An article by The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette points out some of the problems with background checks when conducted through government agencies. I believe most of this backlog can be cleared up by using private contractors. Not only can they get the checks done faster but when done to industry standard they are usually in most of the cases more accurate.
Fingerprint checks when done by themselves tend to only check that states database and NCIC. NCIC will only report crimes that were reported to it by each jurisdiction. You may be surprised to know that many many jurisdictions do not or can not report their information. Using a social security trace and then conducting checks on the jurisdictions that were found on the trace can reveal much more information.

City to privatize background checks
City officials say the Missouri State Highway Patrol often takes too long to process criminal background checks on applicants for Columbia business licenses and will ask a private company to conduct the investigations.
Janice Finley, who oversees business licensing for the city’s finance department, said some applicants have waited up to six weeks for a finalized background check state police say only takes 30 minutes to an hour to conduct.
“That’s not a very acceptable practice,” Finley said.

Checks find 1,000 felons in nursing homes
Newly required criminal background checks have identified nearly 1,000 convicted felons living in Illinois nursing homes, and state officials expect that number will go up once all the checks are finished.
The state previously had no idea how many ex-cons lived in Illinois’ long-term care facilities or whether these people posed a threat to other residents.

NewsNet5.com - News - Background Checks Will Be Required For Ice Cream Vendors
CLEVELAND — Cleveland City Council Thursday passed legislation that will require background checks for all licensed ice cream truck drivers.
The background checks will look for sexual and violent crimes that would prohibit a license from being issued to an individual. Read more…

Stricter Background Checks For School Employees Sought
A new proposal would require federal criminal-background checks for prospective public and private school employees in Pennsylvania.

Flight Schools Fight Background Checks
A bill that’s been lurking under the legislative radar in New York for almost four years has been revived by the state Senate and will hurt the flight training industry there, according to local schools and pilot organizations. In 2002, New York, like many other states, thought it prudent to step into federal jurisdiction by trying to institute background checks on student pilots. As protests grew and federal regulations came into play, most states simply dropped their initiatives. However, New York’s background-check law has remained on the legislative agenda and was revived last week by a vote in the Senate.

Quarter Of Juvenile Center’s Workers Have Criminal Records
INDIANAPOLIS — Recent background checks revealed that more than 25 percent of Marion County’s juvenile detention center employees have criminal records, the center’s interim superintendent said Friday.
The checks, initiated two weeks ago, showed that 24 of the center’s 90 workers have criminal histories. The finding comes less than two months after nine former employees were charged with having sex with female detainees at the center between 2000 and 2005.

Fletcher administration conducted illegal background checks
FRANKFORT, Ky. — In late 2003 and early 2004, while Ernie Fletcher was taking over the reins of state government, hundreds of people were applying for state jobs and appointments. State police ran criminal background checks on those folks, and many of those checks were illegal.
“My best estimate is 40, 60 somewhere in that range,” says State Police Commissioner Mark Miller. Those improper background checks were done before Miller was state police commissioner. He ordered an internal inquiry after WHAS11 News raised questions last summer. Read More