Speaking in parliament, Theresa Villiers said the current system is acting as a barrier to employment, education and housing.
"It is therefore working against rehabilitation, undermining a core purpose of the youth justice system," she said.
"I believe that the childhood criminal records system in England and Wales is anchoring children to their past and preventing them from moving on from their mistakes."
Once spent, a criminal record does not have to be disclosed to prospective employers. But Villiers said that the length of time it takes for a criminal record to be spent is too long and some spent convictions continue to appear on Disclosure and Barring Service checks, which are used by employers across the care sector, NHS, schools as well as by financial regulators.
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