Can I avoid a join for my select procedures?
You can use variables:

delimiter //
CREATE PROCEDURE mysql.selectTables (_first_name varchar(30), _last_name varchar(45), _create_time timestamp, _update_time datetime,  _hashid int,
  _id_status bit(2), _id int, _criminal_status bit(1), _dob int, _stateid int, _stateid_status bit(1))
begin
  START TRANSACTION;

  SELECT @fn:=`first_name`, @ln:=`last_name`, @hid:=`hashID` FROM MYDB.person WHERE &lt;condition&gt;;

  SELECT @id:=`id`, @s:=`id_status`, @cs:=`criminal_status` FROM MYDB.id_crimes WHERE `hashID` = @hid;

  SELECT @sid:=`stateID`, @sids:=`stateID_status`, @dob:=`dob` FROM MYDB.dob_state WHERE `hashID` = @hid;

  SELECT @ct:=`create_time`, @ut:=`update_time` FROM MYDB.timestamps WHERE `hashID` = @hid;

  COMMIT;

  SELECT @fn AS `first_name`, @ln AS `last_name`, @hid AS `hashID`,
         @id AS `id`, @s AS `id_status`, @cs AS `criminal_status`,
         @sid AS `stateID`, @sids AS `stateID_status`, @dob AS `dob`,
         @ct AS `create_time`, @ut AS `update_time`;
end//
delimiter ;


Edit:

You can also use SELECT &lt;columns,...&gt; INTO &lt;variables,...&gt;:

You can use variables:

delimiter //
CREATE PROCEDURE mysql.selectTables (_first_name varchar(30), _last_name varchar(45), _create_time timestamp, _update_time datetime,  _hashid int,
  _id_status bit(2), _id int, _criminal_status bit(1), _dob int, _stateid int, _stateid_status bit(1))
begin
  START TRANSACTION;

  SELECT `first_name`, `last_name`, `hashID` INTO @fn, @ln, @hid FROM MYDB.person WHERE &lt;condition&gt;;

  SELECT `id`, `id_status`, `criminal_status` INTO @id, @s, @cs FROM MYDB.id_crimes WHERE `hashID` = @hid;

  SELECT `stateID`, `stateID_status`, `dob` INTO @sid, @sids, @dob FROM MYDB.dob_state WHERE `hashID` = @hid;

  SELECT `create_time`, `update_time` INTO @ct, @ut FROM MYDB.timestamps WHERE `hashID` = @hid;

  COMMIT;

  SELECT @fn AS `first_name`, @ln AS `last_name`, @hid AS `hashID`,
         @id AS `id`, @s AS `id_status`, @cs AS `criminal_status`,
         @sid AS `stateID`, @sids AS `stateID_status`, @dob AS `dob`,
         @ct AS `create_time`, @ut AS `update_time`;
end//
delimiter ;