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For people with criminal records
For people with criminal records

Story Type: Successes

Changing lives for the better through the power of football

 

This story has been adapted from the original which was published on thefa.com website and we’d like to thank Pete Bell for giving us his permission to use it.

 

I’d just come out of Lincoln prison after serving three-months of a six-month sentence. I was 26 years old and had always been trouble free, but I’d got into a relationship which had spiralled out of control – central to that was a custody battle. I was drinking heavily, got into crime, and my son had died during this time. My world had ended and after my release, I was unemployed.

I can still remember the turning point now. After seeing an advert at the Jobcentre, I enrolled on a training programme with Notts County’s ‘Football in the Community’ scheme and after spending six months doing my FA Preliminary Coaching Course, I knew it was exactly what I wanted; I’d found what I should be doing.

I stopped drinking, was crime-free and embraced education and here I am 22 years later with 18 qualifications, significant work experience and having travelled extensively as part of my work. I didn’t start coaching until I was 29, so I had to play catch-up but I’d say that was the age when I first really discovered education and how it could change lives for the better.

I’ve now been an FA coach mentor, working across Leicestershire and Derbyshire with various grassroots coaches and clubs, for the last four years after spending the previous 14 years as a coach, educator and delivering FA Level One qualifications. I’ve also worked in further education and recently, university football.

Earlier this year, I visited HMP Oakwood in Wolverhampton to do a bespoke coaching course for inmates to give them a flavour of what it means to be a coach.

I’ve always felt that football clubs have never done enough in prisons, and I wanted to do some more work in that area. With my background, it was brilliant for me to be able to spend one day a week at HMP Oakwood for seven weeks, working with 16 guys. The first thing I said to them was:

I was once sat where you are”

I felt proud to be able to say that, given how far I’ve come in the years since I was released. That got them onside straight away and I went on to work with the guys discussing the role of coach, the qualifications and opportunities that are on offer on the outside.

I have just set up a project called ‘Step Out, Stay Out’ and with the support of the Ministry of Justice and my local MP, I’d like to deliver coaching and training in more prisons. It’s a massive passion of mine to change the stigma around people who have made mistakes and perhaps haven’t had the support when they come out of prison and end up in that vicious circle of re-offending.

Through mentoring and football education, I believe we can help people to get the same sort of opportunities that I was offered to make a positive impact on the lives of others in the same situation and also improve the number and standard of coaching across England.

I’m very open to hear from any individuals or groups who may be able to enhance my passion to help make a difference. Thank you to all who have helped me, it’s been tough and is still tough but I’m not deterred.

By Pete Bell – FA Coach Mentor

 

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Being a ‘juvenile delinquent’ enabled me to get a visa to the USA!

Steve’s 25 year old criminal record had never really caused him any problems. However, finding out that his new job required him to travel to the USA on business made him question whether he’d be able to continue working for the company or whether he would have to resign.

 

25 years ago my life was very different to how it is now. To say I was a bad lad is a bit of an understatement; I’d received around 10 convictions before the age of 17 and been to a YOI twice.

It sounds horrendous when you see it written down but in all honesty, the offences were for quite petty things. I’m sure if they’d happened today, I’d have been dealt with differently, but who knows!

Despite having a ‘significant’ criminal record, finding work had never really been a problem and, even if I say so myself, I’ve been pretty successful over the years. As my convictions are now all spent, I very rarely think about them on a day to day basis.

So, applying for and getting a new job was no big deal until my boss told me that he was so pleased with my work that he wanted me to attend a couple of events with him in the USA. What a fantastic opportunity?

Like a lot of people with convictions, I’ve always believed that I’d never be able to travel to the US. I think it was the first thing I was told when I arrived at the YOI. I’d never let it bother me – after all there’s plenty more places in the world to go to on holiday. However work was different, I either needed to travel or tell my boss why I couldn’t.

I started to do a bit of research online but rather than provide me with answers it just made me more confused. I’d pretty much established that I’d have to apply for a visa rather than travel under the Visa Waiver Scheme, which meant I’d have to disclose my convictions but what I really wanted to know was whether I’d actually get one if I applied. If I didn’t stand any chance then I would have resigned rather than explain why to my boss.

I tried ringing the US Embassy but couldn’t get through but then I came across the phone number of an organisation called Unlock. I rang their helpline and explained the situation and couldn’t believe it when the guy told me that he didn’t think I’d have any problems being granted a visa as my convictions were deemed to be ‘juvenile delinquency’ (they’d happened when I was under 18). Funny to think that when my dad called me a juvenile delinquent as a kid it was a real insult yet they were the best words ever spoken by the guy at Unlock.

I completed the visa paperwork, got my police certificate and made an appointment at the Embassy. I was quite worried about the interview but it really wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be although the waiting around was quite boring. The Immigration Officer asked me loads of questions about my convictions and my reason for wanting to visit the US and there were a couple of times when I’d convinced myself that she wouldn’t grant me the visa.

I’m glad to say that I did get my visa and have already visited the US once with my boss. I had a bit of a tricky moment when, having seen the visa stamped in my passport, I was asked to go into a small office with a US Immigration Officer. She asked me a couple of questions about my visit and then let me go. Obviously my boss wanted to know why I’d been called into the office and all I could think to say was:

I think they randomly select people to find out more about them and their visit. I must just have one of those guilty looking faces

If only he knew!!

By Steve (name changed to protect identity)

 

A comment from Unlock

As Steve states in his story, there’s a lot of conflicting information online about whether it’s possible to travel to the US with a criminal record with many people assuming that anybody with convictions can never visit.

The US doesn’t ‘bar’ people with convictions from visiting but generally, you will be required to apply for a visa through the US Embassy. Consular Officers at the Embassy deal with every application on a case-by-case basis and will consider the seriousness of the offence, the age you were at the time and how long ago you received your conviction.

We also get a lot of reports from people that are granted a visa that, when they pass through immigration at the other end, they get taken into a separate office and have to wait for some further questions. This is worth knowing about to think about how you’ll prepare for that.

 

Useful links

  • Comment – Let us know your thoughts on this post by commenting below
  • Information – We have practical self-help information on travelling to the US
  • Discuss this issue – There are some interesting discussions related to travelling to the US.

Learning to read in prison has opened so many doors!

Margaret had never told anybody that she couldn’t read or write. However, the need to complete courses as part of her sentence plan made her realise that she needed to get some help to improve her literacy skills. 

 

 

I must have been about 6 years old when I started school but I’d left by the time I was 9. I thought it was boring, a waste of time plus I had no friends to play with – as a traveller girl, I found it difficult to make friends outside my own community.

As I only mixed with others from the traveller community, I was brought up learning to fight, drink and bate non-travellers. I started getting into trouble from quite an early age (usually because I was drunk) but only really got a ‘slap on the wrist’ from the local copper but as the fights and drinking escalated so did the punishments. I got a couple of short prison sentences before receiving an IPP sentence (an indeterminate sentence for public protection) in 2006 after being convicted of arson when I accidently set a fence alight.

Not being able to read or write had never really been a problem for me. I’d never told anybody but I just learnt ways of getting by. However, the IPP sentence started to cause me some real problems – I couldn’t complete my menu or canteen sheet but more importantly, I wasn’t able to do the courses that were part of my sentence plan. I could bluff my way through the menu and canteen sheet even though I sometimes ended up eating roast chicken, gravy and salad. But when faced with the probation courses, my aggression just covered up the fact that I couldn’t read.

I was really lucky to have a great Personal Officer who realised that my aggression and bad behaviour was masking something else (I don’t know how) and that if I carried on the way I was going, I was likely to spend years and years in prison. He was the first person I told about my problems with reading and he encouraged me to sign up for the Toe-by-Toe programme run in the prison to help prisoners overcome their reading problems.

I was a bit apprehensive to start with but was put in touch with a really friendly mentor who I met up with on most days. I started to learn how to change letters or words into sounds and in a really short space of time, I was reading ‘easy-reader’ books accurately and confidently. I started to look forward to going to the library each week to pick out a new book.

Admitting that I couldn’t read or write very well meant that I got extra help with my courses and, by the time I sat my Parole Board I’d done everything that was expected of me.

When I left prison I knew I was never going back and although I’m proud of my traveller roots, I wanted to do something different, be somebody different. I found a course at my local college that didn’t have any formal entry requirements and I went along to sign up as a mature student. When the receptionist looked at the blank space under the section which asked about “educational history” she told me that the course would be ‘intensive and advanced’. When I told her that I wasn’t stupid I’d just never been to school, she looked totally horrified.

I loved every minute of my college course but knew that finding a job with my criminal record was going to be the next battle I’d have to overcome. How many companies would want to employ somebody with convictions for violence and arson? Having come so far though, there was no way I was going to give up easily.

I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do (I’d never actually had a job before prison) but my probation officer suggested that I try doing some voluntary work just to get me used to the routine of working. I searched for opportunities online and before long I came across an organisation that campaigns for the advancement of education among the children of travellers. It couldn’t have been more perfect.

When I heard that I’d been invited to attend an interview, I almost ‘bottled it’ but deep down I knew that I’d never get another opportunity like it. I was shaking when I went into the manager’s office but she immediately put me at ease. I explained about my conviction and how, since I’d stopped drinking and gone to college, I’d put my offending behaviour well and truly behind me. At the end of the interview, I knew it was an organisation I wanted to be part of and I was delighted to be told that as a result of my own experiences and the fact that I’d been so honest and upfront, they wanted me as a volunteer.

I find it sad that I’ve only been able to change my life because I went to prison but, there’s no point living in the past – I’m just looking forward to my future.

By Margaret (name changed to protect identity)

 

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My new life began to grow in a garden – starting again with a criminal record

Following a conviction for a sexual offence, Duncan thought his life was over. However with the support of his family and friends and by throwing himself into a new career he’s been able to seek help for the problems which led to his offending. He’s been amazed that despite knowing about his convictions many of his customers have been able to look beyond this and given him a second chance.

Two years ago I received a conviction for possession of extreme adult pornography. My life would have been ruined if it wasn’t for the support I had from my family and friends.

Within three days of my arrest, a night in the cells and a gut wrenching appearance in court, I was called into a meeting with my employer and ‘persuaded’ to resign. I immediately lost my 35 year career and knew that there was no way of ever getting back into it.

Six months later I stood in the court ready to be sentenced. Fortunately, I was only given a 12 month supervision order and the Sheriff (the Scottish equivalent of a judge) told me that “I needed help not punishment”.

I took responsibility for what I’d viewed online (nothing had been saved onto my laptop) and knew that I had to try and make amends for my stupid actions and deal with the issues that got me into this situation in the first place.

I went off to see my GP, received some medication and immediately stopped drinking alcohol (I’ve not touched a drop for 2 years now). However, I knew that I needed counselling to help me deal with my life long issues with pornography. I found out that counselling is very expensive and that I needed an income not just to pay for it but also to keep my mind and body active. So, with the qualifications I’d received over the years, a small business grant from the job centre and some specialist insurance for people with convictions (thanks to Unlock for help with this), I set up my own gardening business.

I knew it was going to be challenging to get customers. My case had been covered in the media, particularly online with my details added to the usual homemade sex offenders’ databases. Although my case had been twisted beyond all recognition, a search on google of my name really didn’t look good. Living in a small community I thought it would be impossible to get work so I used my second name for my business and started to advertise locally. I was still living at the same address so it wouldn’t have taken long for somebody to work out my name.

I was amazed at the response, my customer book was full by the summer and I had to turn people away. What was surprising was that a few customers knew me and knew about my conviction but still employed me – they were willing to give me a second chance.

I was able to book myself in for counselling sessions and I’m starting to move forward. The naming and shaming is still online and still irritates me but day to day it’s not a big deal.

What’s more important is that every day I have the words of my daughter ringing in my ears

It’s not what you’ve done in the past Dad that defines you but what you do from now on”.

By Duncan (name changed to protect identity)

 

Useful links

  1. Comment – Let us know your thoughts on this post by commenting below
  2. Information – We have practical self-help information on sexual offences and self-employment
  3. Discuss this issue – There are some interesting discussions related to sexual offences on our online forum.

Getting help to have links to my name removed from an internet search engine

Paul’s life was still being seriously impacted by information about him online, some sixteen years after he’d received his conviction. With the help of solicitors, links to his name have now been removed which has had a huge impact on his life. 

 

 

Having found myself on the wrong side of the law and losing everything, a link to a newspaper article on an internet search engine was still holding me back some sixteen years after I’d received my conviction, even though it was now considered spent.

It seems surreal that in a previous life I’d been a builder of companies, and yet a few years later I was limited to zero hour contract roles in sales, only to be sacked when my employers or colleagues did internet searches on me.

After a serious accident that added to my on-going problems, necessity became the mother of invention and I started to look for work on a self-employed or consultancy basis. The agencies I worked with ‘used and abused me’ but I developed some good contacts with clients I was working with. My rates had to be low and the dreaded internet search engine link would always prove to be an issue when it came to getting decent work but I was just about surviving. However, I knew that building a really successful business was never going to happen.

Then about a year ago I came across Unlock. After hearing my story, they put me in touch with a legal firm who agreed to contact the internet search engine and make representations on my behalf. I was amazed when I found out that the search engine had agreed to remove the links to my name. There was a slight hiccup when the newspaper re-indexed its archives, which resulted in my name appearing on the internet’s search engine again, but thankfully the solicitors were on the ball and acted immediately to get the links removed once more.

The difference to my life has been amazing. Existing clients are now sticking with me and new ones have come on-board – together we’ve grown. Having the links to my name removed means so much to me. My confidence has grown enormously, going from zero hours contracts to being in the position where I’ll soon be marrying my long term partner and living in my own home.

At my lowest point just two years ago, I arrived at a place with 5 black bags and slept on a cold asbestos tiled floor. I was just pleased to have a roof over my head. Now through sheer hard work (and a bit of help from solicitors) I really feel my life is moving forwards.

By Paul (name changed to protect identity)

 

A comment from Unlock

Paul’s story shows how through Unlock and the work we’ve been doing with Carter-Ruck it’s been possible for him to get the links to his name removed from an internet search engine.

If your spent conviction is causing you problems or distress by appearing on internet search results, then it’s worth applying to the search engine to have the links removed. If your request is unsuccessful it may be possible for Carter-Ruck to consider your case.

Useful links

  1. Comment – Let us know your thoughts on this post by commenting below
  2. Information – We have practical self-help information on our information hub page – The ‘google-effect’, internet search results and the right to be forgotten
  3. Discuss this issue – There are some interesting discussions related to the ‘google-effect’ on our online forum
  4. Policy work – Read about the work Unlock is doing on stopping the ‘google-effect’.

I’ve cleared the road for future employees at my company by challenging an ineligible DBS check

Having been in his job for a year, Colin was horrified to learn that his employers were going to be carrying out an ineligible criminal record check which would have disclosed his spent conviction. Read how Colin kept his job and got his employers to change their recruitment practices.

 

I’d been working for about a year as a driver taking doctors who were working for an ‘out-of-hours’ service to their appointments when, out of the blue, I was asked to go into work early for my next shift as I had to complete a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) application form. My heart sank as I knew that if my employers did an enhanced DBS check it would disclose my spent conviction and I would almost certainly lose my job.

Like a lot of people with a conviction, I was really embarrassed and ashamed about it and my confidence had reached an all-time low. At one point, I didn’t think I’d ever be able to hold down a job such was my anxiety about the past.

I eventually mustered the courage to telephone my employer and asked in a very roundabout way whether the DBS check they were going to complete would be an enhanced one, hoping of course that they’d say ‘No’. Sadly they confirmed my worst fears – it would be enhanced.

The next time I went into work, I was asked whether I’d brought in my ID documents for the DBS check and I pretended that I’d left them at home. I was trying to buy myself more time but the HR Manager told me that if I didn’t bring them along to my next shift then I’d be unable to work.

So, the following week, off I went to complete the online DBS form with the office administrator. When we got to the section about convictions, I really didn’t know what to do but thought that honesty was the best policy and answered ‘Yes’, explaining to the administrator that my conviction was now spent. When we’d finished filling in the form the admin guy told me not to worry, that everything would be okay and to get on with my shift.

However, the next time I went into work, I was summoned to a meeting with my manager and asked to explain the spent conviction which I’d revealed whilst filling in the DBS form. I was asked about the nature of the conviction and when I refused to go into detail I was threatened with suspension. I was confused, embarrassed and unsure how to proceed but eventually I told him everything, whereupon he explained that he’d have to investigate the matter further and that I would be suspended whilst this took place.

I wasn’t a member of any union and I wasn’t sure whether I had any employment rights. Searching the internet, I came across an organisation called Unlock who, I immediately contacted for some advice. They told me that an enhanced DBS check may be ineligible for the job that I’d be doing and they explained that I could challenge this through the DBS. I sent an email off to the DBS straight away and with renewed confidence, also sent an email to my employer setting out why I thought an enhanced check was ineligible.

I heard back from my company very quickly and asked to attend a meeting with a senior manager. Although he was very understanding he maintained that my role would need an enhanced DBS check as it was often necessary for drivers to go into people’s houses to act as a chaperone. I explained that I’d never been asked to act as a chaperone but even if I had, I would always be with the doctor and never alone with the patient.

I’d clearly given the manager a lot to think about as he told me that he’d have to seek further information. When he did eventually get back to me, he told me that having sought independent advice he now appreciated that my job would only require a basic DBS check and that he was happy for me to return to work immediately.

Although I initially found it quite difficult to challenge my employer, the advice and support I was given by Unlock gave me the confidence to do it. If I hadn’t stood up for myself, I’m sure I would have lost my job which would have been yet another knock to my confidence. My employers have now changed their recruiting policy and state that they will only carry out basic checks for my type of job. I’m delighted that as a result of my challenge, future employees with spent convictions won’t have to worry about disclosing and being judged.

By Colin (name changed to protect identity)

 

A comment from Unlock

We see many examples of employers looking to conduct incorrect levels of criminal record check on their employees. This can lead to individuals having job offers revoked or even losing their job. If you believe that an employer is trying to carry out an ineligible check, we would always recommend that you challenge it through the Disclosure and Barring Service. As Colin’s story shows, successfully challenging these checks will not only benefit the individual but can make a difference to all future employees.

Useful links

A clear cut career choice – training to become a barber whilst in prison

Despite receiving many convictions as a young man, it wasn’t until Terry received a 12 year sentence for armed robbery that he made the decision to turn his life around. For the first time, he was given opportunities, advice and support that he’d never been given before and is now looking forward to helping others make something of their lives.

 

 

When you start to read this I hope you don’t think that I’m one of those grumpy old men. I’m really not.

You see things were different when I was a kid. Parents today encourage their children to be anything they want to be. They sign them up for all sorts of clubs and spend time driving them here there and everywhere. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s great. It wasn’t like that when I was younger. My parents made it quite clear that ‘our sort’ never amounted to much so my aspirations were quite low. My mum and dad weren’t uncaring, all my friends parents were exactly the same, we were just kids – to be seen and not heard.

Some of my mates did ok for themselves. They got jobs in factories, warehouses and on building sites but I wanted more. I just needed somebody to give me a bit of direction in my life. Sadly this came from a group of older lads who had what I wanted – a pocket full of money – who introduced me to a life of crime. It wasn’t anything serious to start with, a bit of burglary here and there but once you’re caught up in that way of life there’s no way out and the offences got more serious along with the punishments. What started off as a fine went onto become a suspended sentence until eventually I was convicted of an armed robbery and got a 12 year prison sentence.

I’d served short prison sentences before; they were a bit of an occupational hazard and despite the prison trying to put me on courses to improve my chances of getting into work, I always knew that when I was released I’d go back to my old ways. It was the only ‘job’ I knew. But that all changed when I got that 12 year stretch. My girlfriend had just had a baby and suddenly I wasn’t around to support them either financially or emotionally. Imagine knowing that your son would be starting school before you got to be a proper father to him. He’d either want nothing to do with me or he’d become a waster just like me – what a choice.

And so I made a decision. I’d try to change. I’d do the courses the prison offered me and start to plan for a future. I didn’t know whether it would include my girlfriend and son but I knew that I couldn’t carry on as I had been.

I moved prison many times and did loads of educational courses and I knew pretty quickly that I wasn’t going to be one of those guys that went into prison without an ‘O’ level and came out with a PhD. Study like this just wasn’t for me and I started to get quite disheartened until I moved to a prison up North which was set up to do a lot of practical courses – welding, carpentry, painting etc. I tried to get on the welding and carpentry courses but they were both over-subscribed with long waiting lists. Instead my Personal Officer put me on a barbering course!! What a joke. I’ve got to admit that I really threw my toys out of the pram – after all, I was an armed robber not a hairdresser!!

It didn’t matter how much fuss I made, I was on that course and that’s what I was going to be doing unless I wanted to be shipped out. So off I went on the first day to ‘hairdressing school’. The lady that ran the course, Lucy, may have looked proper girlie but let me tell you, she was something else. She wasn’t just a fantastic tutor but she took a real interest in every one of her ‘boys’. Not just what was going on in the prison but what was happening in our lives outside as well. She was firm but fair and for the first time ever I loved learning and found that I had a natural talent. I became Lucy’s star pupil and she pushed me more and more, teaching me how to do a flat top and graduated haircuts. I started to shave intricate pictures in the lads hair and whenever the barbers shop was open, I was always in demand. At last it seemed as though I’d found my calling – this was what I wanted to do when I left prison.

I was enjoying the course so much that the rest of my time in prison flew by. I knew that I wanted to be a barber when I left prison but couldn’t see anybody employing me. So I spoke to Lucy and she suggested that I think about becoming self-employed. She gave me some information about organisations that funded ex-offenders to set up a business and got me on a course in prison about self-employment. Before I’d left prison I’d written a business plan and made contact with several organisations who were willing to consider funding my new venture.

To cut a long story short, within 8 months of leaving prison I was in business. I managed to find a small shop at a very low rent and got some funding to pay six months rent in advance and buy some equipment. The shop took off really quickly and before long I needed to employ another barber. Who better than one of the guys from prison that I’d trained with. He wanted a job and I wanted somebody that I could trust. It’s worked out really well for both of us and I’m now in the process of working with our local open prison to offer a couple of guys training positions with us. There’s a lot of paperwork and bureaucracy involved but I’m determined to make it happen. Prison was the first time that anybody had taken an interest in me and given me a leg up and I’m determined to do the same for somebody else.

By Terry (name changed to protect identity)

 

Useful links

I’ve been given a new lease of life now that my name doesn’t come up on internet searches

Dave’s story shows how it is possible to get your convictions removed from internet and newspaper websites. He sets out below how he went about it.

 

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.

I’m now married with children and just want a second chance but I do understand that the victims of my crime may not feel the same way.

Although my conviction was spent, my name still appeared when you typed it into search engines. It really worried me and I hated the thought of the articles being available on the web. I discussed this with a few people who I trusted and most of them knew the articles existed but had never said anything to me. I’m not sure why they didn’t mention it – I believe it says a lot about the person I am today. They know the person I am now and took no notice of the historic newspaper articles.

I decided to contact the search engines and the local newspapers asking them to remove my name from the internet. When I contacted the papers and search engines I explained that:

  1. The conviction which had occurred ten years ago was firmly in the past. I now had a family and was moving on with my life.
  2. I was genuinely sorry about the mistake I had made.
  3. I would be willing to meet up with newspaper editors to talk about my conviction in person to enable them to satisfy themselves that I was genuine in my remorse.

As a result of my letters both the newspapers and the search engines agreed to remove either the article or links to my name.

I really feel that by being remorseful and sorry for my conviction and offering to meet editors, it helped to show how I had turned my life around. I don’t believe that going in heavy handed, quoting the law and relying on the fact that my conviction was spent would have gotten me anywhere.

I feel like a big dark cloud has been lifted, giving me a new lease of life.

By Dave (name changed to protect identity)

 

A comment from Unlock

Dave’s story demonstrates how you can succeed in getting links and stories removed from the internet.

By showing genuine remorse for your past actions and evidencing how you have moved on, it is possible to convince newspapers and search engine providers that your links should no longer be live. Character references from organisations or local professionals can assist in evidencing what you’ve achieved since your conviction.

Useful links

  1. Comment – Let us know your thoughts n this post by commenting below
  2. Information – We have practical self-help information on the ‘google-effect’  – internet search results and the right to be forgotten
  3. Policy work – Read about the work Unlock is doing on stopping the ‘google-effect’ for people with spent convictions

Shooting for the stars – getting a shotgun licence with a criminal record

As Bernie’s story shows, being told you can’t do something doesn’t always have to be the end of your dreams, but you’ll need plenty of resilience and often help from others. 

 

 

Even if I do 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.

To keep on the right side of the law, I needed to stop mixing with my usual crowd and had to find new ways of meeting people. So I started volunteering at my local game shoot every weekend as a bush-beater. This basically involved working with a group of other beaters, a gamekeeper and a shoot captain and making lots of noise by clapping, shouting, cracking sticks etc to flush the birds into a specified location.

Everybody involved was really welcoming and were more than happy to pass on their knowledge. I volunteered with people of all different ages and backgrounds and soon made new friends.

I did this for a while and, to cut a long story short, I was eventually offered the job of gamekeeper. As part of the job I needed a shotgun licence and this is where I ran into my first problem. I soon discovered that anybody who’d received a custodial sentence of between 3 months and 3 years is banned from having a shotgun licence for five years. So although I applied, I wasn’t entirely surprised when my application was refused. However, the fact that I couldn’t get a licence was seriously affecting my ability to do my job. It’s like being a gardener who isn’t allowed to use a lawn mower – get my drift?

I couldn’t let it drop. I knew that this was my future career and I had to do all I could to get that licence. Although I didn’t have a lot of money or savings, I decided to invest some in getting the help of a specialist shooting solicitor. At our very first meeting, the solicitor told me that I should be prepared to go to court to fight my corner.

So the negotiations began. I hadn’t been in trouble at that point for over 8 years but the police were still relying on my historic convictions. With money being tight, I knew that I had to do a lot of work on the case myself and I managed to get the support of 10 well respected individuals who were more than happy to vouch for me in court. The police took the decision to speak to these people prior to the court date. I’m not sure what these guys said, all I know is that the police decided that there was no need to go to court and I was issued with my shotgun licence.

I’m 52 now, still working in the same job and still have my licence.

If there’s one piece of advice I’d give to anybody it’s not to be put off from following your dreams. If you’ve got a good reason for wanting a licence, then you’ve got nothing to lose by appealing a decision. If you can afford it, get some help from a solicitor and be prepared to do some ‘leg-work’ yourself.

By Bernie (name changed to protect identity)

 

Useful links

  1. Comment – Let us know your thoughts n this post by commenting below
  2. Information – We have practical self-help information on shotgun and firearms licence

Travel tips if you’re on the sex offenders register

Whether you’re looking to travel abroad for a holiday or business, having any type of conviction could potentially cause you some problems. However these may be escalated if you’re under the sexual offence notification requirements. Here Alan offers some useful tips in dealing with the more common issues you may face.

 

I’ve been subject to notification requirements for the past five years and during that time I’ve travelled extensively around the world, between 12-15 times a year. Although my experiences will be different to yours, I really hope that what I share will help you to understand a little more about the processes you’re likely to go through.

I’d like to dispel some of the myths and stop you from getting too many surprises whilst you travel.

No 1 – Informing the police of your intention to travel

Before you visit the police station, print off a summary of all the information you’ll need to provide on the travel form (in the correct order). The desk staff will then be able to complete the form very quickly – they’ll only need to copy your data into their form. Give your summary a bold heading such as ‘travel notification’ to avoid having to say anything out loud – really handy if there are other people at the front desk and you want to be discreet.

Make sure you take some ID with you.

Ask the desk staff for a photocopy of the registration form once it’s been filled in. I’ve never had a problem but it’s always good to have evidence that you’ve followed the process correctly. If there are any discrepancies on the form, check with your dedicated PPU officer – the front desk staff at the police station aren’t always aware of the latest processes.

In the section which is marked ‘optional’ always provide further information. Although you’re not legally obliged to, it always raises suspicion if you don’t.

No 2 – Travelling out of the country

Scanning your passport at check-in and/or the boarding gate doesn’t display any information to staff about your conviction.

When you’re travelling within the EU, the SIS information sharing system will usually place a marker against your passport. This hasn’t caused me any problems, however I’ve noticed some changes over the last 3-4 months and I now find that Immigration Officers in EU countries want to gather more information about my visit than they previously did. The officers are discreet but it’s still obvious that they’re asking you more questions than other people.

If you’re travelling with a group who aren’t aware of your situation, let them go through the passport check first. People behind you will see that you’re being asked more questions and this may raise suspicion.

When travelling outside of the EU, information isn’t usually shared with the country you’re visiting. An exception of this would be if your PPU officer issues an Interpol ‘Green Notice’. This may be done if they feel you’re travelling to commit an offence abroad. Depending on the country you’re visiting, you may be denied entry. You may want to check with your PPU officer whether they’ve any intention of doing this so that you can decide whether to continue the visit or not.

No 3 – Arriving back into the UK

eGates will always reject you and point you to a manned desk. This isn’t too much of a problem as people are asked to go to a desk for a variety of reasons.

If you’re travelling with somebody else and you both go to a manned desk, always let the other person go first. After your passport is scanned, an alert will appear on the UKBA officer’s screen and the officer will ask where you’ve travelled from etc. Although the questioning is discreet, the desk won’t accept other people behind you for a couple of minutes (I imagine this is the time it takes for the system to update your entry) so might raise suspicion.

No 4 – Visas

Countries which require visas (or visa waivers) are unlikely to be aware of the details of your conviction. Whether you choose to declare it or not is down to you and I’m not going to offer an opinion on this either way.

If you do declare, it’s unlikely you’ll be issued a visa within a reasonable time frame. Many countries will choose to deny a visa application completely depending on the severity of your conviction and/or the amount of time which has passed since you received it. I’ve now applied twice for a US visa and been refused both times.

I hope you’ve found my information useful and it doesn’t put you off travelling. Being aware of what will/may happen should help you to mentally prepare equip yourself.

Happy holidays.

By Alan (name changed to protect identity)

 

Useful links

  1. Comment – Let us know your thoughts n this post by commenting below
  2. Information – We have practical self-help information on travelling abroad and sex offence notification requirements
  3. Discuss this issue – There are some interesting discussions related to sexual offences and travel on our online forum.

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