State of Kansas Abstract of Criminal History

  Reading a rap sheet

The "rap sheet" is also known as an "abstract of criminal history." It is a document that summarizes a subject's criminal history record information held in the Kansas Central Repository at the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI).

  Structure of the rap sheet

The Kansas rap sheet consists of four major sections, with subordinate cycles and segments contained within two of the sections. Here is the outline for the rap sheet structure:

Section One - Introduction.

This section summarizes how the record was identified and to whom it was released. Also included are statements pertaining to the use and safeguard of criminal history record information.

Section Two - Identification

The name and other demographic information of the subject of the rap sheet is displayed here.

Section Three - Criminal Justice Cycles

Within this section of the rap sheet, information concerning criminal arrests and court dispositions is organized by "cycle." A cycle contains all the information pertinent to the subject's arrest and disposition that is considered to be part of the same overall event.

Normally, a cycle consists of three "segments," an arrest segment, a prosecution segment and a court segment. However, there are many variations possible in cycle structure, such as two arrest segments or two court segments. Also, a cycle may contain other segments such as an appeal segment or a probation revocation segment.

Section Four - Confinement Cycles

Confinement in state prison or local jail facilities are recorded in this section.

  Sample rap sheet

You may view a sample rap sheet by clicking here.
 

  Section 1 - Introduction

1. Section 1 includes the name and identifiers that were used in the search for the record, the name of the person for whom the check was conducted, and general statements regarding the use and safeguarding of Kansas criminal history record information.

  Section 2 - Identification

1. The name(s) listed in the rap sheet will be:
    

   • the name matching the search criteria and
   • the "Names Used" and "Alias" names associated with the arrests and dispositions that are releasable to the requestor.

   The Rap Sheet will list the earliest (chronologically oldest) releasable Name Used in the first position of the "Names Used" entry. All other releasable names will be listed, in alphabetical order by last name, underneath the Master Name entry. Duplicates will be suppressed.

    

2. Multiple entries are permitted for the following fields:
    
   • Names Used
   • Dates of Birth
   • Race
   • Social Security Number
      
3. Race will display according to the following rules:
    
   • The first entry of race in the subject's record will be the "master" entry, followed on the subsequent lines by all other unique race entries in the order in which reported.
   • The master entry will not display any date. All subsequent entries will include the arrest/booking dates associated with each entry, displayed in parentheses after each entry. Thus, there may be two or more dates displayed after a race entry.
      
4. Ethnicity, if recorded in the database, will display in association with the race with which it was reported.
    
5. The Dates of Birth (DOBs) listed in the rap sheet will be:

   • the DOB matching the search criteria and
   • the DOB associated with the arrests and dispositions that are releasable to the requestor.
      

6. The rap sheet will list the earliest received releasable DOB in the first position of the DOB entry. All other releasable DOB will be listed underneath the first entry. Duplicates will be suppressed.
    
7. "Registered Offender" data is obtained from the Kansas Offender Registry Database.

  Section 3 - Criminal Justice Cycles

1. A "Criminal Justice Cycle" is a series of events ("segments") flowing from a specific criminal activity. The most common structure is an arrest, followed by a prosecution, followed by a court disposition. Criminal Justice Cycles may have multiple arrest segments or multiple court segments, and may have probation data and appeal information as well. Some cycles may not have a complete order of segments (e.g. a cycle may be initiated with a prosecution or a court). Cycles are organized in ascending chronological order of the date of arrest.
    
2. "Waived to Adult Status" indicates that the subject was originally processed for this criminal justice cycle as a juvenile offender, and the case was sent to adult court for disposition. The cycle is therefore characterized as an "adult" cycle.
    
3. "ORI" refers to the Organization Identifier, a number issued by the FBI to each criminal justice agency in the United States. On the rap sheet, the ORI will display, followed by the text title of the agency.
    
4. For every criminal justice cycle, the name under which the subject is processed is the "Name Used" for that cycle.
    
5. The "Firearm used in commission of offense" statement pertains to offense data collected after enactment of the 1993 Kansas Sentencing Guidelines. Offenses committed prior to 1993 generally do not include this information.
    
6. For detailed explanation on the sentence actions available to Kansas courts, visit the Kansas Sentencing Commission Web Site.
    
7. "Adult Programs" refers to the sentencing court's options for post-conviction requirements for the subject. The entry may be preceded by a two-digit code used internally in the Central Repository; you can ignore that code. The most common entries are as follows:
    

   • House arrest
   • House arrest and Community Corrections
   • Community Corrections
   • Alcohol or drug evaluation
   • Alcohol of drug education
   • Conservation Camp
   • Work release
   • Commitment to state hospital
   • Halfway house
   • Community services
      

8. The "KSA" entry is the Kansas statute citation under which the subject was convicted. Further details for Kansas statutes that define criminal activity are found in the Kansas Statute File.

  Section 4 - Custody and Confinement

1. For every confinement cycle, the name under which the subject is processed by the confinement facility is the "Name Used" for that cycle.
    
2. If no custody or confinement cycles are recorded in the subject's criminal history record, the phrase "No custody or confinement data is on file at the Central Repository" is displayed following the Section 4 title line.
    
3. Cycles are organized in ascending chronological order based on date received at facility.
    
4. "The following charges represent only the 10 most serious offenses for this custody" displays only when there are more than 10 charges associated with the custody cycle. This rule is intended to limit the size of a custody cycle.
    
5. A custody and confinement cycle ends when a discharge date is entered.
    
6. The sample rap sheet shows confinement in Kansas for a court conviction in another state.