# registering felons

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/registering-felons/349761>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 24, 2006, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/registering-felons/349761 "2006-03-24T18:57:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![sweeteviljesus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@sweeteviljesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweeteviljesus)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/registering-felons/349761/1 "2006-03-24T18:57:33Z")

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Would it be legal for the government to keep a list of people convicted of a felony and release the name of anyone on it to anyone who asked with or without the felon’s knowledge? What about anyone declared mentally incompetent?

Thanks for your help,  
Rob

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**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/registering-felons/349761/2 "2006-03-24T19:08:01Z")

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Already exists for sex offenders: Here’s a link to the list of registries for all 50 states: [http://www.prevent-abuse-now.com/register.htm](http://www.prevent-abuse-now.com/register.htm)

IANAL, but given that a sex offender registry passed constitutional tests, I’d hazard a guess that a registry of all felons would as well. No idea on the mentally incompetent.

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**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/registering-felons/349761/3 "2006-03-24T21:39:06Z")

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Aren’t crime records public information usually?

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**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\
**Post date:** [March 24, 2006, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/registering-felons/349761/4 "2006-03-24T22:03:13Z")

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> [@Guinastasia](#):
>
> Aren’t crime records public information usually?

Yes, all felony records are public. Just go down to your couthouse and ask how to look them up. So, the question is moot, since the list already exists and is public.