Declaring criminal convictions on job applications should be banned, study finds

A study found that criminal record declarations can deter candidates from applying and actually do little to predict the risk of re-offending.

The study, carried out by the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice (SCCJ) for Virgin Trains and charity Business in the Community, noted that people who had never been convicted of a crime might actually pose a greater risk than those who had.

The findings were backed by Release Scotland, a network of organisations that committed to giving people with convictions the opportunities to find work.

Liz Cameron, director and chief executive of Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said: “This research demonstrates that asking for disclosure during the initial application stage actively reduces the talent pool for recruiters to choose from, while providing little to no insight into how likely a candidate is to reoffend. 

“At a time of stubborn skills shortages in many sectors, businesses should reassess their recruitment practices and consider banning the box where feasible and extend the talent pool available to them.”

Dr Beth Weaver, associate director of SCCJ, said: “Around 38 per cent of men and nine per cent of women in Scotland have at least one criminal conviction, so this issue affects a large number of people. Giving people a chance to work can improve outcomes for people and contribute to a safer and more just society.”