Unlock responds to the Government’s Youth Justice White Paper

The government have this week published their Youth Justice White Paper which sets out their plans for reform of the youth justice system. Included in this is a commitment to consulting on reform to childhood criminal records this year.

Our criminal records system is in urgent need of reform. Many people who have only ever had minor interactions with the criminal justice system have criminal records that affect job opportunities, volunteering roles, housing rights and even travel, sometimes for life.

As part of the FairChecks campaign in partnership with Transform Justice, Unlock have long campaigned for a fairer criminal records regime. This outdated system needs to be changed and Unlock welcomes the government’s commitment in this White Paper to consult on childhood criminal records reform by the end of the year. We look forward to working with the government on this consultation.

Paula Harriott, Chief Executive of Unlock said,

“For too long people have been held back by mistakes they made as children, limiting their potential and stopping them contributing their skills to society. It is right that the government have committed to consulting on childhood criminal records reform in their Youth Justice White Paper. We welcome this and are looking forward to working with the government on these reforms.”

Unlock will continue to monitor this closely and will feed into the government’s consultation once open.