Constituents have contacted be about the disclosure of criminal records.

I do appreciate concerns over the long-term effect a criminal record can have on a person's employability. As someone who has undertaken prison visiting, I know how important it is to ensure that former offenders are able to find employment, which has been shown to reduce the chances of reoffending by up to nine per cent.  Each year, reoffending costs the taxpayer £18 billion. 

The requirement to disclose criminal records can be a disproportionate barrier to employment and prevents ex-offenders from moving on from crime and getting on with their lives. You may be interested to hear that, until recently, someone who was handed a five-year sentence for theft 30 years ago would have had to still disclose this despite never reoffending.

The Police, Crime, Sentencing & Courts Act 2022 made changes to ensure custodial sentences of four years or more for less serious crimes become ‘spent’ after a seven-year period of rehabilitation, as long as no further offence is committed. This means that for non-sensitive jobs or activities, these sentences do not have to be disclosed to employers after that time period. The legislation also reduces the time that community orders and sentences under four years have to be revealed to most employers. I believe that these reductions in disclosure periods will help improve access to employment.

Children’s rehabilitation periods will continue to be half that of adults, recognising that children who offend are often highly vulnerable and are still maturing.

These changes will not apply to offenders who have committed serious sexual, violent or terrorist offences and those who work in sensitive professions such as teaching or nursing. These measures will help those who have genuinely turned their back on crime.

Fiona Bruce MP

2nd February 2024