Monthly summary – December 2017

Welcome to our monthly summary for December 2017.

This provides a summary of:

1. the latest updates to our self-help information site for people with convictions
2. recent posts to our online magazine, theRecord
3. discussions on our online forum
4. other news and developments that might be of interest to people with a criminal record

Have you just stumbled across this? You can receive these updates direct to your inbox every month for free by signing up to our mailing list (make sure you choose to receive ‘news for people with convictions’)

Updates to our information site

Here’s a summary of the updates that we’ve made recently to the theInformationHub. There are links within each update to where you can find more information about the update. There are also links next to many of the updates, which link to threads on our online forum where you can discuss these with other people with convictions. 

About criminal records

• How do the police deal with offences relating to youth produced sexual imagery (‘sexting’) – We’ve produced a new advice post which explains the new discretionary powers given to the police by the Home Office when dealing with young people accused of ‘sexting’ offences.

theRecord posts

Below are links to recent posts to our online magazine, theRecord. These are often linked to from the practical information that we have, to help give some personal experiences.

Success – Shooting for the stars – Getting a shotgun licence with a criminal record – “Even if I say so myself, I had a rather troubled upbringing and spent a bit of time in a youth detention centre. However, by the time I’d reached my late 20’s I’d started to calm down a bit and was thinking about using my energy and enthusiasm in a positive rather than negative way …..”

Struggles and stigma – Sacked again! Why can’t employers see beyond my past and just give me a chance to prove I’m a different person? – “The day began like every other day. After breakfast and a shower I had a pretty good 30 minute commute to work and was at my desk with plenty of time to spare …..”

Success – I’ve been given a new lease of life now that my name doesn’t come up on internet searches – “Quite a few years ago, I ended up with a conviction, which was reported in the local newspapers and resulted in my name appearing on search engine results. I totally understand that I need to pay for my mistake; however, whilst I am thoroughly ashamed of what happened I have moved on and managed to get my life back on track …..”

Discussions on our online forum

Below are links to recent posts to our online forum. If you’d like to join in the discussion but are not currently a forum member, find out how you can join here.

Sharing UK criminal record information with the USA – One Time Crim shared a link from ACRO’s annual report which set out details of how they have been looking to improve the way criminal records are shared between the UK and USA.

SOPO’s – unspent convictions – unfairly dismissed for the second time – As a result of his SOPO, RunningMan’s conviction remains unspent. This has resulted in his dismissal after applying for a new role within his company which required a criminal record check. He is currently in the process of getting legal advice but would be keen to hear from anybody who has been through similar experiences. Can you help?

Other news and developments

Below are links to other news and developments that might be of interest to people with a criminal record. For more news, check out the news and media section of our main website.

Decade-old criminal record disclosures? The need for reform

A briefing published by the Centre for Criminal and Justice Studies (CCJS) found that three-quarters of a million criminal records that are more than a decade old are being revealed to employers on DBS checks each year. Read more about why Unlock believes there is a desperate need for reform.

Looking back at 2017 – A month-by-month review of our work and criminal record developments

2017 was a very busy year for Unlock with lots of positive news. Read Christopher Stacey’s month-by-month review of our work.