Jesuit Social Services’ submission to the NSW Law Commission’s review of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW) (the ADA) details employment-related discrimination experienced by individuals in NSW who have a criminal record, the way this discrimination impacts their ability to participate in the workforce, as well as broader ramifications. It draws on our place-based, community-led work in Western Sydney, based in Willmot and Emerton (Mt Druitt), as well as our delivery of employment services programs and our work with people in contact with the justice system, including people who have been in prison. We support the addition of a new protected category in the ADA, ‘irrelevant criminal record’, noting that the safety of the community – and particularly its most vulnerable members, including children – should always be paramount.
