The groups say there have not been enough changes to the federal amnesty law

Bill C-31 should make it possible to mitigate restrictions on ex-prisoners who apologize to authorities when they are released from prison, limit the waiting period for obtaining it, and adjust inequalities against the categories of more individuals. Referred to in prisons as tribal people or people of color.

Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparation Bill Blair at the General Assembly in November 2020

Photo: Canadian Press / Justin Tong

However, the bill maintains the ineligibility to pardon offenders who have committed heinous crimes such as sexual offenses against children or those sentenced to life imprisonment for murder.

Reform based on these sources focuses on public safety and can continue to support the reunification of individuals who have proven themselves to be law-abiding citizens in the community.

Bill C-31 introduces a new disqualification for those who commit terrorist crimes, for which a judge has sentenced them to 10 years or more.

Mr. Minister of Diversity and Admissions Partish Sagar explained at a press conference with Blair on June 10 Speak out against all forms of discrimination and remove formal barriers to ensure that the criminal justice system is fair and efficient and that Canadians are protected..

Objectives of forgiveness

In Canada, amnesty allows those convicted of a criminal offense to set aside their criminal record, prove that they are eligible, have completed a prison sentence, comply with the waiting period, and prove that they comply with the law.

For many ex-offenders, pardon means a sesame that allows many doors to open in the community: housing, employment, volunteering, education, travel …

Independent Senator Kim Bad is the past president of the Elizabeth Fry Association of Canada.

Photo: Radio-Canada

Independent Senator Kim Bad adds registration to a long-term care home or mental health facility. At these institutions, we know that the candidate must disclose his or her criminal history, and none of them will accept a resident who has a criminal record or has served in prison., She mentions.

If you are pardoned, you will no longer be discriminated against in areas controlled by authorities or governments; Otherwise, you will not have security even if you have paid your debt to the company.

The John Howard Society of Canada, which is involved in the rehabilitation of ex-prisoners, believes that no one should be limited in their desire to rebuild their lives and contribute to their community because of a crime committed there. The sentence for many years and for this is long.

Rather positive reactions

The Criminal Defense Lawyers Association points out that the Liberals are in fact repeating a law amended by the previous Conservative government.

Yet their purpose One step in the right direction According to her spokeswoman Chloe Paul, the old system of apology adopted by the Conservatives in 2010 made the apology process expensive and inaccessible.

Former Conservative Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparation Vic Toves amended the Federal Amnesty Act from 2010 to 2012.

Photo: Radio-Canada

Mrs. Pablos maintains it The Conservatives tightened the law to tighten crime, but [qu’] They continued to punish backward people who already had difficulty reconnecting with the community.

These changes have had an immediate impact on the number of requests processed, up from 25,000 a year in 2010 before being reduced to 8,000 after the Conservatives’ changes.

According to her, there is a difference that is directly related to the criteria for fees and eligibility.

According to the John Howard Society of Canada, the current process is dysfunctional, arbitrary and very costly. Its managing director Catherine Ladimer believes it The bill has the potential to reverse the drastic measures followed under the Conservatives in the wake of the Graham James affair..

Ms. Ladimer points out that changing laws in the light of a particular case is never good. It caused a stir among the people.

Senator Kim Pat thinks the government could have made more progress in its approach by abolishing the amnesty procedure. We have to [aussi] It wants to automatically delete the criminal record once the sentence has been served and the probation period has ended without complications, Recognizes Ms. Ladimar.

The pardon should be automatic after a certain number of years so that the individual’s criminal record will be duly removed based on the expiration date.

According to Ms. Pat, some people, such as tribal people or women, must first be forgiven. This may help a mother recover her children after serving her sentence, for example, if we know that the children of imprisoned women are placed in state custody in 90% of cases, the same situation against 10% of men, She says.

According to the government, apology applications fell by 57% from 2010 to 2020 because of the cost of operations.

Photo: iStock

The senator explains that many women try to volunteer at a school or recreation center to see the children they have lost in custody after their sentence. However, they are prohibited from doing so due to their criminal background, and in these organizations, background checks by volunteers are mandatory., She says.

Election Bill

The Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers speaks Moderate changes Refuses to talk about liberalism and profound reform. Mrs. Paullos talks aboutAn election campaign.

The Liberals had six years to introduce these changes, and there, shortly before the summer break, at a general election meeting, they propose these changes … so it is not very political and real. Reform.

Like Ms. Poulos, these amendments will not be accepted before the call for a general election in the country, which some predict will happen in the fall of 2021.

Ms. Ladimer agrees: The Liberal government has no intention of introducing this bill at this time. The plan does not change anything at present, but the chance to convince the next government that automatic amnesty is the most logical solution is unexpected, She mentions.

Discrimination and stigma

Catherine Ladimer reminds the Trudeau government that the stigma attached to imprisonment is unfortunately so strong that it is necessary to re-empty their criminal records.

The path to restructuring is so difficult for an ex-offender that it is difficult for him to make his contribution to society in relation to the laws without facing the prejudices of society., She says.

Kim Bate points out that many Canadians today refuse to submit an apology for being overlooked in society because the digitization of court records makes it easier for an individual to search the Internet within the past. So they do not want to express themselves, even within their own family, to protect their privacy., He explains.

They are easy to find by entering a person’s name in a web search engine.

Photo: Radio-Canada

The senator points out that some ex-prisoners are even threatened or threatened to be betrayed by a neighbor or colleague, thus losing their home, job or spouse and even children if their criminal past is exposed.

Ms. Ladimer mentions that today an employer or owner has the opportunity to do research on Google to see what a person has done in his or her life. In such a situation, even an apology does not provide complete immunity., She concludes.