How the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act needs to change
Nacro is calling for the Act to be amended in line with the proposals set out in the Home Office's review of the Act in 2002.
The amended Act must reduce the time it takes for offences to become spent (otherwise known as the buffer period). We therefore support the establishment of new buffer periods.
| Sentence | Rehabilitation period under current Act | Proposed buffer periods |
|---|---|---|
Life sentences | Offence is never spent | Offence is never spent |
Prison sentences of more than 4 years | Offence is never spent | 4 years |
Prison sentences of more than 2½ years | Offence is never spent | All sentences of under 4 years would become spent after 2 years |
Prison sentences of more than 6 months to 2½ years | 10 years | All sentences of under 4 years would become spent after 2 years |
Prison sentences of 6 months or less | 7 years | All sentences of under 4 years would become spent after 2 years |
Fines, compensation, probation, community service, combination, action plan, drug treatment and testing, and reparation orders | 5 years | 1 year |
Absolute discharge | 6 months | No buffer period; offence is spent immediately |
Juveniles | All periods are halved | All periods are halved |
