Under UK law, prison visitors are subject to a security clearance check administered by the Disclosure and Barring Service. The DBS are a public body sponsored by the Home Office with a remit to keep the UK public safe.

The check will be carried out under terms set out in the 1974 Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. The act was established to keep the public safe from those who are unsuitable for frontline work.

DBS checks are necessary for a wide range of public-facing roles across the UK.

A security clearance check for a prison visitor will require a search for any unspent or spent convictions, cautions, reprimands or warnings in existence on the Police National Computer.

You can find out more about DBS checks for prison visitors and the work of the Disclosure and Barring Service at: hub.unlock.org.