Most criminal acts are done in an adults younger years when learning and mistakes are made without fully understanding the consequences of their actions. When someone is accused of a criminal act, they face not only the immediate consequences of their actions, but the long term consequences as well.
If the accusations proceed to a criminal conviction an individuals permanent record will forever marred by the conviction, affecting future employment and career opportunities.
Dependent on the severity of the offence and how long ago the offence was commited the UK government should introduce criminal record expungement. The benefits of this is not only to erase an embarrassing mark on an individuals personal history it also means the difference between the ability to gain future employment or not and make a fresh start with more career opportunities. Following expungement, no future employer will be able see the crime or misdemeanor on the record, nor will the defendant be required to report the charge during an employment interview.