NEWS STORY : Changes Made to Period Ex-Offenders Need to Declare their Convictions For
STORY
The Government has announced that changes will be made to reduce the length of time that former offenders will need to declare their convictions to employers for. The measures are aimed to make it easier for 120,000 former offenders to find work and to reduce the barrier to employment which many face. The Ministry of Justice said in a statement:
“Under the previous rules, some offenders needed to disclose their sentences for the rest of their lives, even for crimes committed decades earlier, a significant barrier to them getting a job and rebuilding their lives. Now, custodial sentences of four years or more years for less serious crimes become ‘spent’ after a seven-year period of rehabilitation, as long as no further offence is committed.”
Alex Chalk, the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, said in a statement:
“Carrying the weight of life-long criminal records even after serving their time is a huge barrier for many offenders seeking to reintegrate into society and turn away from a life of crime. These reforms will help ex-offenders get the steady income, routine and purpose they need which cuts reoffending and ensures fewer members of the public become victims of crime.”
RESOURCES
