Prison officer vetting and a criminal record: what to declare

In shortDeclare all convictions, cautions and discharges however long ago; a conviction does not automatically disqualify you, but concealing one is likely to end your application.

The careers site says HMPPS roles are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, so all spent and unspent convictions are checked during vetting. It adds that having a conviction does not automatically disqualify you because decisions are made individually.

That wording comes from the how-to-apply page for another HMPPS role, and the vetting policy confirms the same approach for all staff.

The vetting policy (PSI 07/2014, revised 20 February 2025) is more precise. Paragraph 2.11 says all individuals subject to vetting must declare all criminal offences, cautions, reprimands and fixed penalties, in line with the exceptions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 and in line with criminal record filtering arrangements.

• The careers site says you must declare any convictions, cautions and absolute or conditional discharges, regardless of how long ago they occurred.
• Failing to disclose will end your application.
• For applicants, non-disclosure of offences is likely to lead to the application being refused with no leave to reapply for 12 months.
• Accept that spent matters are in scope unless filtered, and do not conceal anything.

In shortWork in prisons is exempt under the 1975 Exceptions Order, so vetting looks at spent and unspent convictions, for security reasons rather than punishment.

Under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, many convictions become 'spent' after a period and need not be disclosed to most employers. Certain roles are exempted by the 1975 Exceptions Order, including work in prisons, and for those roles spent convictions can be asked about.

It does not follow that an old conviction will count against you. It means the vetting team will know about it and have the chance to weigh it, which is why a clear disclosure with context is the best approach.

In shortFiltering removes certain old and minor matters, but some things are always disclosed and the rules are intricate, so take advice.

• Adult convictionUnder 11 yearsDisclosed if less than 11 years old (non-specified offence)
• Offence under 18Under 5.5 yearsDisclosed if less than 5.5 years old
• Adult cautionUnder 6 yearsDisclosed if less than 6 years old

The policy says declarations are made in line with criminal record filtering arrangements. Filtering is the Disclosure and Barring Service rule set that removes certain old and minor matters from standard and enhanced certificates. The GOV.UK DBS filtering guide was updated on 11 September 2026.

These rules interact with the age you were at the time and the nature of the offence. Do not work out your own position from a summary.

Use Unlock's information, which is designed for this, and tell the vetting team honestly about anything you are unsure of. If you decide a matter is filtered, be prepared to say why.

In shortNo list of acceptable or unacceptable offences is published for a standard England and Wales application, so anyone offering one is guessing.

Candidates want a list: this offence is fine, that one is not. The careers site says only that a conviction does not necessarily bar you. The vetting policy sets out the checks and the requirement to declare, and it gives decision-making to the Approvals and Compliance team, which makes balanced judgements on the evidence.

A sensible way to think about it is by the factors a security-minded decision maker would weigh. These are reasonable inferences from the policy's purpose, not published criteria.

• The nature of the offence, including whether it involved dishonesty, violence, drugs or abuse of trust
• How long ago it happened
• Your age at the time
• Whether there is a pattern
• What has happened since

In shortA separate scheme applies if your history means you cannot pass Enhanced Level 1 or 2, and its excluded-offence list is not the list for ordinary vetting.

The HMPPS Risk Assessed Access for Personnel with Lived Experience of the Criminal Justice System Policy Framework was issued on 5 March 2026 and effective from 1 April 2026, replacing the earlier Standard Plus provisions.

Role-specific risk management plans are available only through the Going Forward into Employment scheme for directly employed posts, and the Lived Experience Appointment Pathway for non-directly employed ones.

The framework lists excluded offences for the Going Forward into Employment route. Organised crime offences and a history of domestic violence are excluded factors.

• Life sentences, arson and terrorism-related offences
• Offences under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, hate crimes and stalking
• Misconduct in public office or abuse of a position of authority, and significant breach of trust or deception
• Firearms offences
• Offences relating to harm, neglect, exploitation or endangerment of children
• False imprisonment and kidnapping
• Supplying controlled drugs within a prison
• Serious violent offences causing life-changing injuries or trauma

In shortThe Scottish Prison Service publishes written criteria that differ sharply from England and Wales, so do not transfer one service's rules to the other.

If you are applying in Scotland, the Scottish Prison Service publishes written criteria on its eligibility page, which we read through a summary tool. Checks are by Disclosure Scotland at Level 2 or through the PVG scheme.

That is very different from England and Wales, where no equivalent list is published. Check the Scottish Prison Service site directly because the wording may be updated. We did not read Northern Ireland's rules and so say nothing about them.

In shortGive decision makers an accurate, complete and contextualised account, consistently, and correct any omission straight away.

Be factual and do not blame others or minimise. If an adult caution is in the filtering window, or a conviction led to a custodial sentence, it needs to be declared.

Unlock, a charity for people with criminal records, offers information and a helpline and has a tool for checking whether you need to disclose. You can also obtain a copy of your own record through a basic subject access request, which helps you spot errors.

If your record contains a mistake, ask for it to be corrected before applying.

The same information will appear on your online application, in your vetting questionnaire and perhaps in conversation at the assessment centre. If you realise you have omitted something, tell the recruitment team in writing straight away, because voluntary correction is far better than discovery.

1. Obtain your own record and check it for accuracy.
2. List every matter, with dates and outcomes, including cautions, reprimands, warnings and fixed penalties.
3. Check with Unlock or a specialist whether DBS filtering applies to each matter.
4. Write a short, factual note for each: what happened, when, what you learned and what has changed.
5. Declare everything required in your application and vetting questionnaire, consistently.
6. Keep copies and tell the recruitment team promptly if you spot an omission.

In shortYour duty to declare continues after clearance: report criminal charges, warnings or convictions quickly, even if they are outside work.

The change of circumstances annex lists involvement in criminal activity and criminal charges, warnings or convictions as reportable, and the policy says changes in personal circumstances need to be reported to help maintain the integrity of vetting.

The Exclusion Framework treats any incident leading to a criminal caution or prosecution, whether work related or not, as relevant to considering exclusion.

In practice that means even an out-of-work matter such as a motoring offence or a night out that ends in a caution should be reported, and quickly.

The policy does not say that every report ends a career, and it says not all changes increase risk, but it expects you to be the one who tells them.

In shortThese guides cover the rest of vetting, applying with a record and life after joining.

• Full framework: the pillar guide, then how long vetting takes and failed vetting
• Practical application side: applying with a criminal record
• After you join: criminal conviction consequences for serving officers
• Basics first: the eligibility checker, the requirements guide and how to become a prison officer
• The joining hub links everything else