Time to rethink the Rehabilitation of Offenders?

More than a third of men and almost one in ten women in Scotland are likely to have at least one criminal conviction, according to a new report published by academics at the University of Glasgow. Sunday Herald: One third of Scots men are offenders The figure emerged in the context of a review of the operation of and possible alternatives to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, Paul McGuinness, Sarah Armstrong and Fergus McNeill of the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research at Glasgow University. The Scottish Offenders Index. It shows that 38 per cent of men and nine per cent of women born in 1973 are known to have at least one conviction. One of the authors, Professor Fergus McNeill said: "Our findings show a large proportion of the adult population in Scotland now have at least one conviction. This could cause grave difficulties for those who then go on to apply for jobs. Our research also found people with convictions report feeling discouraged and stigmatised due to rejection linked to their backgrounds.