Fingerprinting should not be your only source for information!
Although fingerprinting is required in many job positions within certain industries, it was not meant for pre-employment, and there are downfalls in this type of screening.
For one, fingerprinting is not always done during an arrest, and if it was conducted, reported to the FBI. Also, these databases most often do not contain complete and up to date records on an applicant’s criminal history. The report will tell you information on the type of arrest, but not the disposition, which means the courts final determination of the case which is what employers are looking for when performing pre-employment screenings.
Most importantly, fingerprint-based background checks DO NOT comply with FCRA and EEOC regulations and take longer than name-based background checks.