Massachusetts state guidelines dictate that records revealing municipal activities like court papers, police arrest records, marriage certificates, vehicular transgressions and more are open and accessible to the populace, largely due to the Indiana's Public Records Act. These records maintain specifics of trial, criminal arrest, separation and divorce, driving, and vital records, like the names of those concerned, information on offenses committed, the final sentences, and much more. This legislation, that was mainly based on the U.S. Freedom of Information Act, are in place to ensure U.S. Citizens and residents of Alton have the ability to comprehend their legal rights, and hold regulators and criminals culpable with regard to their actions, supporting a free and open society for everyone.