A momentous day for tens of thousands of people with old and minor criminal records
Saturday, 28 November 2020
Today is a momentous day for tens of thousands of people with old and minor criminal records. The stigma and embarrassment of a criminal record means many people simply don’t apply for jobs or voluntary roles that would require them to disclose their old and minor convictions or cautions. It’s a toxic form of punishment
- Published in Latest, News @ Unlock, News & Media, Policy successes, Unlock's blog, Way DBS work, What DBS disclose
A smarter approach to criminal records?
Friday, 02 October 2020
On the 16th September the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) published it’s much anticipated white paper “A Smarter Approach To Sentencing”. It is a mixed bag, offering ‘tough on crime’ sentencing measures along with some more positive reforms to criminal record disclosure periods. The MoJ says that they want to improve employment prospects for people with convictions, and so reduce reoffending, which sounds great.
- Published in Latest, News & Media, Unlock's blog, Way ROA works
Scottish Government Reforms criminal record disclosure
Monday, 21 September 2020
The Scottish Government has passed a significant reform to their criminal records regime. The Scottish system is separate from the one that applies in England and Wales, and had fallen behind the rest of the UK after Westminster made significant updates in 2014. The reforms that Holyrood have now passed make for interesting reading. The Scottish reforms, which come
- Published in Latest, Unlock's blog, Way ROA works
‘Anchoring, everlasting, uncertainty, resilience’: Researching the impact of criminal records acquired in youth
Thursday, 17 September 2020
Nicola Collett, a PhD student at Keele University, is currently researching the potential influence of a criminal record acquired between the ages of 10-25, later on in adulthood. Here she blogs about some of her findings so far. Almost three years into my PhD I am spending much of my time surrounded by scribbles, highlights
- Published in Latest, Unlock's blog
Blog – Looking to the future: incentivising employment of people with convictions
Monday, 01 June 2020
It’s fair to say 2020 has been a year of major change – and we’re only halfway through. Whether you’ve been adapting to home working, learning a new skill, or embracing your natural hair, we’re all dealing with change. That can be challenging but there’s a sense that this moment is a portal to the
- Published in Employment, Esmee, News & Media, Unlock publications, Unlock's blog
Blog – Join the #FairChecks movement to help get a fresh start for the criminal records system
Thursday, 16 January 2020
In the 1960s, when Richard was 16, he was found in possession of a small amount of cannabis. He was prosecuted for possession and given a one-year conditional discharge. As a student a few years later, Richard got into trouble again and was convicted of taking an item of food from a warehouse where he
Blog – How can people with criminal records access higher education?
Tuesday, 22 October 2019
Evidence shows that some groups are disproportionately criminalised: care leavers, people from low income households and some ethnic groups. Despite education being widely recognised as a key factor in successful rehabilitation, admissions policies to date have presented psychological and practical challenges to access. When UCAS removed the criminal convictions tick box for applicants to non-regulated
- Published in Education, Latest, News & Media, Unlock's blog, Unlocking students with conviction
Blog – Westminster Hall debate on the disclosure of youth criminal records
Thursday, 04 April 2019
The 28th March saw a Westminster Hall debate on the disclosure of youth criminal records (read here or watch here). This followed the publication of the Justice Select Committee’s report on the subject, back in 2017. The report itself was a result of the Committee’s inquiry into disclosure of youth criminal records, launched in 2016,
Blog – Council sacks a woman with a criminal record that is nearly two decades old because they say she is a substantial risk to their reputation – what are the implications?
Friday, 21 December 2018
The latest blog by Christopher Stacey looks at the news this week that a council has sacked a woman with a criminal record that is nearly two decades old because she they say she is a substantial risk to their reputation. Read it here.
- Published in Employment discrimination, Esmee, Latest, News & Media, Unlock's blog, What DBS disclose