Arizona Fingerprint Board Personal Statement
When the Arizona Board of Fingerprinting requires a Fingerprint Board Personal Statement you must describe, in detail, each of your arrests or charges (along with the court documents) listed in your application package. The Board has a handout which contains examples of positive and negative personal statements for your good cause exception or central registry exception. Once complete, the statement will be reviewed in the initial expedited review of your application. An effective personal statement can help you avoid a good cause exception hearing.
Fingerprint Board Personal Statement Contents
The personal statement should contain the following:
- An explanation of every criminal charge (whether it resulted in a conviction or not).
- Include all criminal charges in Arizona and in every other state.
- Any charges from any point in your life (time does not matter) should be included.
- Explain what was going on in your life at the time of the charge such as:
- Were you having substance abuse issues?
- Psychological problems?
- Did a bad relationship lead to poor decision making?
- Financial troubles?
- Family drama, etc.
- Steps you’ve taken to rehabilitate or modify your behavior since the charge:
- Rehabilitation or treatment for substance abuse
- No longer in a bad relationship
- Psychological treatment (on new medication)
- Continuing Education
- Exercise, diet changes, etc.
Personal Statement Tips
- Follow the instructions carefully
- Allow yourself enough time to write, revise, and proofread your personal statement
- Describe your strengths.
- Read your personal statement out loud to make sure it flows and makes sense.
- Ask someone to proofread your work to make sure your grammar and spelling are correct.
- Type your personal statement or ask someone to type it for you
If you’re interested in setting up a consultation with Chelle Law or learning more about how we can assist in drafting your Arizona Fingerprint Board Personal Statement reach out to us today.