I've recently had a few experiences that may (or may not) be helpful.

Late last year, I tried to find an ex-student of mine from nearly 25 years ago. I Googled the name (it was an unusual one), and immediately found a website that showed the person had been recently arrested on a drunk and disorderly charge, mugshots and all. The page also had links so you could see the arrest history - I discovered this person had a record going back many years. The problem with the site was that it only covered one state (Florida), and I don't even think it covered the whole state. But, what it showed me was certainly enough.

Another recent event: A couple of months ago, my wife received a handwritten letter from a man who claimed to be incarcerated in Texas. He was, allegedly, looking for a pen-pal (no pun intended). This was quite odd because (a) my wife never had any contact with anyone doing time, and (b) she's been dead for over five years. I Googled this guy's name (along with the name of the prison), and found that, yes indeed, he's doing time and has quite a rap sheet. Found some mugshots, too, thanks to a Google Image Search. (The whole pen-pal thing was a scam, and I destroyed the letter.)

Last year, a friend of mine did some checking (through Google) on his sister-in-law's crackhead boyfriend. He found the guy had quite a record, but I couldn't find anything on him. He has a fairly common name, so I'm not sure which site actually had the info my friend found. I should have asked him specifically which website he went to (at the time, he wanted me to see the guy's arrest history as well).

So, my whole point is that it may be possible to find out some info on a person's criminal background without resorting to using a pay service. I would try these options first, before I plunk down any money.

Signor V.