Politicians and justice activists are calling for a reform of the criminal records control system. They say that the widespread release of minor historical offenses does not protect the public and does not leave people without a chance for a clean slate. More than a third of juvenile delinquencies listed on Detection and Closure Service (DBS) certificates in England and Wales in 2021 occurred more than 40 years ago. The oldest was a 74-year-old convicted of simple theft (non-violent petty theft). Thousands of people still have to reveal warnings to adults of decades and historical, irrelevant offenses in routine criminal records checks every year. The warnings were issued on more than 23,000 DBS certificates last year, more than 8,000 of which were a decade or more. Government data was released as part of the Freedom of Information Act at FairChecks, a campaign supported by justice charities pushing for system reform. He calls for an end to the precautions that are automatically revealed in the inspections. to clear the shale for juvenile delinquency and stop forcing people to reveal short prison sentences forever. FairChecks’ Penelope Gibbs said: “For a very large reform of the criminal record, the controls are withering in the ‘very difficult’ context. Of course we need some controls. But our disproportionate system is ruining lives by forcing people to reveal relatively minor crimes to employers decades later. “Rehabilitation involves allowing people to move on in their lives. “The government could make it easier by making criminal prosecutions fairer.” A Supreme Court ruling meant that the rules were changed in November 2020 so that precautions for people under the age of 18 would no longer be automatically released – although they still apply to adults. But convictions for young people, including those of minor importance resulting in a Community sentence or suspension, are still automatically released on DBS certificates. These will stop appearing in the most basic audits after five and a half years, but will continue to be released in improved certifications. Shami Chakrabarti, a former shadowy attorney general for England and Wales, said the revelation of juvenile delinquency and historical warnings had damaged people’s chances of survival and was a matter of cross-party concern to the Lords. “There has been a huge movement to encourage people to take police precautions in recent decades without proper legal advice. “And these precautions then have greater legal and practical consequences for their lives in the years to come.” “It does not help us to rehabilitate people. “Everything is part of turning more and more people from citizens to suspects.” The criminal record system has been tightened since Soham’s assassinations in 2002. Ian Hadley, who murdered students Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, has been reported to police six times for sexually assaulting underage girls. . The reforms were designed to facilitate the detection of potential predators and prevent them from working or volunteering with vulnerable individuals. However, there are concerns that the widespread release of historically irrelevant beliefs, especially in enhanced controls, makes it impossible for people to rebuild their lives. Those who work with young or vulnerable people are subject to enhanced controls, which means that the police can detect even minor interactions for decades that were free of charge. MP Wera Hobhouse, a spokeswoman for the Liberal Democrats, said: “The government needs to commit to reforming criminal records so that people do not have to report irrelevant old and small sentences that could affect their future. . “This evidence shows that the government’s ‘seemingly harsh’ approach to crime simply does not work. “If the Conservatives were serious about reducing crime rates, they would have to put dignity and respect at the heart of our criminal justice system.” When crimes are “spent” they no longer need to be detected automatically, but many employers, such as schools, nursing homes and hospitals, require more advanced background checks. Any offense that results in a prison sentence, even if suspended or committed as a child, will be revealed to everyone for life except the most basic checks. This means that thousands of people have to report very short sentences, for example, for petty theft or possession of drugs, for life. In 2020, 6,500 people were sentenced to less than a month in prison. More than 31,000 certificates cite prison sentences last year, of which more than a quarter were suspended. The Ministry of Justice stated: “The protection of the public is our number one priority and those convicted of the most serious crimes will have life sentences in their files. “At the same time, low-level reform offenders should not be kept on their criminal records, which is why we have already reduced the time it takes to spend their sentences.”
