The writer is chair of Soas University of London, founder of Crime Concern and co-founder of Catch22
The UK currently has more than a million job vacancies. And while ministers scramble to plug this gap, there is a common sense solution staring them in the face. A solution that will reinvigorate our workforce, grow our economy, advance racial equity and make our communities safer — we must reform our outdated criminal records system.
More than 12mn people in the UK have some form of criminal record. Most of these are for minor infractions, often decades old, and yet they still prevent individuals from gaining stable employment — even when the offence has nothing to do with the job at hand. But 27 per cent of employers say they would not hire someone with a criminal record. These workers have skills and experience to offer and we should not be holding them back — especially when the economy is sluggish.
Societies that thrive are the ones that get the most out of their people, and work is one of the most effective means of lifting people out of poverty, raising productivity and increasing social cohesion. Ensuring those who have paid their debt to society find gainful employment allows them to provide for themselves and their families, but it also helps give them the purpose and dignity necessary to move on. We can break cycles of joblessness, reoffending and incarceration — and help deserving individuals contribute to our society and our economy.
I know this first-hand. Throughout my career I have consistently found people who have been through the criminal justice system to be conscientious, hardworking and loyal, and my experience is far from atypical. As for businesses in the UK that employ people with a criminal record, 81 per cent say that they positively contribute to society.
We need reform of criminal records checks to help more employers tap into a vast, underutilised workforce.
The #FairChecks campaign proposes three simple changes: stop the automatic disclosure of cautions; wipe the slate clean for childhood offences; and stop forcing people to reveal short prison sentences forever. This will allow for a more flexible approach that doesn’t trap people in the past. For individuals, it’s a chance to start afresh, while giving employers access to a new talent pool.
Our criminal justice system rightly punishes wrongdoing. But exclusion from employment for people who have already paid their dues denies deserving individuals another chance to contribute. This makes our society less prosperous and less equal. David Lammy’s review has documented how disproportionately our justice system affects people of colour. I have seen the harm this inflicts, after decades spent working on projects to strengthen black communities.
Minorities face more of the economic barriers that accompany a criminal record, which in turn deepens racial inequity. This effect is compounded by other prejudices, which makes the consequences even more damaging: three-quarters of people from a black and minority background felt that it increased the problems they faced as a result of their record.
As for the national balance sheet, we spend more on prisons than any other country in Europe (with the exception of Russia). By the Ministry of Justice’s own estimates, reoffending costs England and Wales £18bn a year. This is a failure. We need to rethink our approach. Having a job is the most important determinant in whether someone will reoffend, so by expanding opportunities through clearing old records, we can reduce the likelihood of new crimes.
Workforce shortages and inequality are among the most urgent issues facing society, and the government must do everything in its power to drive economic growth while helping everyone to reach their full potential. Reforming our criminal record system is a common sense solution — saving money and making us safer at the same time.
