About Us

UNLOCK, The National Association of Reformed Offenders

35a High Street
Snodland
Kent
ME6 5AG

T: 01634 247350
F: 01634 247351

E: enquiries@unlock.org.uk
W: www.unlock.org.uk

UNLOCK is the National Association of Reformed Offenders. While no one knows exactly how many ex-offenders are living in the UK today, the Government Offender Index currently lists 7.3 million offenders. That equates to one quarter of the UK working population.   

UNLOCK is a registered charity, governed by a Board of Trustees, and funded by charitable organisations and individual donations. It is a unique organisation founded in 1999 by a group of reformed offenders, each of whom, in their own way, successfully rebuilt their lives after serving prison sentences. They claimed no accolade for this, but they rightly claimed experience of the great difficulties faced by those coming out of prison. They have had first hand experience of the many problems faced by reformed offenders; especially those who genuinely want to "go straight" in a society which always finds it hard to forgive and forget.

UNLOCK is led by its Chief Executive, Bobby Cummines, who served 13 years in prison for serious offences. He is one of the most widely recognised and passionate advocates of penal reform in the UK, advising Government and the Judiciary and regularly appearing in the media.

UNLOCK advises and assists serving and former prisoners who demonstrate a genuine commitment to lead a crime-free lifestyle, and so help them become productive members of their local communities.

UNLOCK gives a voice to those who are voiceless. We do this by utilising our personal experiences of crime and custody to inform political debate, positively influence policies, and educate the public that assisting ex-offenders to reintegrate back into society is in the best interests of everyone. This is also done through the UNLOCK Forum, which is an online community for individuals who have previous convictions and who are members of UNLOCK. This provides individuals with an opportunity to share experiences and also support one another against the discrimination that reformed offenders face in society.

UNLOCK aims to overcome the social exclusion of ex-offenders, thus helping to break the cycle of re-offending and benefit society as a whole.

Our Perspective

A general consensus now exists that our prisons are ineffective in reducing crime and that greater use of alternative sentencing is necessary. Sentences must rehabilitate and reintegrate offenders through education and training that reflect the needs and abilities of individuals. 

Civic responsibility must be developed by enabling serving prisoners to vote in government elections. Reformed offenders committed to living a law abiding life must have access to the same services and opportunities as other citizens unless explicitly prohibited by statute.

Access to financial services is a crucial element in leaving crime behind but has always been either totally unavailable or prohibitively expensive for ex-offenders and their families. Without these changes we will continue to be a society that essentially encourages crime.