Overview

This bill amends the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, altering the rules on when criminal convictions become "spent," meaning they no longer need to be disclosed. The changes primarily affect the length of time before convictions are considered spent, depending on the severity of the sentence.

Description

The bill modifies the 1974 Act's rehabilitation periods for various convictions. Key changes include:

• Revised Rehabilitation Periods: The bill introduces new tables specifying the rehabilitation periods for different sentences. These periods generally consist of the sentence length plus an additional "buffer period" (2 or 4 years, depending on sentence length). The buffer period is halved for those under 18 at the time of conviction.
• Sentences Excluded from Rehabilitation: Sentences like life imprisonment, preventive detention, and those for public protection remain permanently excluded from rehabilitation.
• Definition of "Sentence": Clarifies that custodial sentences include time served and any post-release supervision.
• Specific Sentence Amendments: The bill revises the rehabilitation periods for specific sentences, including Borstal training, detention and training orders, and hospital orders. It also amends the rules regarding conditional discharges, orders discharging absolutely, and children's hearing discharges.

Government Spending

The bill's impact on government spending is not explicitly stated in the provided text and therefore cannot be summarized here.

Groups Affected

The bill will affect:

• Individuals with criminal convictions: The changes directly impact when their convictions become "spent," influencing their ability to disclose convictions for jobs, volunteering, etc.
• Employers: Changes to disclosure rules may affect their hiring processes.
• Organizations that conduct background checks: These organizations will need to be aware of the updated rehabilitation periods.

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