Yvon Dandurand

The Mental Health Commission of Canada recently released an Action Plan for Criminal Justice and Mental Health in Canada.[1] I note with great interest that the Action Plan includes an important recommendation to “Remove administrative barriers, establish clear eligibility criteria for automation, and implement an automatic record suspension regime for non-violent convictions” (Recommended action 58).

A criminalized lifestyle carries significant social stigma, segregation, and social exclusion. The stigma linked to a criminal conviction is widespread, long-lasting, and powerful. It can also affect a convicted individual’s friends, family, and children. In fact, it is one of the most severe forms of institutional stigmatization. It can harm a person, whether they have extensive or minor contacts with the criminal justice system.

Having a criminal record creates a major barrier to the successful social reintegration of individuals with a conviction history. Criminal record checks are frequently used by employers, organisations seeking volunteers, landlords in the housing market, rental agencies, and publicly funded services such as social housing, government offices, and homeless shelters. This practice often results in denying access to services or opportunities and further reinforces the stigmatization, marginalization, and isolation of people with a criminal record.

Parents with a criminal record and their children face additional economic and social barriers. For example, they—particularly mothers—may be ineligible to volunteer in their child’s classroom or school, which some school boards link to reductions in student fees, or to participate in extracurricular activities. They may also be barred from volunteering as sports coaches or facilitators in programs involving their children. In some cases, when their parents’ criminal records are disclosed, the stigma is passed on to their children, leading to their exclusion from various opportunities.

Employment is vital in lowering reoffending rates among people with criminal records. Vocational programs that require workers to be bondable screen for criminal records beforehand, as do some education programs. A Public Safety Canada report on the economic outcomes of Canadian federal offenders showed that individuals released from federal correctional facilities participate less in the labour market, earn less, receive more social assistance, and file taxes less often than the overall Canadian population. Another issue is that barriers to finding meaningful employment after incarceration disproportionately impact women, Indigenous peoples, and older individuals.

Applying for a criminal record suspension can be intimidating, and programs like EFry’s Pardon Me Program have shown the importance of supporting many applicants. That program helped many individuals who likely would not have been able to complete such an application independently. The process of obtaining a record suspension is not well understood, and individuals often feel unable to complete the application on their own. There are several misconceptions about eligibility and the application steps.

The Mental Health Commission’s recommendation on criminal record suspension should be taken very seriously.

[1] Mental Health Commission of Canada (2026). Finding New Pathways: An action plan for criminal justice and mental health in Canada. https://mentalhealthcommission.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/National_Action_Plan.pdf

Photo by Gabe on Unsplash.