The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation conducted fingerprint checks for people applying to work with troubled Oklahoma youth and adults, and 117 times the results were unreliable. This means that when OSBI cross-checked the fingerprints with criminal databases, no histories of crime were detected when in reality 117 people had committed crimes that flew under the radar.

These incidents raised the question of the efficacy of fingerprinting as a background check, and there were other complaints about the prints done by OSBI; some people said that they had to go to fingerprint locations several times because the background checks are done under different laws or because the fingerprints were not clear enough. The technology used to submit identification for nurses to OSBI uses ink fingerprinting, which has a very high rejection rate, requiring nurses to re-submit several times. Gun owners have also complained that their fingerprints are often rejected, to which the OSBI has responded saying that often the age of the person determines the quality of the print.

The OSBI has been using an outdated system that they are working on improving, their goals to reduce the rejection rate, cut down on backlogged processing of fingerprints, and to continue submitting high-quality fingerprints to the FBI. While this may be a lengthy process due to the necessary federal involvement, it is a critical step in enhancing the efficiency and safety of the lives of Oklahoma residents and professionals.