Details of our latest advice for people with criminal records
This month, we’ve written another article for Inside Times ‘Through the Gate’ section which focuses on applying to university. A copy of the article can be found below. I’m thinking of applying to university when I leave prison. Will my criminal record cause me a problem? For many people, prison can be an ideal opportunity to improve […]
People with criminal records play an important role in many charities, especially those working in the criminal justice sector. However, if you’ve been convicted of an offence involving dishonesty or deception and the conviction is unspent, you’re currently disqualified from becoming a trustee of a charity and must therefore seek a waiver from the Charity […]
Unless you’ve travelled abroad and needed a police certificate or applied for a subject access request (SAR) to help get a better understanding of your criminal record, you may never have come across ACRO Criminal Records Office (ACRO). They have just published their annual report for 2016/17 showing an annual income of almost £13 million and […]
The majority of our information around disclosing to an employer assumes that you will be declaring a criminal record for which you have accepted some guilt. And as a charity, Unlock focuses on supporting people who have accepted responsibility for their actions and are now looking to move forward with their life. But, how do […]
This month, we’ve written another article for Inside Times ‘Through the Gate’ section which focuses on dealing with information that’s available about you online. A copy of the article can be found below. As you prepare to leave prison and start considering applying for jobs or housing, you might also have to think about the risk of […]
If you’re not asked about your criminal record then, legally, you don’t need to disclose any unspent convictions, but in our opinion, withholding this information means that your advisor may not be able to provide you with the best information, advice or service. So, are there any other benefits in choosing to disclose? The role […]
Any organisation can apply for a basic criminal record check on members of their staff which will disclose unspent cautions/convictions. However, there are some jobs which would require you to disclose spent convictions. Many people are aware that if they’re applying for a job which involves working with children or vulnerable adults, then they’ll need to disclose […]
Last month The Independent published an article highlighting how rape victims with criminal records for minor offences were being regularly denied compensation under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme. The article explained how compensation for rape committed by one attacker is set at £11,000. However, if the victim has an unspent conviction for, say, failing to pay […]
This month, we’ve written another article for Inside Times ‘Through the Gate’ section which focuses on opening a bank account whilst your’re in prison. A copy of the article can be found below. I’m currently in prison and want to open a bank account ready for when I’m released. Can I do it while still […]
Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve had several enquiries from delivery drivers who’ve been asked by their employers to agree to an enhanced DBS check because they will be delivering to schools/care homes. The reasons often given by the employer for these types of check is that drivers will be delivering on a regular […]
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.