New UK database offers insights into university admissions policies for people with criminal records

An event examining criminal record admissions policies across the UK Higher Education sector saw the launch of a new interactive database to improve transparency and help widen access.

The Criminal Record and University Admissions Database was formally launched at a one-day event this week on 3 November titled ‘Unlocking Opportunity: Criminal Records and University Admissions’, held at the University of Leicester. The event brough together admissions practitioners and higher education policymakers to facilitate a discussion about university admissions and criminal records and encourage providers to share and reflect on their current practices in this area. 

In England and Wales there are over 12.5 million people with a criminal record, equating to 1 in 6 people. A criminal record can refer to any interaction with the criminal justice system, including fines, cautions, community sentences or prison sentences. Therefore, the term ‘people with criminal records’ can refer to a substantial number of people, many of whom do not continue to pose a heightened risk to public safety. 

Applicants are not required to disclose their criminal record on application to most non-regulated university degrees, but such information is often requested by universities before an applicant can enrol on a degree course. Policies vary between universities, which can make it challenging for people with unspent criminal records to know what information, if any, they need to disclose about their criminal record. 

The Criminal Record and University Admissions Database brings together university admissions policies for people with criminal records from 140 UK universities into a single interactive platform, enabling users to explore and compare approaches to criminal record disclosure and assessment across different institutions. For providers, the database allows them to easily view and reflect on universities policies and practices for people with criminal records from across the sector.

The database has been co-created with colleagues from the University of Leicester School of Criminology, Sociology and Social Policy and the School of Engineering, along with university admissions staff, representatives from voluntary and charity organisations, and people with lived experience of the criminal justice system. 

The Criminal Record and University Admissions Database allows users to better understand:

• If applicants need to disclose their record when applying to university.
• What types of convictions need to be disclosed and when.
• How criminal record disclosures are assessed.
• Where to find different universities’ policies by providing a direct link to each universities’ admissions policy for people with criminal records.

Dr Charlotte Brooks from the University of Leicester School of Criminology, Sociology and Social Policy said: “Higher education policy has focused on attempts to widen access to university for students that are currently underrepresented within higher education. But a range of evidence shows us that people with these characteristics are also disproportionately criminalised and are overrepresented in the criminal justice system. If universities want to fully represent the communities they serve and sit within, it is important that people with criminal records are included within the student body.

“I’m delighted to be launching the Criminal Record and University Admissions Database. Through my research, I have seen the challenges that people with criminal records can face when applying to higher education, as well as the complexities universities navigate in this area. It is wonderful to be able to turn that research into a practical resource that can improve transparency, make admissions information more accessible and ultimately support greater access to higher education for people with criminal records.”

The event included a contribution from the charity Unlock. Debbie Sadler, Head of Delivery and Programmes at Unlock, said: “Education has the power to change lives. For many people with criminal records, accessing higher education can provide a renewed sense of purpose, build confidence, create career opportunities and support long-term desistance from crime. Yet uncertainty about what information needs to be disclosed, and how it will be assessed, can discourage talented individuals from applying in the first place. This new database is an important step towards greater transparency and fairness, helping people make informed choices about their future and supporting universities to develop approaches that are proportionate, consistent and inclusive." 

Dr Himanshu Kaul from the School of Engineering said: “This cross-disciplinary collaboration between Engineering and Criminology, shaped through co-design with stakeholders, reflects the University of Leicester’s commitment to creating positive change in our communities. I am especially grateful to the Leicester Institute for Advanced Studies, a real engine for interdisciplinarity at Leicester, for supporting this work. As an engineer, it has been a privilege to apply my expertise of turning data into accessible and actionable insights to a platform with such an important purpose: helping to widen access to education and empowering people such that past circumstances do not become barriers to future learning.”