Posts by Christopher Stacey
As a small charity rooted in the experiences of people with a criminal record, it’s really important that our work is shaped by the needs of the people that we exist to help. We are developing our plans for Unlock’s work in the next few years. We want to make sure that they reflect what […]
Together with the charity Transform Justice, Unlock has launched the #FairCheck movement to help push for a fresh start for the criminal records system. Our outdated criminal records regime is holding hundreds of thousands of people back from participating fully in society. Even a minor criminal history can produce lifelong barriers to employment, volunteering, housing […]
A criminal record can be a real obstacle in getting on in life. But what we don’t know is what additional barriers women face that men don’t. Last year, we published a report (A life sentence for young people) that looked at the specific problems people face from criminal records they acquired in their youth. […]
A criminal record can be a real obstacle in getting on in life. But what we don’t know is if people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups face additional barriers that white people don’t. Unlock is an independent charity for people with criminal records. We’re collecting evidence that will help us to better […]
We need your help to challenge the government in the Supreme Court Today we’ve launched a CrowdJustice appeal to help us raise money to pay for our legal costs in intervening in the Supreme Court next month. In June, the Supreme Court will hear the appeal of the Government which is arguing that their current approach to […]
From 1st August 2018, changes to the ‘automatic disqualification’ rules mean that there will be more restrictions on those who may run a charity. The guidance that we’ve published today, Leading charities with conviction, coincides with the opening of the Charity Commission’s new ‘waiver’ system. From 1st February 2018, people affected by these changes may […]
From today, the 17th January 2018, basic criminal record checks can now be obtained directly from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) This is a significant development for both people with criminal records and employers in England & Wales. Basic checks are a type of criminal record check that can be used by employers and […]
The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) is introducing basic criminal record checks for people in England & Wales. This replaces the service previously provided by Disclosure Scotland. This is a significant development for both people with criminal records and employers in England & Wales, so we’ve developed a new landing page dedicated to basic DBS […]
A criminal record at whatever age can be a real obstacle in getting on in life. But are there specific barriers that people face because of a criminal record that they got as a young adult? In the last couple of years, we’ve worked closely with the Standing Committee for Youth Justice to look at […]
We’re pleased to see that the Prisons Minister, Sam Gyimah, is developing an employment strategy and exploring ways to increase the number of employers giving opportunities to people with convictions. This is your opportunity to shape the development of government policy! Complete our survey. As part of the development of their strategy, the Ministry of […]
We're developing our plans for Unlock's work in the next few years and want to make sure that they reflect what people with criminal records want and need from us.
Let us know your views by completing our short survey.