{
  "id": "2005-january-february-felon-hunters",
  "slug": "2005-january-february-felon-hunters",
  "url": "https://dwillis.github.io/uplink/article/2005-january-february-felon-hunters.html",
  "year": 2005,
  "month": "January • February",
  "monthNum": 1,
  "headline": "Felon hunters",
  "kicker": "Bits & Bytes",
  "author_name": "",
  "author_title": "",
  "affiliation": "",
  "summary": "A database matching investigation revealed that nearly 1,000 felons in Missouri held hunting licenses despite federal laws against felon firearm ownership.",
  "keywords": [
    "felons",
    "hunting licenses",
    "database matching"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Crime & Justice",
    "Investigative Methods",
    "Data & Databases"
  ],
  "technologies": [],
  "full_text": "Matching government databases can produce high-impact reporting. Investigative reporter Steve Chamraz of KCTV-Kansas City recently reported on Missouri felons with hunting licenses who were discovered with database matching, and state lawmakers took note. KCTV asked the IRE and NICAR Database Library to compare state hunting licenses and felon data tables. Database Library analysts obtained the data from the state corrections and conservation departments, cleaned the data and formatted the tables to make database matching possible. Then the analysts matched the two tables. The results: nearly 1,000 felons –13 of them convicted killers – in Missouri had hunting licenses. It is against federal law for felons to own or even hold a gun. However, it is not against Missouri state law to sell firearm-hunting permits to convicted felons. As a result of the report, some state legislators are considering changing the state law.",
  "provenance": {
    "extracted_by": "pre-v2",
    "extracted_at": "",
    "verified": true
  },
  "similar": [
    {
      "slug": "2000-april-hunting-felons",
      "score": 0.424
    },
    {
      "slug": "2000-april-young-hunters",
      "score": 0.266
    },
    {
      "slug": "2006-january-february-bits-and-bytes",
      "score": 0.259
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    {
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      "score": 0.213
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    {
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    }
  ],
  "html_url": "https://dwillis.github.io/uplink/article/2005-january-february-felon-hunters.html",
  "json_url": "https://dwillis.github.io/uplink/article/2005-january-february-felon-hunters.json"
}