“but they are not, as far as I can tell, available to just anyone through a website link.”
I never made that claim. I said there are websites that claim they will run criminal background checks for a fee.
You quoted my comment when you first replied: “People’s rap sheets are not readily available to the public.”
You replied: Yep, criminal records are top secret. That’s why you can click on this link and see everybody in the Mobile County Jail (Alabama) and their charges.
Then you provided a link to a county jail, which showed pictures of perps, and their charges. I assumed you believed that link showed their rap sheet/criminal record. It did not. It only showed their most recent arrest charge.