Oh the irony ...the same Blair that quite a groundswell of people are calling to be prosecuted for starting an illegal war...?

I received a three year prison sentence in the late 1960's. Once released it didn't actually make a lot of difference to me. It wasn't until Blair introduced CRB checking that I had any issues. I am now retired so work isn't a problem any more. The only day to day issue for me is car and household insurance. It is a good feeling that from March I will be able to legally tick the no unspent convictions box on proposal form at long last. I think it disgusting that after nearly half a century I am still being penalised for a crime committed so long ago. I am so in agreement with Turbo above that there should be some mechanism to allow people to clear all their record somehow.

I have 18 months left until my conviction is classed as unspent but recently read that this won't be the case come Spring time (only a few months away) I am looking at getting a car and totally forgot about having to declare it to the insurance, now I am so relieved as in a few months I can move on with my life without this weight hanging over me.
Anybody know the exact date the lew legistation comes into play or where we can fond out the date?

Thanks in advance guys

ROA ,Rehabitation Of Offenders Bill2010, This Bill was about to be passed in the last parliament session as all parties agreed, but unfortunately there was no time left to make the Bill into Law in the last Parliament so the Bill is dead, Its now up to me and you to write to our MPs and campaign through the E partition for the Bill to be brought into this new session of Parliament. This Bill will reduce spend Convictions in a shorter time than the 1974 Bill been used at the moment.

Charh777

Yes your right but let us concentrate on working a way around this. For now we must all accept that some progress has been made and we need to reflect on this and work around other barriers. A door has opened so me personally will try to walk through it! I may have to come back through that door but every time I attempt the hinges are not as squeeky! Everyone needs hope in their life and further options so lets not forget whats been achieved so far and all the support from unlock on this matter regarding pressure to change any old outdated laws.

Thanks

Peter

I've already commented on this and asked Richard to take a look at the recent reforms passed in parliament on May 1st 2012. Main forum LASPO reforms to be implemented in spring 2013 after commencement order. It's a shame people don't read the forum properly before they ask questions as most times it has already been covered and the answers found.

Thanks

Peter

These upcoming changes WILL have a massive effect on my life.

I was sentenced to 3.5 years for assault back in 1989 (19 years old!) and have managed to build up a career working with blue chip companies and successfully becoming Security Cleared to work on MOD sites etc. I woked in Investment banking until 2004 and whilst obviously I cannot pass an enhanced and standard CRB check at the moment, being able to have a basic check (which is becomign the normal process in most recruitment now) without worries will make a massive difference to my life.

this was the only stumbling block for me and now I will be able to know that my past discrepancies (1 x theft, 1 x criminal damage and 1 x assault) 3 offences all committed 23-25 years ago will be spent..

Thansk Unlock...

SC was the fairest process I have ever come across.

Basically if you dont try and hide anything they look upon it as honesty, which is all they really want to know about you, that you can be trusted.

Also you dont disclose to your company but a vetting agency.

Investment banks wll do standard or enhanced I believe now. But increasingly i am seeing BPSS which ony includes a Basic Check.

due to the assault ALL my convictions show up on a check, so this will really effet me in a positive manner. Looking further ahead I do still feel we 'ex offenders' are penalised for life due to the fact that our offences will ALWAYS come up on a CRB check (standard or enhanced). There really should be logical ad attainable step downs if clean sheet kept, not the current 100 year of age or death before these are wiped...

Keep up the great work Unlock....

It wont make much of a difference for the vast amount of people with criminal records. It will still come up on a CRB check.

I agree with so many that the proposals don't go far enough but on a purely selfish view I welcome them.

I was sentenced to 3 years in 1969. Until the CRB came in it was never a real problem. Now I am retired so work isn't a problem. At present the only problem is car insurance and I am looking forward to next year being able to tick the "no convictions" box. Mind you, I expect the convictions are on the insurance database so may not make much difference.

would this affect scotland?

and also if it does get implemented will it only affect future convictions or all ongoing convictions?

Post Edited (gogo) : 14/03/2012 01:51:24 GMT

this might save me, so if i get convicted now it will still affect me? both region and time wise?

just to clarify will the ROA changes also be implemented in Scotland once it commences in 2013

What's this guy going on about??

As a reformed criminal who has served a sentence of over 4 years I'd dearly like to be able to have my conviction spent one day.

My last offence was in 1996, I was sentenced in 1997 (after being on remand for nearly a year) and released in late 1999 just in time for the millennium. I have never offended since.

Despite nearly 15 years since conviction, and 12+ years since release, I have to expect to be classed as a criminal till the day I die. Where is the justice in that?

Andy

Hi All

i have a question regarding Rehabilitation of Offenders ammendmnts. sorry if it's been answered already. actually i have a conviction which i got on 26th, August 2009. i was fined by court 300 pounds. it had to be spent on 26th August 2014. but due to new ammendments in ROA, it wd' have been spent on 26th August 2010.(New Rehablitation period of 1 Year for fines when it will apply).

But i have read as well that " no rehabilitation for certain immigration decisions"

now i have to apply for ILR next year in April 2013. can i apply for ILR or i will have to wait for 2014 when this conviction will be spent after 5 years please?

I've been following the progress of this for quite some time, on this forum and in the news. Labour previously proposed shorter times before convictions to become spent I read somewhere; I personally think for a Tory govt to go this far as a good platform for further reform. I think most agree in saying it doesn't go far enough, but this is just the start. My sentence was for less than 30 months, I faced the prospect of paying extortionate money for insurance and disclosing my conviction for 10 years, under these changes it would be reduced to 4. I for one am afraid that the proposed changes will be shot down in the press. Lets hope that it goes through and leads to further reforms that will encompass all, as I said this is a stepping stone I hope.

Hi Christopher Stacy

The difference pre-96/7 was that the CRB question was rarely if ever asked by employers (eduction and training). In some cases you had to sign a Consent Form on acceptance of a job but this was not necessarily followed up. Perhaps they just wanted the option if you turned out to be a "problem".

The absolutely huge difference was that in those "golden" days your "Spent" convictions did not show up!!! Can you even begin to imagine how joyous that was? I happened to work in education and training (with young and vunerable people) pre conviction; during the time the conviction was live, and then with the "spent" convictions for over a decade, without incident. I was employed in FE until I left in 2002 to raise a family. It was some 5 years later when I tried to return to work that I realised it was now impossible to even secure an interview if you ticked the "yes I have spent convictions" box. If however you answered "no" to that question, you would get an interview, and you'd then go through the charade of explaining it when you were offered the job.

My gripe is that the 96/7 change has effectively ruined my otherwise successful and blemish-free career. Even though I have good references etc etc I feel like I am just not prepared to go through the "game" with employers, and have to drag up and relive something that happened over 25 years ago. The Taxpayer has subsidised my part-time education up to Masters level, and yet this small change in the law prevents me from putting something back into the community. I would not "volunteer" on principle. And I will not accept a "Mac Job". So it looks like I will be a burden on the Taxpayer for life. I just don't care any more. I could not have done more to establish myself as a good, hard-working trustworthy person. My record of promotions at work supports this. So to be suddenly "written off" halfway through your working life, 25 years post-conviction is really hard to stomach. I have zero faith in the State and almost wish I hadn't bothered with wasting my life studying and working.

This doesn't actually achieve anything. If your record becomes "spent" sooner that's very nice - but there are still over 45 occupational fields where your spent convictions will be disclosed due to full disclosure rules, and that includes pretty much every career, profession or aspirational job, even data processing in public sector as clearly you cannot be trusted with personal data!!!

So great if you're happy with a Mac-Job but of no help whatsoever to those who really want to make a change and have a good career. Rest assured Employers will discriminate as soon as you tick "Yes" to the 'I have Spent Convictions" box. This question should not be allowed on Application Forms. It should only be asked when a job offer is made, thus making it harder for employers to discriminate.

The real "elephant in the room" is whether spent convictions should be disclosed. If they are spent then that should be the end of the matter unless you reoffend. I think convictions for violence are possibly never spent - so that leaves stuff like petty theft and someone with a spent conviction for petty theft hardly poses the same risk as someone like Ian Huntley.

Until this is addressed there are millions of "reformed" people who are unable to find decent jobs. And these people were told in Court (pre 96) that after a period of time "it would be as if it never happened" - the state has moved the goalposts and gone back on its word here. If these people are in effect denied a chance to start again and follow their career aspirations then is it surprising if they spend a life on benefits or return to crime? How many teachers, doctors, lawyers, nurses took or still take drugs? How many have convictions for minor theft? If they have been in continuous employment since pre-96 they are free to carry on, but if they take a career break or try to change jobs they will find they can no longer work in their chosen profession.

I've emailed the first 250 MPs (alphabetically) and I have received a reply from ONE ! No-one is making this point clearly or loudly enough and if we don't make our voices heard we will "miss the boat".

This is just not enough, how on earth does the government expect ex offenders to regain control over their lives??? They are totally against discrimination, but when it comes to someone who comitted an offense and served his/her time discrimination goes out the window, along with everything else. People should be made aware, that anyone who has spent time in prison is persecuted for the rest of their lives, but it is not just the ex offender, it is also his/her family that also suffers, if you ask me, offenders are better off in prison, they are protected there, when they come out the HELL begins. Where is the justice in this, the way the law is now gives no insentive for an offender not to re-offend. I feel better for getting this off my chest

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by sharing a problem it gets less, sharing love it grows

by sharing a problem it gets less, sharing love it grows