On this page:
- Media enquiry? Contact our Communications team
- Providing case studies
- Contacting people with criminal records
- Looking for help with your research project?
Issues we’re interested in
We are always happy to speak to the media about our work, policy issues and the stigma and obstacles faced by people with criminal records. Because we are a small charity with limited capacity, we only really want to go on record about topics for which we have evidence, experience and expertise to back up what we say.
Issues we’re interested in are:
- Disclosing criminal records
- Rehabilitation of Offenders Act
- Criminal record checks (including DBS checks) and their impact on people with criminal records
- Recruiting people with criminal records
- Involving people with convictions in education, training and volunteering
- Insurance and criminal convictions
- Issues faced by people with convictions as a result of their criminal record
If you would like to speak to us about any of the above, please get in touch with Ruth Davies, Digital and Communications Manager using the details below.
Latest news
- Read our latest press releases
- Check out some of our appearances in the media
- Sign up to our press release list
- Subscribe to our public mailing list
- Follow us on twitter.
Media enquiries – Contact details
Our Digital and Communications Manager, Ruth Davies, is your first point of contact for press and media enquiries.
To arrange an interview with a spokesperson from Unlock, or for other media enquiries:
- Call 07458 393 194
- Email: ruth.davies@unlock.org.uk
If you are looking for personal information or advice relating to a criminal record, please contact our helpline.
Press release list
If you would like to receive embargoed copies of our press releases, email ruth.davies@unlock.org.uk with your name, email address and the media outlet you work for. We’ll let you know once you’ve been added to our list.
Please note: Embargoed press releases are sent to press and media only. If that’s not you, you can sign up to our mailing list, which is how all of our public press releases are distributed once published, along with other news and developments at Unlock.
About Unlock
- Who’s who at Unlock (including staff biographies)
- Key facts
- What we do
- What we have achieved
- Case studies and success stories
Providing real stories
On issues that we’re interested in, we will always try to provide real stories from people we’ve supported or worked with. Normally these will be anonymous.
Contacting people with criminal records
We receive a lot of requests from the media, researchers and others for help in being put into contact with individuals who have criminal records. There is a section below on helping with research projects.
For media enquiries, we may be able to help connect you with individuals where the subject matter relates to the issues we’re interested in.
Where the subject is not related to the issues we directly cover as a charity, we may be able to ‘advertise’ your request to those who receive updates from us.
If you’re looking to be put in contact with individuals on a specific story, please contact Ruth Davies, Digital and Communications Manager. Email ruth.davies@unlock.org.uk or call 07458 393 194.
Any individuals that we put in contact with the media will usually be on the basis that their personal details are changed so that they cannot be identified. We will always insist on ways of working that are supportive and not exploitative, and we will ask for the person to see their quotes before they are used if/when possible.
Looking for help with your research project?
Unlock is a small charity with limited staffing resources.
We are keen to encourage, promote and support research into the long-term impact of criminal records on people’s lives. As part of our strategy, we are able to support certain research projects where the subject matter closely links with issues that we’re focused on as a charity.
We receive requests from researchers and students on a regular basis and sadly we do not have the capacity to support all of them. Unfortunately, we are unable to help degree or masters students with individual research.
PhD-level research, proposals from professional academics, think tanks and other research bodies will be considered on a case-by-case basis. You can get in touch with us at research@unlock.org.uk. Provide us with clear detail on how the research findings might progress Unlock’s support, policy or campaign work, and also explain the stage the research is at in terms of permissions and ethical approval. Outline your timetable, how you hope Unlock can support the work, whether our participation and time will be funded and how you will support and remunerate participants.
Where we are unable to provide direct support, we have designed and built our website with researchers and students in mind and we’re confident that you will be able to find significant amounts of useful information that should support your work. And we’re always keen to see outputs of research and see how we can promote the dissemination of the findings.
Past employees
Please note, only current directors and employees are authorised to represent the charity in the media. Former employees should not be presented as representing the charity. Unlock will insist on a full retraction if it is misrepresented.
Members of Unlock
Membership of Unlock is used as a way of accessing our online forum. All members are required to agree to the terms that apply. This includes members being prohibited from acting in a way that could be seen as attempting to represent the organisation. Any views expressed by members of Unlock’s forum do not necessarily represent the organisation’s values or viewpoint. Unlock will insist on a full retraction if it is misrepresented.
