Accessing Texas Criminal Records

Texas criminal records are kept in a comprehensive database that provides detailed statistics of criminal indices in the state, apart from information regarding criminal offenders, sexual offenders, juvenile cases and more. Other information available includes:

* The case number
* Case description
* Offender location
* The court of conviction under which the offender was penalized
* Current status of the case
* Criminal history search

Crime Statistics in Texas

Criminal statistics form an integral part of any Texas criminal record. In 2008, an estimated 1,093,428 index offences were reported according to the Texas public safety department http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/crimereports/08/UCR-27.pdf#page=8. Evidently, there has been a 1.2 per cent decrease in the crime volume as compared to 2007. On the contrary, the volume of arson offenses in 2008 showcased a 6 percent increase as compared to the previous year. Approximately 969,807 property crimes were reported in the year 2008, which is 1.5 percent less than 2007. Violent crime, which is considered to be the most serious of the lot, registered an increase of 1.2 percent from 2007.

Significance of TX Criminal Records

While these records provide a thorough background check of a person, these also help in keeping tabs on the crime scenario in the state. It is also the best resource for law and order agencies like the Federal Bureau of Investigation for later investigations. 

How to Access Texas Criminal Records

Criminal records in Texas are available online. Requests can also be made via telephone or email. All you need to have is the offender’s TDCJ (Texas Department of Criminal Justice) Security Identifier (SID). If you do have any of these numbers, you should have the exact date of birth of the subject/offender for reference. You can also check on the parole status of offenders at the following numbers:

* Austin-512-406-5202
* Huntsville-936-291-2106

Alternatively, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles can also be contacted at (512) 406-5852 for assistance in parole-related issues. You can also apply for a pardon at www.tdcj.state.tx.us/bpp/.

For general information or help in locating the offender, you can call the Huntsville branch at 936-295-6371 or 800-535-0283.

You can also send an email to classify@tdcj.state.tx.us, but make sure that you have the subject’s full name, his/her TDCJ number, or the date of birth for reference. A toll-free service, this can be easily used by the general public.

Do not be surprised if you are denied any information on a particular case. According to Chapter 55 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, criminals have the option of expunging their information pertaining to their criminal history or court records.

Nevertheless, the subject in question has to fulfill the eligibility criteria for expunging records. Individuals seeking this are advised to file an application of expungement with the district attorney in the county. Then, they need to get a copy of their criminal history from the Texas Criminal Records Department and seek the guidance of an attorney to determine eligibility.  If eligible, the individual can refer to the Nondisclosure Order of the Texas Government Code Section of 411.081, and choose to prohibit criminal law and order agencies from disclosing identifying information that includes their name, address, driver's license number, Social Security number, and the date of birth. Following this, the information is removed from the criminal record database.

Although the same procedure holds true for the sealing of juvenile records, under the Family Code Section 58.003, options of automatic restriction of access to juvenile records are also available. The latter comes under the Family Code Section 58.203. Records meeting the juvenile record access restriction criterion are certified by the Department of Automatic Restriction of Access, which has the liberty not to disclose the existence of the record. Following which, any inquiry from the following departments would not be entertained:

* Criminal or juvenile justice agency
* Governmental or private agencies that can have access to information pertaining to criminal records under Chapter 411 or any other entity
* Law enforcement agency

However, nondisclosure of details depends on the discretion of the Department , and it may permit a criminal justice agency to access them for the purposes of an investigation. The Texas Juvenile Probation Commission, the Criminal Justice Policy Council, and the Texas Youth Commission can also have access to these juvenile Texas criminal records. For more information on Texas criminal public records, you can log on to http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/administration/crime_records/pages/juvenilecriminalhistoryrecords.htm.

Texas Crime Facts

A study conducted by the Uniform Crime Report (UCR) and issued by the Texas Department of Safety in 2008 provides an overview of crime in Texas in a nutshell. This does not provide records of the offenses and their types alone, but also divulges the means by which the offenses have been executed, the loss of life and property, and the age of the offenders. Some of the important Texas crime facts are:

* Approximately 1,191,155 arrests have been made by Texas law enforcement agencies. 15 percent of these offenders were reported to be under the age of 16.
* The value of stolen property amounts to $2,027,030,439.
* Larceny-theft comprises 60 percent of all index crimes. These however had an aquittal rate of 17 percent.
* 67 percent of murder offenses involved the usage of firearms.
* 69 percent of all burglary reports are related to residential offenses

Whether it is for a case study or other investigative purposes, online Texas criminal records available on government sites prove to be the best and the most reliable sources for information.

More Texas Criminal Records Information:

Texas County Criminal Records