“I think workshops like the one today should take place more often” An individual from HMP Wormwood Scrubs
“The workshop was very well delivered and I learnt things that I was previously totally unaware of. Thank you for taking the time to inform us.” An individual from HMP Pentonville
“We recommend the workshops that Unlock deliver; they are informative, relevant and provide people with convictions with up to date and accurate information that enables them to move on with their lives.” PLIAS Resettlement, 2016
Why there is a need for disclosure workshops?
- Individuals are often unaware of where to go to get information and advice about the long term effects of their criminal record.
- Lack of money means that people can’t afford to contact information/advice organisations by letter or telephone.
- People in prison have little or no access to the internet and are therefore unable to find answers to their questions.
- Resettlement departments in prisons, personal officers and representatives from other service providers often have a limited knowledge of the issues arising from having a criminal record post-release.
What do our workshops cover?
The two-hour workshop covers the key things people with convictions should know about in terms of dealing with the impact of their criminal record. This includes:
- Understanding what’s included in a criminal record
- The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and working out when a conviction becomes ‘spent’
- Disclosing to employers – what, when and how
- Getting insurance
- Travelling abroad
- Applying to colleges and universities
- Dealing with media and online information
Read more about the workshops we ran at Wormwood Scrubs and Pentonville prisons.
Why us?
- We are an independent charity for people with convictions.
- We are peer-led and are run and staffed by people who have a criminal record.
- We are recognised as the experts on criminal records and disclosure.
Interested? Contact us
If you are interested in finding out more about our workshops, please email admin@unlock.org.uk or call 01622 230705.
We’re unable to take bookings from individuals but, if you think you could benefit from attending one of our workshops please pass the details to your prison resettlement team, probation officer or charities that are supporting you in the community.
Please note: Unlock is an independent charity entirely reliant upon its own fundraising. We do not seek or accept funding to deliver government services. We are not charitably funded to deliver workshops to individuals across the country, so we have to charge to cover the costs we incur as a charity to prepare and deliver them, unless we can secure specific funding. Income from workshops is a crucial source of unrestricted income, allowing us to cover our costs and continue to support our beneficiaries.
