencies;
- analysis of a person's appearance;
- assessment of citizen behavior.
After all, a person can simply ask the “suspect” what is bothering him. True, this alignment is not always reliable. No one is immune from deception.
How to find out if a person has been in prison? Information on criminal records from the database of the information center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs
Sometimes employers and ordinary citizens wonder how to find out whether a person has been to prison. In some cases, it is necessary to obtain information about the criminal record of the population. This is a very common occurrence. After all, a criminal record and, especially, imprisonment impose certain restrictions on human activity and rights. For example, he will not be able to adopt a child or work in a government agency.
Therefore, in the article below we will consider all possible ways to obtain information about a criminal record and whether a person has been in prison. If you are smart, you can complete the tasks without much hassle. And only occasionally will intuition have to be supported by documentation.
We evaluate appearance
Imprisonment is a punishment for a serious crime. In real life, anyone can be put behind bars, even an innocent person (which happens extremely rarely). And if a citizen is not guilty, but served time, it will still have a negative impact on his future life.
Often people with a criminal record can be easily identified by their appearance. For example, such citizens have prison tattoos. Stars on uniform, half-naked women, one's own name in Russian - all this may indicate that the potential suspect has already been to prison.
Tattoos are most often done on the hands, fingers and chest. Tattoos are usually done carelessly; they are devoid of beauty. And they are quite easy to distinguish from work in a tattoo parlor.
A citizen can simply take a closer look at the “suspect.” The appearance of a person who has served time changes over time. Especially if we are talking about a criminal who has seriously violated the law.
Outwardly, a person may look like a bandit. A stoop, a hoarse voice, some external untidiness - all this can indicate that a person has a serious criminal record. People who have served time do not take care of themselves. Appearance is not the main factor in life for them.
From all of the above, it follows that it is best to look for prison tattoos on the suspect. They are not done in regular tattoo parlors. And such tattoos can often be distinguished with the naked eye.
Myths and misconceptions
First, let's look at a number of myths and misconceptions regarding former prisoners, for which it is IMPOSSIBLE to obtain reliable information.
Must have tattoos?
One of the most common misconceptions, especially relevant in the 80-90s. Nowadays, when tattoos have become a culture and a way of self-expression, every second person has a design on their body, therefore, this point naturally disappears.
Naturally, the domes on the chest framed by a swastika may lead to certain thoughts and will not add advantages to the moral character, however, it cannot be evidence of a criminal past.
Manner of speech
Simply put, talking about a hairdryer. It is quite possible that a person has had a similar social circle since childhood, or he simply likes prison culture, this also happens. Let's not forget that there was a certain fashion among teenagers for thieves' jargon a couple of decades ago. Manner of speech can serve as an indicator of cultural level and general development, but not of a criminal past, definitely.
Marginal appearance, untidiness
These signs do not say anything about a person regarding his prison past, but only indicate his attitude towards himself and his appearance. There can be many reasons, from alcoholism to lack of basic living conditions.
Passport photo
An interesting myth has been circulating on the Internet recently. A certain entrepreneur claimed that if you hold a person’s passport photograph up to light, you can see two black stripes. A person who has been in prison will have one such strip.
This is false information and is nothing more than a myth and fiction. All citizens of the Russian Federation have two black stripes on their photographs, which is a standard from a technical point of view.
Behavioral factors
How to find out if a person has been in prison? The next method is to conduct an analysis of citizen behavior.
Some claim that a person who has served time changes his speech. You can come across phrases like “baby”, “lawlessness”, “starring” and so on. Sometimes people not only begin to use prison slang, but also completely lose their speech literacy.
The behavior of those convicted may vary. Some behave extremely aggressively and assertively. This behavior can scare and alienate almost anyone.
Some believe that a previously convicted person will avoid eye-to-eye contact and behave warily and very carefully. Those sitting appear anxious and nervous. Such changes are clearly visible in the company of men.
Important! The methods proposed up to this point for determining criminal records cannot be called reliable. After all, appearances and behavior are deceiving. Therefore, you often have to look for reliable, documented information.
How to find out if a person has a criminal record using the Internet?
Information required for verification via social networks:
- FULL NAME;
- City of residence;
- Date of Birth;
- age (preferred).
The following information may help make your search easier:
- training information;
- place of previous work;
- hobbies;
- worldview/religion;
- phone number.
Wanted Now it’s clear how to find out if a person has a criminal record. But that is not all. Sometimes citizens who are currently on the wanted list come to employers to apply for a job.
Fortunately, if you have a person's personal information, you can find out if he is wanted. And the Internet will help here. You need to go to the page fssprus.ru/iss/suspect_info.
This is the already familiar website of the bailiffs of the Russian Federation. Only in this case will there be a search for people who are wanted.
Contacting authorities
How to find out if a person has been in prison? The most logical and correct decision is to contact law enforcement agencies. Employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs can “break through” any person without any problems. The databases of the relevant authorities contain data on people who have been convicted and are under investigation.
As a rule, to get the desired result you need:
- Prepare a number of documents. It is advisable to have with you an identity document and the grounds on which the person will be checked. Information about a citizen’s criminal record is not simply provided to third parties.
- Contact any department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation. This can be done either remotely (by mail, including email) or in person.
- Wait for the corresponding data to be received. The service is provided as quickly as possible.
- You don't need to do anything else. If desired, a citizen can contact not the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, but the local police department. They can help there too. But only if there are grounds for disseminating data on the criminal record of the population.
Important! You can see wanted posters for criminals at local police stations. This is also how criminal records are sometimes checked. It is possible that a photograph of a potential suspect will be posted on the information board.
How to find out under what article a person was convicted
Directories also allow you to find out a citizen’s phone number. So the registration address is known. How to find out whether a person’s criminal record has been cleared, or whether it exists in principle? The most important information for searching is already known. What's next? Let's go to the local police officer It's worth first eliminating the rather outdated method. As soon as it is clear where the person is registered, you can go to the local police officer at the place of registration and ask him about the citizen’s criminal record. The method is good, reliable, and 100% allows you to clarify information about your criminal record. But such a solution cannot be called modern. Most often, people are interested in more convenient verification methods. For example, via the Internet. Indeed, at the moment, even registration and phone number can be “punched” through the World Wide Web. Is there a real chance? The Internet is a place full of incredible opportunities. But there is also a lot of deception here.
Repurchase of databases
There are several more options for the development of events. Information about citizens' criminal records is kept by law enforcement agencies. The data is collected in a special database. Using it, you can at any time obtain up-to-date information about when and for what a particular suspect was convicted.
Some people prefer to buy databases of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation. Then resellers look for the information they are interested in based on the suspect’s last name, first name and patronymic. It is advisable to know where the person is registered. This will make the process much easier. Information about the age of the potential offender will also be useful.
Such an offer can be considered illegal. Repurchase of databases is a violation of Russian legislation. Therefore, resorting to this method of solving the problem is not recommended.
Moreover, the proposed method for bringing an idea to life is not always reliable. Data on criminal records is updated daily. And therefore, the database reseller runs the risk of acquiring outdated information. In this case, the citizen will simply spend money, and quite a lot of it.
How do you find out if a person has a criminal record?
Contacting law enforcement agencies
Be prepared to provide documents proving your identity, as well as an official written basis for this request, since such information is not provided to third parties without reason, according to the Russian Federation Law “On Personal Data” of 2018 (N 152-FZ edition 2018). Such grounds may be employment, registration of guardianship or paternity, various types of activities related to the life and health of citizens, and so on.
Purchase of Ministry of Internal Affairs bases
An option at your own peril and risk for those who are unable or simply do not want to make an official request with the provision of a package of documents, but the information is nevertheless necessary.
This type of service is considered illegal; in addition, you can receive outdated or irrelevant information for you, and pay a lot of money. Therefore, it is advisable to carry out this method with the help of friends, otherwise you risk parting with money, and in return you will not receive the information you need and then you will have nowhere to complain, since this action is a violation of Part 5 of Art. 17 Federal Law “On the Police”, as well as the legislation of the Russian Federation on personal data.
Biography analysis
An informal method, suitable if the person being tested is a close person and a trusting relationship has been established with him. Pay attention to the presence or absence of a work record, see if the person has incomprehensible gaps in his biography that he cannot explain. Such failures do not happen in life just like that.
Try to carefully bring the person into a frank conversation. Ask in detail about what your interlocutor did during certain periods of his life, where he worked, etc. Watch the reaction carefully.
After the conversation, carefully check the information received for accuracy. In case of discrepancies, you have every reason to be wary.
Through the employer
- pedagogical and educational work;
- if the crime committed falls on the list specified in Article 331 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation;
- service in law enforcement agencies, in court and at customs;
- advocacy and auditing activities;
- transport, aviation or army service with an outstanding or unexpunged status of a convicted person;
- economic activity, if the crime was committed in this area.
You can try to contact the employer of the person you are interested in and find out for sure whether there is a criminal record. This method is suitable for people who are directly related to a person’s life, since the employer has the right to refuse to provide such information in the case where you are not a close relative.
Private detective agency
This option will not cost you cheap, but it is reliable. In almost every city there is a company providing this type of service. This is either a private detective or security agency. Such companies, for a certain amount, provide any information you are interested in about any person. Since this method is legal, you do not risk losing money and being left with nothing.
criminal investigation
Look out for the "wanted" boards. Perhaps you will come across a photograph or sketch of your friend. Of course, the method is not reliable and it is unlikely to see such a photograph, especially after a long time, however, it is an option.
Language of the body
An interesting point, if possible, observe a person for a long time. It has been proven that muscle memory has the ability to store established habits and reactions at the unconscious level throughout a person’s life. If speech can be controlled, appearance can be changed, and manners can be disguised, then such a trick will not work with bodily memory, and regardless of the person’s intellectual and cultural level.
In moments of thoughtfulness or when a person relaxes, his self-control decreases, and this is the best moment to observe. Habits such as hands clasped behind one's back or squatting even when the situation does not require it are revealed. This item, of course, cannot be a separate sign, but only with a combination of several signs. It is always necessary to look at the situation and the individual as a whole.
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We ask for a certificate
How to find out if a person has been in prison? By law, citizens are required to notify about this event under certain circumstances. For example, during employment.
If you want to know about a person’s criminal record, you can ask him to bring a certificate in the prescribed form. It indicates criminal records and dates of stay in places of imprisonment.
The information will be reliable. It loses its relevance when the citizen breaks the law again or gets rid of his criminal record altogether.
Important! The validity period of the corresponding certificate varies from 1 to 12 months. It all depends on the reason why the documentation is ordered.
Information about criminal records and how to remove information about criminal records from the Ministry of Internal Affairs database
How to find out if a person has a criminal record? The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation has databases with limited access containing information on criminal records. The provision of information is regulated by a special order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, according to which commercial firms and banks cannot make requests. If such organizations received information, it is not official. Certificates are issued by employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs at the reception. The authorized person who has received the information signs and presents his passport. Without breaking the law, you can find out about your criminal record by submitting an application to the Main Information and Analytical Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation. For example, municipal or state institutions have the right to do this when hiring citizens.
In other situations, a person’s criminal record can only be found out illegally. This is a survey or the presence of former police officers among enterprise security guards who have access to information.
Methods for ordering an extract
Now let's talk about how to order a certificate of no criminal record. This is the simplest and most reliable way to assure a person that the person has not been in prison.
You can submit a request in the prescribed form:
- through the MFC;
- through “Single Window” services;
- by direct contact with the departments of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The application is ideally submitted to those who want to check for a criminal record. Then the procedure will be much faster than “breaking through” the population.
If desired, a person can order a certificate of no criminal record through State Services. But to do this, you must first register on the portal and confirm your identity. Otherwise, you can forget about this method.
Checking a person's criminal record
It can be obtained in two ways:
- in the multifunctional center (MFC), GIAC of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, in the information centers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Central Internal Affairs Directorate, Department of Internal Affairs
- in electronic form - on the website of the State Services or on the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia;
To obtain a certificate, you need an application for a certificate of no criminal record, a photocopy of your passport (full name, date and place of birth, citizenship, registration), a passport or a document replacing it. How to check a person’s criminal record via the Internet The official database of criminal records on the Internet is available only to law enforcement agencies.
Self-ordering a certificate
Let us study in more detail the procedure for obtaining police clearance certificates. This is a fairly simple operation that anyone can come across. Regardless of whether you have a criminal record, the process will follow the same principles.
First of all, we will consider a personal appeal to the registration authorities. In such circumstances, the applicant will need:
- Fill out an application for a certificate of good conduct or its availability.
- Prepare a number of papers, without which obtaining documentation will be impossible. Usually this is a passport and registration certificates.
- Contact the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the police or the MFC with pre-prepared statements.
- Take a certificate at the agreed time, which will indicate the information we are interested in.
- As practice shows, the process does not cause any difficulties. Especially if the person has no criminal record.
Important! If you do not have a passport, you must attach any other identification document. Otherwise, the service will be denied.
Is it possible to find out under what article a person was serving his sentence?
Some detective agencies advertise similar data mining services. If the request is not used for investigation, requesters may be fined.
Expunged or expunged criminal record: legal significance Rules related to criminal records are set out in Article 86 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. It also sets out the conditions for repayment and expungement of a criminal record.
Part 6 of this article states that when a criminal record is expunged or removed, all legal consequences disappear. Expungement of a criminal record occurs upon expiration of the terms or in case of good behavior.
According to Part 5 of Article 86 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, the convicted person writes a petition to the court for this purpose. Issues with the concept of a criminal record are not fully regulated by law.