Meanwhile, I was tying myself in knots working out what a criminal record would mean for Joe. The information was confusing, to say the least. The good news is that an offence such as fare evasion, which is punishable with a fine, gets “spent” after a year: this means it no longer has to be routinely declared when applying for jobs, insurance, tenancies or anything else. But there are numerous jobs, including those with children, the courts or national security, that always require a criminal check, even where the conviction is spent. “Spent” convictions may even jeopardise travel, especially to the United States and Australia. And I read with mounting concern that a criminal record was never deleted – it stayed on police files forever.