Day 19 - Add your name to stop Tracy being punished forever!

Tracy is still being punished years after stealing a phone at 18

While out with friends, Tracy stole a phone that had been left on the table in a pub. She had never committed a crime before. She pleaded guilty in court and spent 6 weeks in prison for theft. Five years on, she is still being punished. Before going to prison, Tracy had begun training as a vet’s assistant. She was able to finish her diploma, but found she couldn’t get work because of her criminal record. One vet’s practice made her an offer, but later retracted it after seeing the theft on her DBS check.

Tracy is not alone

More than 12 million people in the UK have a criminal record. Most are for minor offences which happened many years ago. These people are just trying to move on with their lives, but their record can keep them trapped in the past, unable to find work or fulfil their potential.

No one should be punished forever

Tracy’s conviction will appear forever on the detailed criminal record checks required to work in a vet’s office or in similar roles in schools, hospitals, or care homes. She can’t afford to train in a new field for now, so she’s taking any work she can get to make ends meet. Tracy thought she would be able to move on after serving her time in prison, but employers continue to discriminate against her because of her record. Her confidence has been severely knocked, and she feels hopeless about the future.

Let’s build a better system

People who’ve served their sentence need a fair chance to find work and fulfil their potential. But records of old offences, many of which are irrelevant to the job at hand, keep them trapped in the past. 

FairChecks is calling for all political parties to support a review of the criminal records system, with the aim of making it fairer and more proportionate. If nothing changes, people who’ve worked hard to turn their lives around will continue to be punished for decades. This isn’t justice.

Add your name so that people like Tracy can have a fair chance to find work and fulfil their potential. Be sure to opt in for updates on our progress as we work towards reform.