Fifty years after the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act promised second chances, the digital age has made that promise fragile.

Search engines, news archives and social media mean that spent convictions can remain visible indefinitely, undermining rehabilitation and perpetuating stigma.

This is a common theme that people contact us about for advice and assistance. Employers, education providers and others are able to easily discover information online that they would not legally receive from a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. As technology has evolved since the 1970’s, so should our laws.

We have published a briefing on the Right to be Forgotten which explores:

• How online criminal record data impacts employment, housing and wellbeing
• Why current GDPR delisting processes fall short
• Unlock’s recommendations for digital rehabilitation reform including
  • Modernising the ROA for the internet era
  • Clear public interest tests for retaining historic conviction data
  • Stronger ICO powers and ethical standards for reporting

Rehabilitation is not about erasing the past, it’s about recognising change and enabling second chances. Without urgent action, algorithms – not law – will decide who gets to move on.

Read our report here.

Unlock joins justice allies to call for Sentencing Bill rethink

Unlock has today joined more than 20 organisations in co-signing an open letter, coordinated by Prison Advice and Care Trust (PACT), urging the Justice and Education Secretaries to drop the proposals contained in clause 35 of the Sentencing Bill.

Naming and shaming

Under these plans, probation practitioners would have new powers to publish the names and photographs of people carrying out unpaid work as part of a Community Sentence.
The letter highlights that these measures would do little to support rehabilitation or reduce reoffending. Instead, they risk making it harder for people to move on with their lives, find work, or secure housing. It would also increase stigma for families and children, putting them at risk of bullying, emotional harm and even threats of violence or vigilantism.

Unpaid Work Orders

In 2023, 47,765 people were sentenced to Unpaid Work Orders. This figure is expected to rise significantly once the Sentencing Bill comes into force, as courts will be required to consider community sentences for many offences previously resulting in short prison terms.

Every year, around 200,000 children experience the imprisonment of a parent. Public exposure of a parent’s punishment can bring:

• stigmatisation and bullying, particularly at school

• physical threats and harassment, sometimes forcing children to change schools or names

• emotional and psychological harm linked to stigma and shame.

Unlock signed this letter because stigma creates barriers to rehabilitation – for individuals and their families. Exposing people in this way would make it harder to build a fair, safe and effective justice system.

Read the open letter.