The Myth of the Ex-Offender: What Criminal Convictions Actually Look Like

When you hear the term "ex-offender," what do you think of? Maybe scenes from Shawshank Redemption, Prison Break, or Orange is the New Black? Dangerous, violent, or institutionalised. Someone with a criminal conviction who is fundamentally different from the rest of us.

Through our work supporting employers like Serco and Sunbelt Rentals, representing over 60,000 roles collectively, we've seen firsthand how misconceptions about criminal convictions shape recruitment decisions. Before Jacob Hill, Offploy's founder, went to prison, he had exactly the same misconceptions. The reality he discovered was completely different.

In fact, 12.6 million working-age adults in the UK have a criminal record; that's one in four adults. These aren't a separate category of people living on the margins. They're a core part of society.

People with criminal convictions are colleagues, neighbours, the person serving your coffee. And the sooner we understand what conviction actually means in practical terms, the sooner we can have honest conversations about employment, rehabilitation, and giving people another chance.

Your Colleague Has a Conviction (Yes, Really)

If you employ or work with more than four people, you're statistically likely already working with someone who has a conviction, you just don't know it.

When judges sentence people, only one in ten actually goes to prison. The remaining nine receive community-based sentences, unpaid work, curfews, supervision orders, electronic monitoring, or treatment requirements.

That means the vast majority of people convicted of crimes serve their punishment whilst living and working in the community. They never see the inside of a prison cell.

Conviction doesn’t equal prison, yet the stereotype persists, and it's costing employers access to a massive talent pool in an already skills-short market.

The Driving Force Behind Criminal Records

Perhaps the most surprising fact is what actually constitutes a criminal conviction in this country. Over 50% of criminal convictions are for driving-related offences. We're talking about speeding, using a mobile phone whilst driving, drink driving, driving without insurance, or failing to provide driver details when required.

In 2023 alone, over 732,000 drivers appeared in court for motoring-related offences, with around 672,000 being convicted (that's a conviction rate of 92%). These aren't career criminals, but ordinary people who made a mistake, misjudged a situation, or found themselves in circumstances they didn't anticipate.

A speeding conviction creates a criminal record. So does getting caught on your phone at a red light. These offences can affect employment prospects, particularly for roles requiring driving or positions that need enhanced DBS checks, yet they hardly fit the stereotype of the "dangerous criminal" most people imagine.

The Prison Population Reality Check

For those who do receive prison sentences, there is another myth that needs dismantling. Almost everyone in prison will eventually be released. 

With only around 70 people in England and Wales serving whole life orders out of a total prison population of approximately 87,000, over 99% of people currently serving sentences will eventually return to our communities. Society has to decide what happens when they do.

In 2022, over 43,000 people were sent to prison to serve a sentence in England and Wales. While that's a significant number, it represents a tiny fraction of the total number of people with criminal convictions. Of those sent to prison, nearly two in five were sentenced to serve six months or less, and only 39% had committed a violent offence.

For employers, this raises an important question: do recruitment processes unnecessarily exclude people who could be valuable team members? Another chance employment isn't just about social responsibility; it's about accessing skilled, loyal employees in a competitive market.

No Distinguishing Marks

Over 4,000 people with criminal convictions have worked with Offploy, and not one has fit the stereotype. People with criminal records have no common distinguishing marks, no defining characteristics, and no visible signs. As a group, they have no particular additional needs apart from maybe working around probation appointments or some specific restrictions depending on their offence.

When we think about people with criminal convictions, we're talking about people across the entire spectrum of society. Different ages, backgrounds, education levels, and circumstances. The only thing they have in common is that at some point, they were convicted of an offence.

For the vast majority, the support they need in the workplace is often minimal. Successfully integrating people with convictions into your workforce doesn't require specialist knowledge or expensive interventions. It requires fair policies, clear processes, and the same professional standards you'd apply to any employee.

What This Means for Employers

When you strip away the stereotypes and look at the facts, several things become clear. First, if your organisation employs more than a handful of people, you're almost certainly already working with individuals who have criminal records. Second, the vast majority of people with convictions never went to prison.

Third, the legal framework around employing someone with a criminal record is more nuanced than most employers realise. The myth of the ex-offender as a distinct, easily identifiable category of person breaks down under scrutiny.

What remains is a more complex and ultimately more hopeful picture: millions of people with convictions already contributing to the economy, working hard, and building productive lives. The only question is whether we're going to make that easier or harder for them to do.

Wondering how your current recruitment practices measure up? Take our quick, free quiz assessing legal compliance, recruitment practices, and social impact. Or join our free webinar to hear how leading UK employers are successfully hiring people with convictions whilst managing risk effectively.