Robbery and Falls Imprisonment.
Events which led to Mr. Bean’s offenses of robbery and false imprisonment
I am a young man leading a quite but active life. When I was below the age of 18 years old, I was charged and convicted with the offense of robbery. As a boy, I was homeless, uneducated and unemployed. He was in a crucial position and was always confused and depressed. My neighborhood was not conducive for the positive upbringing of kids and I was always surrounded by bad crowd from whom he enjoyed their company as I did not have anyone else to offer him such. It was these circumstances which led me to the crime of robbery where to my misfortune, the police caught me and I was charged in the Magistrates Court and finally the Crowns Court and convicted for eight years.
However, this should have not been the case and the conviction should have been mitigated to a less serious form. This is because by then, I was considered a vulnerable victim and was not opportunistic when committing the crime. I was under eighteen years old, I was homeless, uneducated, unemployed, had been a victim of stabbing and my neighborhood was bad.
My Rehabilitation
Reasons why I considers myself to be rehabilitated and why I do not represent a risk to public safety
Rehabilitation takes place in correction facilities and one is deemed fit under the set standards and regulations. For one to be considered as rehabilitated he or she should have satisfied the demands of provisions in legislations. The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (1974 Act) is primarily in existence so as to assist in rehabilitating reformed offenders into their employment. These offenders ought to have been on the right side of the law. This clearly applies to my case since both offenses were committed when I was under 18 years of age and never again. As a matter of fact, the period for my rehabilitation ought to be halved because at the time of the conviction, I was below 18 years. If this was not the case, then I am entitled for a compensation.
The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (1974) is a piece of legislation introduced to help ex-offenders such as me, re-enter the workforce. The Act allows previous offenders to invoke a spent conviction order which is equally applicable to my case. A spent conviction is essentially a previous conviction which can now be ignored. Once the offence has been spent, the offender is considered fully rehabilitated, and treated as if they have never been cautioned or committed a crime.
The spent conviction provision should apply to me for a number of reasons. First is because the Act covers the jurisdictions of England and Wales. I am now fully employed as an assessor in one of the major towns in England. Even if I decided to apply for another job, I am not required to declare his spent conviction. I will be within the confines of applicable persons affected by the Act and thus stands a chance of consideration.
The main consideration by the Act on whether one’s conviction is spent or unspent all depends on the length of time that has passed since the person served it – as well as the severity of your crime. While I was imprisoned for a felony –robbery- that was long ago when I was less than 18 years. Time has passed and now I am a changed man. In fact, I am an educated man with a Masters degree in political science and is currently at my final stages of PHD. This shows that I am now a transformed and reformed man and does not require any caution after my conviction.
I cannot be deemed as a risk of public safety. There is no proof to this effect; that I am a threat to public safety. My life proves it. I mingle easily and freely with the public and I am a volunteer in a local boxing club near my home where I also trains to maintain my physical fitness. I have thoughts of owning a property and am in the final stages of owning one. I believe that I have also shown commitment towards leading a positive and constructive life. Therefore, I ought to be treated as if with a better perception as stated in the 1974 Act.
Ever since the previous conviction when I was under eighteen years of age, I have never been convicted of any other offense ever again. That makes me a law-abiding citizen, committed to ensuring that there is peace and harmony in the community.
My mitigation is that I am a family man. There is no basis why I should be subjected to the imprisonment and be a burden to taxpayers in the form of prison expenses. Besides, all the evidences provided prove that I have been fully and duly rehabilitated under the Rehabilitation Act 1874 and the honorable court will be serving justice if they consider and declare me as such. There is no basis whatsoever to perceive me as a threat to the community.
