May 28, 2025, by bbztlg
Punishment starts when prison ends
Researcher Rebecca Bull, from the School of Sociology & Social Policy, explores how criminal records perpetuate stigma and hinder reintegration.
My name is Rebecca Bull, and I am a final year PhD student. I study the post-sentence discrimination some people experience due to having a criminal record. I specifically consider Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland and Western Australia in my work. The stigma and restrictions people endure limit their rehabilitation and reintegration into society, possibly encouraging further criminality.
1 in 3 adult men in the UK have a criminal record. 1 in 10 women have one too. This can include convictions from shoplifting to fraud.
Most of these people have backgrounds of deprivation, domestic violence and trauma. Odds are we all know people with a record, whether we know it or not. Friends. Family. Colleagues. This may create feelings of anxiety or fear for some, but most people’s records are for minor convictions. This is not to diminish the impacts of crime and crime victims, but it is not always the worst-case scenario.
People are charged with committing a crime, convicted and then sentenced for their infringement and serve their legal sentence. This could include a fine, a community sentence or imprisonment. Sentences are getting longer and more severe, despite what headlines might tell us. However, the punishment carries on after the sentence too.
The barriers due to having a record after completing a sentence are immense. This includes difficulties getting a job, housing, insurance, accessing education, relationship strain, stigma, and mental health troubles. This may be for the family of the person with the record too. All of these coalesce to form an often unconquerable barrier to ‘rehabilitation’ or ‘reintegration’.
People who have spent time reflecting and working on themselves may be trying to turn their lives around. Yet, this is near impossible when so many barriers are in place holding people back. These barriers not only keep people in a situation where crime is more appealing, but increases victimisation as more people fall back into crime. This leads to a more unsafe society, as well as decreased economic activity as people find it hard to get into employment.
Therefore, I challenge you to reconsider your outlook on ‘criminals’ and who you think is and is not one, and why. Try to think a bit more critically about the bombardment of headlines we all see daily and if the media are trying to stoke fear among the public just to make a profit.
Who would you consider a ‘criminal’?
The guy who got into a pub fight 7 years ago?
The 17-year-old who was caught getting drunk in the park with their friends?
The struggling mom who stole nappies and baby food from a supermarket?
Your friend who was convicted for inconsiderate driving while lane-hogging?
The elderly lady who did not inform the authorities that her daughter had moved back in, which changed her benefit allowance?
The word ‘criminal’ has taken on a stereotype that does not represent all of those with a criminal record. Our minds can jump to the worst crimes imaginable, but maybe we can pause, think and learn a bit more before plunging into judgement.
For more information on the barriers for people with criminal records, their stories and how actors in the field are trying to change a system rooted in stigma, the charity Unlock do some wonderful work.
You can connect with Rebecca on LinkedIn.
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