Fear, Anger, Misunderstanding Vs. Statistics and Evidence

Canada is being urged to learn from the Americans’ mistakes: the U.S. mandatory minimum drug sentencing laws turned out to be not only ineffective in reducing drug use but also contributed to a disastrous over-incarceration problem. A zero-tolerance approach allows organized crime and gang violence to flourish and saddles non-violent drug offenders with jail and criminal records that have “ruined countless lives.”

The “Smarter Justice Network,” a Canadian group, shares the same sentiments as the “Law Enforcement Against Prohibition” (LEAP), an American group – both having much in common. Comprised of lawyers, criminal law policy advisors, victims, victim advocates, and retired judges and police officers, these groups oppose the mandatory sentencing regimens that remove judicial discretion scattered throughout the Conservative government’s Bill C-10, the Safe Streets and Communities Act.

Citing overcrowded jails and “countless ruined lives,” LEAP released an open letter to Prime Minister Harper and senators, explaining that they had been deeply involved with the war on drugs but now realize that such policies are a costly failure.

The Smarter Justice Network is more broadly worried about, beyond drugs, the cumulative impact of Bill C-10, its mandatory sentencing rules, and what they see as a regressive, reactive, costly, and ineffective approach to crime, corrections, and parole.

The general public’s lack of first-hand experience or knowledge of the criminal justice system contributes to a debate fueled by high emotions. Since LEAP’s letter warns us about the costly “failure of U.S. crime policies that those proposed in the Canadian federal government’s Bill C-10 legislation seem to be modeled on,” Canada should not be ignoring the lessons learned in the United States.

Pardon Services Canada shares the same views as the Smarter Justice Network – urging a more forward looking stance that won’t burden offenders so harshly.

Treatment and Rehabilitation Should Take Precedence

In principle, an offender is presumed to be rehabilitated once his time has been served. However, the reality is that our prisons have an almost flawless record of failure in this area. Treatment and rehabilitation, more effective and less expensive recourses, are being superseded by the government’s choosing to impose harsher sentences for relatively benign crimes and making it increasingly difficult to obtain a pardon for one’s past wrongs.

Truly, parts of the Conservative government’s omnibus crime bill make a great deal of sense, such as stiffer sentences for violent offenders and mandatory minimums for child sex offenders. However, provisions included in the new laws about pardons, along with these commendable steps, make it unacceptable and diametrically opposed to the most critical purpose of our justice system – the rehabilitation and reintegration of criminals into society and crime prevention.

New laws about pardons resulting from the bill are causing people to ask whether we are becoming a society that extinquishes hope instead of fostering it. The government’s new legislation on pardons in Canada favours incarceration and punishment over treatment and rehabilitation.

Conservatives have been pitted against almost everyone else in coverage of the debate surrounding this bill. Although the Conservative Party under Stephen Harper espouses many of the values that conservatives uphold, policies remain that cause significant rifts, both moral and philosophical, within the party. Many Tories did not vote for the rigorous, severe, and misguided measures in this backward-thinking legislation.

Proposed legislation for a criminal pardon will make it disproportionately difficult to obtain a pardon, which is the only means by which an ex-offender can remove the stigma of a criminal record and move on with life. One of the true measures of society is how it treats those who have made mistakes and paid for their errors, made restitution for their crimes.

Moreover, since those who have served time are more likely to re-offend when released, the bill’s provisions to increase incarceration for what are presently minor offences will only serve to create more of the recidivist offenders the bill is attempting to combat.

Fortunately, there is a course of action for anyone with a criminal record who sincerely wishes to make a new start. One can remove that criminal record by obtaining a record suspension. Pardon Services Canada will handle the entire process, assuring you of results. Call 1-8-NOW-PARDON (1-866-972-7366) to speak with a Client Specialist.

Straightend Out, Moving On

The benefits of counseling, along with the support of family, cannot be fully realized and appreciated until a person needs to seek help.


Larry currently lives in Red Deer, Alberta, with his wife and teenage son. He strives each day to be a strong, positive influence in his son’s life. He owns his own home and has had steady employment for over 20 years. Now, with the prospect of retiring soon, his pardon has allowed him to gain peace of mind, closing once and for all that chapter of his life. He looks forward to traveling more comfortably, perhaps volunteering as well. He truly has moved on.

When he recalls the time when he had succumbed to the pressures the being involved with the wrong crowd, he is numbed. All the negative influences that controlled him were overpowering. He regularly used narcotics, and he became aggressive and antisocial. He eventually was charged and convicted for possession of narcotics, and then for the purpose of trafficking. The last blow came when he was charged and convicted for assault with a weapon.

His decision to undergo two years of counseling to straighten himself out was one of the best moves he’s ever made. His parents’ influence, in particular his father’s, helped him to reassess what is important in life. During this stage, his parents helped him to become a mature, respectable, productive member of society. Now, several years later, he realizes that family ties and good health are the two most important factors any person can have.

Pardon Services Canada assists people who want to obtain a pardon in order to do just that, put the past behind and move on. A Client Specialist ensures that all the required forms are created and compiled to support the application. Pardon Services Canada’s pro-active approach ensures that each case is processed expeditiously and applicants are kept informed at each stage of the process.

Speak to a Client Specialist – toll free at 1-8-NOW-PARDON (1.866.972.7366) – at Pardon Services Canada to guide you through the process.

Taking Control, Moving Forward

A worthwhile person seeks not the easy life, for the easy life does not make a worthwhile person [Chinese proverb]. Here is the story about how one young man has “changed his ways” and found a better way to live life.


When he began his involvement in the drug trade, he was too naïve to question how it might impact his future. He was young and impressionable and fell in with the wrong crowd because he was materialistic, wanting all the finer stuff that comes with the so-called “good life,” without having the skills to acquire them legitimately. He felt that he was navigating through life with tunnel vision, looking only for the quick fix to satisfy his needs, wanting the easy path to financial security.

He was convicted twice as a teen for break and enter and theft, once to steal food because he was homeless and hungry, then for being an accomplice with the wrong crowd that committed another similar offence. He also has had several drug-related convictions, dating back to the late 1980s.

His several bouts of incarceration convinced him that the most important asset we have in life is time, and the most rewarding part of this gift is the freedom to choose how to spend it. In the time that has passed, he has adapted to a new mindset, acknowledging that the only way to find satisfaction is to earn an honest living, which ultimately leads to fulfillment.

He sees that although his pardon can’t erase the stigma of his crimes, it can empower him to seek better employment opportunities, being bonded if need be, travel to broaden his scope of opportunities. He realizes that he didn’t choose to go to jail; instead he ended up in that situation by the choices he made. He understandably regrets these choices, and his deepest regret is not having learned from their impact sooner. Although he has missed out on many opportunities as a result of his criminal past, he now sees he has an opportunity to move forward and become a productive member of society. He feels he now has the confidence to achieve success and support himself through hard work and diligence.

Pardon Services Canada offers a complimentary private consultation for anyone wanting to apply for a pardon, to have his police file deleted, or to obtain a US Entry Waiver. A pardon seals a criminal record so that it is no longer visible. Pardon Services Canada’s role and familiarity with the pardon process will ensure that all documents required are obtained in a timely manner and that each applicant’s case is handled expeditiously.

Speak to a Client Specialist – toll free at 1-8-NOW-PARDON (1.866.972.7366) – at Pardon Services Canada to guide you through the process.

We Do Have the Power to Right Our Wrongs

“Addiction”: being enslaved to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming – such a state is extremely difficult to overcome, but it can and does happen! Here is one young man’s description of how his life has improved.


In his late teens, he was constantly attempting to escape his problems through drugs and alcohol, leaving home to either rent accommodation or live on the streets. He attended school only sporadically, and fell in with the “wrong crowd,” stealing to get drug money and causing property damage in the process. He now firmly believes that there are no excuses for his behavior and no amount of apology or regret can undo the damage and hurt he caused.

He felt that he had paid heavily for his actions, and having finished all his punishment had given him the chance to create a positive future and to work towards a better life. However, he felt that he was still being held back by his criminal record.

Now ten years later, his pardon has removed his record will allow him to further develop his carpentry business and to establish contacts in his trade outside the country. He feels that he is continuing on the right path as a responsible, law-abiding citizen. Perhaps the most significant way he has improved is through his new attitude and outlook on life. He feels that he has been successfully rehabilitated and no longer has drug and alcohol addictions.

If you are in similar circumstances yourself, Contact Pardon Services Canada for help. You too can gain the peace of mind that he most certainly has.

Traveling to Mexico with a Canadian Criminal Record? What you should know before you go.

There has been increased media awareness of the dangers of traveling to the United States with a Canadian Criminal Record after an ever growing number of Canadians are being turned away, now needing U.S. Entry Waivers. What about Canada’s other NAFTA partner, the one with the beautiful beaches, lush rainforests, gorgeous resorts and spectacular ruins? Are these also off limits to Canadians with a criminal record?

According to Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada      

“Canadians traveling to Mexico with a criminal record might be refused entry and returned to Canada on the next available flight. Canadians in this situation should contact the Mexican Embassy in Ottawa prior to making travel arrangements.”

Furthermore,

“Since March 1, 2010, Canadian citizens, including those with dual nationality, are required to present a valid passport in order to enter and exit Mexico. Canadians without a valid passport will be refused entry and returned to Canada.”

So, Canadians who have a criminal record should take measures before planning a trip to Cancun or Puerto Vallarta to avoid getting turned away at the border.

In addition, even though Mexico has less stringent screening measures than the United States; Canadians with a criminal record face another danger. There are many testimonies of people going to Mexico for a vacation or on business and stopping over in Houston or Los Angeles. When they lay-over in these American hubs they are questioned and sent back to Canada. This is a result of the Information Sharing Acts between Canada and the U.S. You can read more about these regulations in this article.

Don’t get turned back either in Mexico, or on your trip through the States. Get a Canadian Pardon to hide the existence of the record from U.S. and Mexican border authorities. Take that family vacation that you always wanted without fear of getting turned away. Apply Today!

Changes to the Canadian Pardon – Get Your Pardon, Before It’s Too Late

 A Canadian Pardon will soon become “Record Suspension”. This change, along with tougher restrictions and a four-fold increase in the price of a pardon are coming. Apply now, or it may be too late.

A Change in Name

                One of the changes proposed by the new government is aesthetic. What is currently known as a Canadian Pardon will be changed to Record Suspension. This name change will not have any effect on people who currently have a Canadian pardon. Furthermore, the change will not have an effect on what a pardon, soon to be record suspension, actually accomplishes. The criminal record will continue to be sealed and made hidden from background checks conducted by future or current employers, volunteer organizations or the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The change in name is meant to reflect the tough on crime stance of the Conservative government and is backed up by a higher price and new restrictions.

A Change in Price

                The current fee charged by the National Parole Board for processing and reviewing a Pardon Application is $150. Under the new legislation, the fee will be increased to $631. The fee increase seeks to take the financial burden of the application process away from the tax-payer and onto the applicant.

New Restrictions

                The new legislation will also make it more difficult, or in some cases, impossible to apply for a Canadian Pardon.

o   The applicant must not have been convicted of an offence involving sexual activity relating to a minor – as set out in a schedule of specified offences – unless the applicant can demonstrate s/he was “close in age” and that the offence did not involve a position of trust/authority, bodily harm or threat of violence/intimidation;

o   The applicant must not have been convicted of more than three (3) offences prosecuted by indictment.

o   The National Parole Board be granted “absolute discretion” to “order, refuse to order, or revoke” a record suspension

o   The waiting periods be extended from three to five years for summary offences and from five to ten years for indictable offences.

What to Do

                For most Canadians with a criminal record the main effect will be the substantial change in price given in Bill C-23b. Without professional paralegal help the pardon process can be expensive, extremely time consuming and repetitive given high rejection and error rates. With the new restrictions and increased price, the process is becoming even more difficult.

                There are professional experts in the field of Canadian Pardons who are able to help get you your pardon before it’s too late. With affordable rates and available financing from a trusted service provider a clear record is available. Don’t wait until it is too late. Get your Canadian pardon today.