{"id":15831,"date":"2009-02-23T09:25:13","date_gmt":"2009-02-23T14:25:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nationalpardon.org\/blog\/criminal-records\/pardon-me-please"},"modified":"2009-02-23T09:25:13","modified_gmt":"2009-02-23T14:25:13","slug":"pardon-me-please","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.nationalpardon.org\/?p=15831","title":{"rendered":"Pardon me, please"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ex-cons are seeking a lot more pardons these days as criminals try to put their past behind them<\/h4>\n

Reposted from \u00c2\u00a0www.ottawasun.com<\/a><\/h5>\n

By <\/strong>KATHLEEN HARRIS<\/strong><\/a>, NATIONAL BUREAU CHIEF<\/strong><\/p>\n

The number of ex-cons seeking pardons has doubled as more employers and volunteer groups screen applicants for criminal records.<\/p>\n

Last year, more than 30,000 people applied for pardons, and that number is expected to jump to 36,000 or more this year. That’s up from 16,000 just a few years ago.<\/p>\n

The steep climb is also because more private businesses are sprouting up advertising help with the pardon process — a service that can cost $500 or more.<\/p>\n

CoritaHarty, director of pardons and clemency for the National Parole Board, said most who apply are granted, if they have proven themselves law-abiding citizens. But she said strict rules are in place — including completion of sentence, payment of all court-ordered fines and a waiting period of three to five years.<\/p>\n

“They aren’t just doled out,” she said.

\nDangerous offenders and “lifers” with murder raps are ineligible, but all other offenders can apply for a pardon that essentially seals off their criminal record. Most people seeking pardons are for “relatively minor” offences such as petty theft, impaired driving and pot possession.<\/span><\/p>\n

About 10% of Canada’s population has a criminal record, and about 5% are eligible for a pardon. About half apply.<\/p>\n

Harty said a pardon doesn’t wipe out a criminal record, it just sets it aside. If the person is convicted of another offence, the pardon can be revoked.<\/p>\n

“It’s a stringent process, but one that contributes to our overall mandate of public safety because it facilitates integration of people in society as law-abiding citizens,” she said. “And it works, because 97% of those who receive pardons, those stay in effect.”<\/p>\n

In a recent performance report tabled in Parliament, the National Parole Board noted the workload spike from increasing requests had created a “serious situation” for the program. But Harty said the backlog problem has now been addressed and the process is speedier despite the rising tide of new requests.<\/p>\n

Keri Wallis, manager of the Montreal office of the National Pardon Centre<\/a>, said the higher demand for pardons is due to greater scrutiny for jobs, adoption or travel.<\/p>\n

Many just want to remove the “stigma” of a criminal record on their file, which is open for the public to see in some provinces.<\/p>\n

She said their for-fee service is “guaranteed” as offenders rarely get turned down if they fill the requirements.<\/p>\n

“If the person serves their sentence and they have good conduct, they should not have any problem,” Wallis said.<\/p>\n

“The only way you can get turned down is if you re-offend or if you have a little mishap with the law.”<\/p>\n

Harty said applications facilitated by third parties that often charge “exorbitant fees” do not get processed in any preferential order.<\/p>\n

KATHLEEN.HARRIS@SUNMEDIA.CA<\/a><\/p>\n

\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ex-cons are seeking a lot more pardons these days as criminals try to put their past behind them Reposted from \u00c2\u00a0www.ottawasun.com By KATHLEEN HARRIS, NATIONAL BUREAU CHIEF The number of ex-cons seeking pardons has doubled as more employers and volunteer groups screen applicants for criminal records. Last year, more than 30,000 people applied for pardons, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15831","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-criminal-records"],"yoast_head":"\nPardon me, please - staging.nationalpardon.org<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Pardon me, please - staging.nationalpardon.org\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Ex-cons are seeking a lot more pardons these days as criminals try to put their past behind them Reposted from \u00c2\u00a0www.ottawasun.com By KATHLEEN HARRIS, NATIONAL BUREAU CHIEF The number of ex-cons seeking pardons has doubled as more employers and volunteer groups screen applicants for criminal records. 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