Hi everyone! I’m European. And lately, I have been wondering about “mugshots”. If I have understood correctly (but correct me if I’m wrong, that is why I am posting here: to learn!), whenever someone is arrested under the suspicion of some crime, mugshots are taken, and made publically available.
Is this true, or is this just an impression of mine? Can anyone just view the pics of people who have been arrested without being proven guilty?
Thanks in advance to anyone who cares to shed some light on this topic!
Much love to you all from Europe!
Memory <3
In: 331
It is shocking how much is publicly available in the US criminal justice system. Even liberal states have searchable databases of arrests, mugshots, etc.
Why this is shocking to me:
– this cancels the idea of a finite sentence, because long after a sentence is fulfilled, the conviction will still show up in a Google search (and not just for things like sex offender registry, which I’m all for)
– worse: an arrest is not a conviction. A lot of people have their name tarnished online for a crime they didn’t commit, but this is never scrubbed. And obv with racist policing, this happens with a much higher probability to minorities.
I’m a European and worked for a sec on criminal justice reform.
Latest Answers