Transform Justice

Project summary

A campaign aiming to empower people with lived experience to advocate for proportionate reform to the criminal records disclosure system to improve incomes

Context

Current legislation means people with cautions and convictions must declare these to employers for a certain period. Criminal record checks can be an important tool to safeguard the public, and there are many instances where they are necessary. But the current system can be disproportionate and stop people who have already been punished from moving on and earning better wages. Changing the law so that old and minor cautions and convictions are not indefinitely revealed on criminal record checks would make it easier for thousands of people to access better employment opportunities by removing discrimination in recruitment and increasing applicants’ confidence in applying to more formal and better paying work.

Project overview

Transform Justice’s campaigning work with partners Unlock will humanise the issue of criminal records through first-hand stories and demonstrate the severe and lasting impact a criminal record can have on someone’s life. Their ‘FairChecks’ campaign will work to empower people with lived experience to activate parliamentary momentum for reform to the criminal records regime, and improve people’s income as a result.