This is more of a rant than anything else.

Something i would like to do is volunteer for something that is of benefit to society, yet my previous attempts at registering as a volunteer have always been rejected due to having an unspent conviction. I am an RSO but it has been more than 5 years since i committed my offense which wasn't contact related and have undergone extensive rehabilitation and turned my life around so i engage in more positive and productive things.

I would love to use my skills to help others. i do construction and i know there are a few projects out there that need willing and able volunteers. I wouldn't even mind doing things like local litter picking but it seems even to do that you need to have a clean record ?

This seems to be counter productive in my opinion. i believe that people with convictions, spent or unspent could benefit greatly by volunteering by learning the meaning of kindness. Freely giving themselves to a cause greater than themselves, it appears to me would be a great tool to bolster an individuals rehabilitation and attitudes. Plus they are giving something back to the community willingly and not because they are forced to by the court.

i know there are many roles that can be undertaken which don't involve necessarily having to engage with vulnerable people directly, i think that is one of the fears, that people with convictions are some kind of loaded gun and also the whole reputation management thing comes into play. I believe that there should be some projects who should consider how best they can involve people with convictions. I think there are many people who through their rehabilitation have come to the conclusion they would like to give something back to society as a way of making amends and engaging in restorative justice. unfortunately much of society wants to bury their head in the sand and not explore the benefits of engaging with ex offenders in order to help reduce the rate of recidivism further.

Rant over