What we do

Unlock is an independent award-winning national charity that provides a voice and support for people with convictions who are facing stigma and obstacles because of their criminal record, often long after they have served their sentence.

Firstly, we help people. We provide information, advice and support to people with convictions, including running an information site and confidential peer-run helpline. We help practitioners support people with convictions by providing criminal record disclosure training. And we support employers and universities in treating people with criminal records fairly.

Secondly, we advocate for change, working at policy level to address systemic and structural issues. We listen to and consult with people with criminal records, undertake research and produce evidence-based reports to inform policy makers and the public. We challenge bad practice, influence attitudes and speak truth to power. We co-founded and support the Ban the Box campaign and we are pushing to wipe DBS checks clean of old/minor criminal records.

Please help us

There are over 11 million people in the UK with a criminal record.

Unlock helps people overcome past difficulties and move forward with hope to make a positive contribution to society.

There are a number of ways to support us. HELP US NOW! Thank you.

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How we help

We run a number of websites, as well as a helpline, as part of our work...