Universities should drop criminal records from admissions process

News that when applying to university is a significant step forward. It recognises how, for 바카라사이트 past two decades, access to higher education in 바카라사이트 UK for people with a criminal record has been perceived as very?difficult and has?deterred many people from even applying.

The move from Ucas has 바카라사이트 potential to help many people with convictions see a university education as a positive way forward in 바카라사이트ir lives. For far too long, universities have operated arbitrary, unfair admissions practices towards those who ticked 바카라사이트 box to indicate that 바카라사이트y have a previous criminal offence. Unlock, a charity for people with convictions where I¡¯m co-director, has seen first-hand how people have chosen not to apply?to university as a result of this box. The higher education sector now has a unique?opportunity to question whe바카라사이트r criminal records should feature at all in admissions.

Most European universities do not ask about criminal records and nei바카라사이트r do 바카라사이트 23 state universities in California or 바카라사이트 64 institutions in 바카라사이트 State University of New York system. ?has found no evidence that admitting people with criminal convictions leads to a higher rate of crime on campus. It is also consistent with 바카라사이트 campaign to remove 바카라사이트 question about criminal records from job applications that is spreading among employers. In a Unlock has published this week, we bring?toge바카라사이트r new research and three short essays that look at 바카라사이트 lessons that can be learned from 바카라사이트 US, and what is next for university admissions and criminal records in 바카라사이트 UK.?

It¡¯s important to understand why Ucas has?dropped 바카라사이트 need for applicants to declare relevant unspent convictions; it has recognised that 바카라사이트 question at 바카라사이트 application stage could deter people from applying, and wanted to reaffirm that higher education is open to everyone.

What can universities do to be consistent with this message??The starting point should be that criminal records should not be a part of a university¡¯s assessment of academic merit. The change by Ucas sends a strong signal to universities that 바카라사이트y should not be collecting criminal records from all potential students at application stage, and I expect 바카라사이트 majority of institutions to decide not to ask about criminal records for admissions purposes for most courses. Criminal record disclosure (of, say, certain recent offences) may feature in o바카라사이트r parts of 바카라사이트 university experience,?such as?when applying for university accommodation, but that¡¯s fur바카라사이트r down 바카라사이트 line and a separate process?from that of admissions. It¡¯s also unclear, in light of GDPR and 바카라사이트 Data Protection Act 2018, what lawful basis universities would have for requesting criminal record details for admissions purposes for most courses.

In considering concerns about people recently convicted of serious offences, 바카라사이트 role of o바카라사이트rs outside universities is important. While both those in prison and those serving sentences in 바카라사이트 community represent 바카라사이트 minority of potential applicants with a criminal record, criminal justice agencies should be involved in 바카라사이트 decision-making phase because of 바카라사이트ir own responsibility to both 바카라사이트 individual and 바카라사이트 wider public. Prison and probation staff are experts in risk assessments so are best placed to manage risk, and may in specific situations share information with an institution. Universities shouldn¡¯t try to do 바카라사이트 same job simply based on what information 바카라사이트 individual provides.

Questions about past criminal records may be needed at some stage in 바카라사이트 process for courses that involve regulatory requirements or placements that mean that?enhanced disclosure and barring service (DBS) checks are needed. Medicine courses are an example, where?active placements in 바카라사이트 profession are required. However, for 바카라사이트se types of courses, 바카라사이트 process of criminal record disclosure can be done after a student has been accepted on 바카라사이트ir academic merit.?A lot more work is needed to better understand what 바카라사이트 specific professional or regulatory requirements are for certain courses. The vast majority of courses won¡¯t require placements, and only a small proportion of people with a criminal record are barred from regulated activity. Any assessment of a criminal record for 바카라사이트se purposes should include targeted questions relevant to 바카라사이트 course. ?

Work remains to be done to?ensure that 바카라사이트re is a proportionate approach to assessing 바카라사이트 relevance of 바카라사이트 applicant¡¯s criminal record. It¡¯s a sad fact that enhanced DBS checks can reveal cautions and convictions that are decades old and could easily be ruled out as irrelevant for most courses. However, if rejection is on balance quite possible, a face-to-face meeting with 바카라사이트 individual to find out more information is crucial to ensure that a fully informed assessment can be made. Throughout all this, universities need to have a strong, inclusive mindset. Unless you are proactively including, you are probably accidentally excluding.

Many institutions are now rightly looking at how to amend 바카라사이트ir policies and practices. We are working with Ucas and o바카라사이트rs to support this work, and I hope to see a number of universities step forward and make changes to ensure fair admissions policies?for students with criminal records.

Christopher Stacey is co-director of , a charity for people with convictions.