Restoring civil liberties | 1 Comment on repeal the retention of minor convictions on the police national computer

repeal the retention of minor convictions on the police national computer

until the end of 2006 it was possible to apply to have  one's criminal record erased in the case of minor and long-ago offences. now these offences, although they may only appear on a CRB at police discretion, remain on the PNC until 100 years after the death of the subject.

Why is this idea important?

until the end of 2006 it was possible to apply to have  one's criminal record erased in the case of minor and long-ago offences. now these offences, although they may only appear on a CRB at police discretion, remain on the PNC until 100 years after the death of the subject.

Repealing unnecessary laws | Leave a Comment on Reforming CRB checks

Reforming CRB checks

The current system of an individual needing seperate CRB checks for various activities is a waste of money & builds in unnecessary beaurocracy & costs; particularly in the public sector. Examples are:

  • A member of staff within the NHS who is changing roles (even within the same environment) is required to obtain a further CRB before being allowed to work unsupervised with the same patients she were working with previously.
  • A hospital chaplain is required to have a seperate check for each environment he works in  – I have heard of someone requiring 6 sepaerate checks.
  • Someone CRB checked for their employment still needs a further check for any voluntary work. E.g a Nurse who then wants to help at Brownies or similar.

It would make sense for this document to be a personally held check that is transferable with perhaps an on line or telephone check to obtain an update from centrally held records from time to time. 

Why is this idea important?

The current system of an individual needing seperate CRB checks for various activities is a waste of money & builds in unnecessary beaurocracy & costs; particularly in the public sector. Examples are:

  • A member of staff within the NHS who is changing roles (even within the same environment) is required to obtain a further CRB before being allowed to work unsupervised with the same patients she were working with previously.
  • A hospital chaplain is required to have a seperate check for each environment he works in  – I have heard of someone requiring 6 sepaerate checks.
  • Someone CRB checked for their employment still needs a further check for any voluntary work. E.g a Nurse who then wants to help at Brownies or similar.

It would make sense for this document to be a personally held check that is transferable with perhaps an on line or telephone check to obtain an update from centrally held records from time to time. 

Repealing unnecessary laws | Leave a Comment on Criminal record for small amounts of drugs

Criminal record for small amounts of drugs

I think that we should stop criminalising people for the possession of small amounts of drugs for personal consumption and concentrate our efforts on tackling drug dealers and importers coupled with education to reduce the problem.

Giving people criminal records in their teens and early twenties does not act as a deterrent and simply makes it harder to get a job in the future making them more likely to feel hopeless and, guess what, take more drugs!

Maybe being sent for enforcable "rehab" but with no criminal record would be a good approach for people caught with small amounts?

Why is this idea important?

I think that we should stop criminalising people for the possession of small amounts of drugs for personal consumption and concentrate our efforts on tackling drug dealers and importers coupled with education to reduce the problem.

Giving people criminal records in their teens and early twenties does not act as a deterrent and simply makes it harder to get a job in the future making them more likely to feel hopeless and, guess what, take more drugs!

Maybe being sent for enforcable "rehab" but with no criminal record would be a good approach for people caught with small amounts?