Over 120,000 former offenders will find it easier to get work and turn their lives away from crime after Alex changed the law to significantly reduce the time people with criminal convictions are legally required to declare them to most potential employers.
Under the previous rules, some offenders needed to disclose their sentences for the rest of their lives, even for crimes committed decades earlier which is a significant barrier to them getting a job and rebuilding their lives.
Now, custodial sentences of four years or more years for less serious crimes become ‘spent’ after a seven-year period of rehabilitation, as long as no further offence is committed.
Alex said:
"Carrying the weight of life-long criminal records even after serving their time is a huge barrier for many offenders seeking to reintegrate into society and turn away from a life of crime.
"These reforms will help ex-offenders get the steady income, routine and purpose they need which cuts reoffending and ensures fewer members of the public become victims of crime."