i know a woman with a criminal record. i could ask here to join here and post her story, if she would agree...
in the end, i doubt that there is too much difference between a man and a woman with criminal record...

A criminal record can be a real obstacle in getting on in life. But what we don't know is what additional barriers women face that men don't.

Last year, we published a report (A life sentence for young people) that looked at the specific problems people face from criminal records they acquired in their youth. In July this year, we published a report (Double discrimination?) that focused on the impact of criminal records as perceived by people from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds. 

Now we want to understand the structural barriers women face in terms of their criminal record. 

Although our focus is mainly on the issues that women have faced after they've received their criminal record, we're also keen to identify any issues that might relate to earlier on in the process that had an impact later on in terms of the criminal record and its consequences. 

We're keen to hear from women with every type of criminal record - so whether you've been fined, spent time in prison, had a caution or spent time on probation, we want to hear from you about the problems your criminal record has caused for you. 

We also want to hear from practitioners and organisations that have experience in this area. 

Your answers will be treated in confidence and will directly inform our recommendations for structural and practical changes. These recommendations will be shared with people who have the power to make things better.

So what do we want to know?

We've put together an online survey for women with a criminal record - it should only take about 15 minutes, all responses will be confidential and no personal details shared externally. You can read our full privacy policy on our website. 

You can fill out the online survey here.

There's also an option to put your email address if you're happy for us to contact you about your response.

We're also keen to have contributions from practitioners and organisations that work with women. These can be emailed to policy@unlock.org.uk.

The survey will close at 5pm on Monday 30th September.

Thank you for your support. 

Need Unlocks advice? Visit our self-help information site or contact our helpline