WIREDGOV

Eight times harder for those with criminal convictions to find work.

A conference is taking place in Edinburgh today looking at ways of getting those with criminal convictions into work as figures reveal that 80 per cent of prisoners in Scotland were unemployed at the time they were sent to prison.

The Working 2Change conference is being attended by experts and employers from across the UK and will include a video message from Sir Richard Branson.

Evidence shows that those with criminal convictions face significant barriers to gaining employment. It is eight times harder for them to gain employment and three-quarters of employers admit to discriminating against applicants who have criminal convictions.

During the event, the Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs Paul Wheelhouse is expected to announce a consultation on proposals to modernise the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 in Scotland. The consultation puts forward proposals to shorten the timeframe for disclosing previous convictions to employers for certain types of offenders, as well as aiming to allow more people with a criminal history to move away from their past offending behaviour. The move will bring the Scottish Government in line with legislation already in place in England and Wales.

A lack of employment has been consistently found to be one of the factors causing reoffending and the consultation on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act is putting forward a more progressive approach to the disclosure of previous convictions to help turn the lives of those with criminal convictions around and to allow them to make a meaningful contribution to society.

The consultation does not propose any changes to the existing disclosure legislation when it comes to certain high level crimes or certain job types such as those working with children or the elderly.

Community Safety Minister Paul Wheelhouse said:

“It is absolutely right that those who have committed crimes serve their sentences, but it is equally important that once those who have committed crimes have paid back, they are allowed to try and move on with their lives in a positive way.

“We know that getting people back into a job drastically reduces their chances of reoffending as it gives them financial security, a stable environment, routine and improves their self-esteem. Often, these individuals also have children and families to support, so by improving access to employment not only benefits those with criminal convictions, but wider society too, and reduces inequality.

“My view is that attitudes need to change. With evidence showing that 80 per cent of offenders were unemployed at the time of their crimes, it is clear that if we are serious about reducing reoffending in Scotland’s communities, we need to do more to support people back into work after they’ve repaid their debts to society. We need to do everything we can to stop the revolving door to our prisons which sees people in and out of prison time and time again only to go on and commit more crimes in the future. We need to tackle the underlying causes of reoffending and employment is a significant barrier we must address.

“Let me be clear, this consultation is about getting the balance right between protecting the public and enabling those people with previous criminal records to enter the workforce. This is not a proposal that will affect those who work with children or the elderly – they will still be subjected to the same existing levels of protection.

“It is significant that today’s announcement comes on the same day that the Scottish Government holds a conference to discuss the barriers of getting those with criminal convictions back into work. With one in three men in Scotland having previous criminal convictions, the issue of disclosing these convictions for longer than is necessary needs to be addressed and we need to take a more sophisticated and progressive approach.

“There is no doubt that the Government cannot do this alone however. This conference proves that our collective approach proves that, but we need to do more at every level, and the Scottish Government has a responsibility to ensure our legislation is as effective as possible. I look forward to reading the responses and taking this reform forward in the coming months.”

Richard Thomson, Director of Recruit With Conviction, added:

“People with minor criminal convictions can all too often find the path blocked to employment. This can lead to increased levels of poverty. The steps by the Scottish Government, announced in the consultation today, are positive in helping ensure people no longer have to tell recruiters about old and minor convictions is a sensible solution to help more people find work and stay in work.”

Sir Harry Burns, Professor of Global Public Health at the University of Strathclyde, said:

"A criminal record can make it impossible to lead a normal life. Having a job, however, enhances a person’s ability to take control and live normal, productive lives. They are far less likely to reoffend and ultimately we all stand to benefit when our communities are more inclusive. Children who experience adversity in early life often have problems relating to others and, as a result, they are much more likely to end up with a criminal conviction.

“The Working2Change summit is an opportunity to start to change perceptions and to remove the barriers for one of the most marginalised groups in Scotland. I am very excited about the discussion and possible solutions that might emerge."

Notes To Editors

The aim of the Rehabilitation of Offenders (Scotland) Act reforms will:

• Allow more people to receive protection not to have to disclose a previous conviction after a relevant period of time has elapsed by increasing the scope of the Act from sentences of 30 months to sentences of 48 months.
• Reduce the existing rehabilitation periods for a range of different disposals including alternatives to prosecution, (e.g. police warnings and fiscal fines), non-custodial and custodial sentences.