About our publications
- All our publications are available to download from this page, with the most recent at the top.
- All links go to documents that have been published by us, unless otherwise specified.
- For information and guidance on using our publications and materials, click here.
- The links will normally be to PDF documents. If you have problems opening them, download free PDF software from www.adobe.com/reader.
- If you have any problems accessing any of the documents on this page, please email admin@unlock.org.uk.
Where else might you find our publications?
- For people with criminal records
- We publish specific downloads/materials relating to our support for people with convictions (e.g. our helpline and information site) – these are linked to below, but are also available to download directly from our information site.
- We also regularly publish updates to our information site.
- For employers
- We publish resources and materials for employers on Recruit!, our website for employers.
- For others
- Below there are links to articles and papers that we have written, but that doesn’t include those that we are featured in – these can be found in our news & media section).
- Our consultation responses and submissions are listed in our policy section as well as below.
- Our annual reports are available to download from the bottom of this page.
Our publications
‘Angels or witches’: The impact of criminal records on women (March 2021)
‘Do I need to disclose my convictions?’ Unlock and Nottinghamshire Youth Justice Services resource for young people and professionals (December 2020)
‘The cycle repeats itself’ – Unlock’s response to the Ministry of Justice sentencing white paper (December 2020)
Settled status: what you need to know if you are an EU citizen and have a criminal record (Online information) and a one-page summary (PDF) (October 2020)
Criminal Injuries Compensation Review 2020 – Unlock submission (October 2020)
Criminal records: a comparison between England and Israel (Dana Segev, September 2020)
Thinking differently: Employers’ views on hiring people convicted of sexual offences (with Prison Reform Trust, September 2020)
College of Policing consultation – Code of Practice for the Law Enforcement Data Service (LEDS) (September 2020)
Checked out? Ineligible criminal record checks and how to prevent them (July 2020)
Briefing: Reforming the criminal records disclosure regime (July 2020)
The rationale behind the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Dr Andrew Henley, July 2020)
Impact on Covid-19 on people with criminal records: Briefing to the Justice Select Committee (June 2020)
Financial incentives to encourage the employment of people with convictions (June 2020)
Our support in numbers 2019/20 (June 2020)
Unlock response – ICO survey – Processing of personal data relating to criminal convictions (February 2020)
A fresh start for criminal records – Priorities for government in 2020 (December 2019)
Transforming Lives through Law – Ten examples from civil society organisations (Baring Foundation, November 2019)
Developing a fair approach to applicants with criminal records – A toolkit for higher education providers (October 2019)
Our support in numbers 2018/19 (September 2019)
Policy briefing – EU nationals, settled status and criminal records (September 2019)
Double discrimination? The impact of criminal records on people from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds (July 2019) – Full report and Executive summary
Response – Department for Transport consultation – Taxi and private hire vehicle licensing: protecting users (April 2019)
Briefing – Reform of the criminal records disclosure regime (March 2019) – replaced with an updated version in 2020 (see above)
Joint letter to David Gauke and Sajid Javid (with Just for Kids Law and Liberty, March 2019)
Ten things about criminal records – A guide for employability professionals supporting people into work (Updated, February 2019)
Opening a bank account before release from prison – Briefing (December 2018)
A question of fairness – Research into employers asking about criminal records at application stage (October 2018)
Summary – A question of fairness – Research into employers asking about criminal records at application stage (October 2018)
Asking the question – Guidance for employers on the GDPR, data protection and the processing of criminal records data in recruitment (October 2018)
Response to MoJ consultation – Strengthening probation, building confidence (September 2018)
Understanding applicants with criminal records – Briefing for universities and colleges (September 2018)
Written submission to the government’s call for evidence on supporting people with convictions into employment (August 2018)
University admissions and criminal records: Lessons learned and next steps (June 2018)
Filtering of criminal records from DBS checks – Unlock briefing (May 2018)
Unlock submission – Call for views – Management of Offenders (Scotland) Bill (April 2018)
Written submission to the Public Accounts Committee’s inquiry into modernising the Disclosure and Barring Service (March 2018)
Leading charities with conviction – Guidance for charities on changes to the rules on recruiting trustees & senior managers with criminal records (with Clinks, February 2018)
Written submission to the Government consultation on behalf of the Office for Students (December 2017)
Written submission to the DCLG consultation on the homelessness code of guidance for local authorities (December 2017)
Written submission to the DCLG consultation on disqualification criteria for Councillors and Mayors (December 2017)
Written submission to the HMI probation consultation on standards and ratings for inspecting probation services (November 2017)
Written submission to the Scottish Government consultation on criminal records and the Remedial Order 2018 (November 2017)
Briefing – Stopping ineligible DBS checks: The DBS processes for investigating and stopping ineligible checks (November 2017)
Written submission to the Ministry of Justice – Developing an employment strategy (October 2017)
Insurance providers & criminal records – Research into the questions asked (September 2017)
theHelpline in numbers (June 2017)
Written submission to call for views on the General Data Protection Regulation derogations (May 2017)
Follow up written evidence to the Justice Committee inquiry into the disclosure of youth criminal records (April 2017)
Ten things about criminal records – A guide for employability professionals supporting people into work (January 2017) – replaced with an updated version in 2019 (see above)
Submission – Written response to the Justice Committee inquiry into the disclosure of youth criminal records (November 2016)
Briefing – Charities (Protection and Social Investment) Act 2016 – Disqualification of senior managers and trustees with convictions (with Clinks, November 2016)
Support for ex-offenders inquiry – Results and analysis of our survey (September 2016)
Submission – Written evidence to House of Lords Select Committee on Financial Exclusion (September 2016)
Submission – Response to Charity Commission consultation on power to disqualify from acting as a trustee (August 2016)
Submission – Response to Government consultation on childcare disqualification (July 2016)
Submission to the Lammy Review (June 2016)
Review of Youth Justice – Unlock submission (May 2016)
Working with other organisations – Our approach (May 2016)
Support for ex-offenders inquiry – Unlock response (April 2016)
Support for practitioners – A4 leaflet (April 2016)
Supporting service providers – A4 leaflet (April 2016)
Unlocking the helpline – An independent analysis and evaluation of conversations on the Unlock helpline (March 2016)
About Unlock (Leaflet, March 2016) – available from the ‘downloads’ section of our information site
Worried about your criminal record? (Poster/flyer, March 2016) – available from the ‘downloads’ section of our information site
Helpline contact card (Business card, March 2016) – available from the ‘downloads’ section of our information site
Criminal Convictions & Insurance – Briefing for Insurers (January 2016)
Strategic Plan 2016-2020 (December 2015)
Ex-offenders, charity trustees & managers – Written Submission to Public Bill Committee Scrutiny Unit (Unlock, Clinks & PRT, December 2015)
Expectations for Police Custody – Consultation on revised draft – Unlock response (December 2015)
Ex-offenders, charity trustees & managers: Briefing – Charities (Protection and Social Investment) Bill 2015-16 (November 2015)
Review of Education in prisons – Unlock Response (November 2015)
The Police Act 1997 and the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007 Remedial Order 2015 Consultation – Unlock response (November 2015)
Department of Justice Northern Ireland – Criminal Records Filtering Review – Unlock response (September 2015)
Scottish Government Consultation response – Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (August 2015)
Fair access to employment – Project overview (June 2015)
Rehabilitation & Desistance vs Disclosure [Full report] (April 2015)
Rehabilitation & Desistance vs Disclosure [Summary of recommendations] (April 2015)
Enforced subject access requests – Guidance for people with convictions (March 2015) – available from the ‘downloads’ section of our information site
Enforced subject access requests – Guidance for employers (March 2015)
Written evidence to the Joint Committee on the Draft Protection of Charities Bill – People with convictions as trustees (December 2014)
Disclosing to employers – Information series (December 2014) – available from the ‘downloads’ section of our information site
Written submission to the Financial Inclusion Commission (November 2014)
Number of people with unspent convictions (August 2014)
Unlocking Banking – Impact Report – Summary (2014)
Unlocking Banking – Impact Report (2014)
ROA ‘Easy Read’ guide (April 2014) – available from the ‘downloads’ section of our information site
ROA Poster (March 2014) – available from the ‘downloads’ section of our information site
ROA Brief guide (March 2014) – available from the ‘downloads’ section of our information site
ROA Leaflet (March 2014) – available from the ‘downloads’ section of our information site
Insurers’ Approach to People with Convictions and Related Offences – An ABI Good Practice Guide (with the ABI) (March 2014)
Submission to the Charity Commission- People with convictions as trustees (February 2014)
Support for people with conviction (January 2014) – available from the ‘downloads’ section of our information site
Consultation response – Rehabilitation of Offenders Act reforms by Scottish Government (November 2013)
Unlocking Criminal Records – A guide for people with criminal records (with DBS) (September 2013)
Letter to Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee (April 2013)
Changes to insurance disclosure (April 2013)
Filtering old and minor convictions – Effect of the case of T (February 2013)
Unlocking Credit Unions (with LJMU) (January 2013)
Briefing on the Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Bill (February 2012)
Written Evidence to the Special Bill Committee – Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Bill (November 2011)
Evidence to the Public Bill Committee on the Protection of Freedoms Bill (May 2011)
Time is Money: The Role of the Financial Services Industry in Reducing Re-Offending (in CII, with Kimmett Edgar) (April 2011)
Submission to the Breaking the Cycle Consultation (March 2011)
Barred from voting briefing (with PRT and others) (February 2011)
UNLOCKing Banking Guidance – Guidance for prisons on running effective, efficient and secure access to banking services (December 2010)
Submission to the Criminal Records Review – Phase 1 (December 2010)
Recommendations to the Vetting & Barring Scheme Review (November 2010)
Our Proposed Filtering Approach (October 2010)
Time is Money – Financial responsibility after prison (with the Prison Reform Trust) (October 2010)
UNLOCKing Banking – Project Summary Paper (October 2010)
UNLOCKing Banking in the East of England – Project Summary Paper (October 2010)
Review of offender learning: Individual members response (August 2010)
Vetting & Barring Scheme – Issues raised by reformed offenders (March 2010)
Unlock Member Briefing – A Balanced Approach – Independent Review by Sunita Mason (March 2010)
Response to a Parole Leaflet for Prisoners (March 2010)
Recommendations to the Independent Review of Policy on Retaining and Disclosing Records held on the Police National Computer (February 2010)
Member Submissions to the Independent Review of Policy on Retaining and Disclosing Records held on the Police National Computer (February 2010)
Briefing Paper on the Criminal Records Bureau (February 2010)
Briefing Paper for the Second Reading of the Rehabilitation of Offenders (Amendment) Bill 2009 (November 2009)
Making Bank Accounts Accessible to Offenders – Post Project Review Report (with NOMS, June 2007)
Accounts and Trustees’ Annual Reports
