Public Consultations on the Pardon Fee Increase
The Parole Board is holding public consultations on the proposed pardon fee increase. The fee increase is a transparent attempt to deny as many pardons as possible. The shameful thing about it is that this will affect the lowest income earners only. We are looking at a pardon system that will be accessible only to the rich. This shows poor judgement on the part of our Conservative government and I want to try and stop it.
Just send an email to the following address indicating that you think the fee incease is a bad idea. Help Keep pardons a fair process.
Here are a few reasons why the fee increase is a bad idea:
- People with a criminal record have a very hard time finding work.
- People working pay taxes. People who don’t work do not. Therefore subsidizing pardons is fiscally responsible.
- People with gainful employment are far, far less likely to re-offend.
- Pardons that are accessible only to people with money is unfair.
- The recent fee increase from $50 to $150 was sufficient. Further increases should only be done after considerable study.
If you want more information click the following link to the Parole Board website:
http://www.pbc-clcc.gc.ca/infocntr/factsh/pardonfeenotice-eng.shtml
Thanks for the help everyone!
Comments (8)
Mistene Getz / February 15, 2011
I am totally outraged that 1) the cost of a pardon is being raised at an unbelieveable rate and 2) no pardons allowed for people who have made poor choices in the past and want those records expunged so they can go on and live a normal productive life!!!!!I was a young girl when I was in trouble… matter of fact, for me, it was a cry for help as my stepfather was abusing me…and I felt I had no one I could tell this too…so I wrote checks on MY account and they of course bounced…I was given 2 years probation and a record for life…unless I paid to have it remove…I have been a productive member of society since then..it was 35+ years ago that happened…I have not had my charges removed but because of the necessity of having a Passport now I have to have them removed…How dare the Government tell me I cannot!!!They have no right to make that call and should in fact help anyone in need of financial aid get their charges removed….We all make mistakes in our life..Some of us get away with it and some of us do not…The government that is suppose to represent people like me needs to be more in touch with reality….But for the grace of God there goes me…We all need to remember those words…I was young, scared, troubled 17-18 year old…no one in those days talked about sexual abuse…not like today….I did what I did for my own reasons…I paid for those mistakes…I refuse to keep paying…REMEMBER if people cannot get a passport legally there are alternatives they can use…How will the government benefit from fradulent passports?????Think about it! Prices need to be reasonable I pay into this country and I am sick of being gouged by our two bit parliament members that are out of touch with the people who make up this country….People like me!!!! Think about the consequences of your actions and what will happen to people if you deny them the right to erase a negative from a positive healthy lifestyle!!!Punishment is not suppose to be a lifetime.
Mistene Getz / February 15, 2011
Where are people that are financially below Poverty level suppose to get the money to pay for these ridiculous increases??Nothing like the good Canadian way…which is keep kicking them so they stay down! All people make mistakes, let them pay for their mistakes then let them have it erased so they can live a normal productive life…Minimum wage is disgusting so how can someone poverty level pay for an expensive pardon?????Return to a life of crime, carry their heads low…what is wrong with this stupid democracy we are living through????Where are the brains of the people we elect….?????This is simple…STUPID STUPID DECISIONS…From Canadas’ out of touch Politiicians…Sadly it does not surprise me that they are so STUNNED…Maybe they all should live on minimum wage for a year and see what they can afford then!!!!!!!!
dale / February 17, 2011
just cannot believe this,just another money grab for our goverment.people have a hard enough time paying for a pardon now so it looks like people will have to steal or rob to pay for this increase.low income people with a record looks you are going to have to stay in our tax filled country.oh ya if you are under 20 good luck getting a pardon!
Mistene Getz / February 20, 2011
Words of diguist, disrespect means zilch to the ones sitting in Parliament out of touch with reality….It does not matter what we as a society say; they…do what they want…then they try to undo their stupid ill advised deeds and it cost us the tax payers more and more money!!!The only way to get them out of politics…is to run against them….I truly believe in the next 4 years I am going to run and represent the real Canadians not the ones with the check books…as do all the others!!!!!!! I am sick of agencies that do not understand their role in this country….The politics behind so many companies is sickening…the Parole Board, Children Aid Society,Welfare, Unemployment…so on and so on….We as people need to say STOP, Listen, Hear what your fellow Canadians are saying…this is enough stupidity….Do what is right..not what is popular at the moment!!!!
Cathy / February 21, 2011
So bad news. I do some stupid think when I was young. Now, 20 years laters I need my pardon because it’s very hard to find a job. I’m not a crimnal, I do a mistake when I was young but I will pay for it. Then I pay again for have my pardon. I do my ask in june and then I will receive this message?The government wants to change it so that you can’t get a pardon. Hey I paid 150$ for that and I don’t have a job ! It’s for that I ask my pardon. I’m a mother of two children and I can’t get any work I have to be here for my children but for the moment without my pardon, I can’t work. All the doors are closed. You know It is very hard to paid electricity, house, food and all you have to paid when you don’t have job. One time you say ok I don’t have this money but I want to change my situation so I will paie it. What else can I do now if you change 150 to 631$ it is too expensive!! Nobody whit a bad situation like me going to change there futur… The only people who’s can get there pardon at 631$ are the drug saler or poeple like that. You know what I mean? But anyway, I can’t give more money. So I don’t have a perfect english and I can say I’m very bad in english so I can’t say all I want to say like if I was right in french so forgive my bad english and just take the important in this message. This pardon was my last chance to change my life… Whitout, I just can work and I don’t have the choice to decide of my hours to work or the choice of work i can do. Please don’t do this. It is not fair. And I do my ask before you change the price… It is not fair! We tell me to paie 150 and then we tell me oops no you are not gonna have your pardon… What else whit the money I’ll paid??? And what I have to do now? Don’t tell me I loose my money and I have now to paid 634! Don’t tell me it is refuse when poeple tell me it is not a very important offense so it is sure you gona have your pardon! Then if I really understant what I receive, I just paid 150$ for nothing! And I going to have my pardon in a other life!!! Don’t do that to the population who’s want to change! Don’t! What is the message??? : Ok if you do a mistake forget the pardon and choose a criminal life because whit out pardon it is the only way too change your life because if you change and you be a good, you never gonna have a normal life… BAd Sad very very very 🙁
Don’t do that! Give chance the the poeple.
Cathy / February 21, 2011
Bien, je suis contente de savoir que je peux écrire dans ma langue. Je suis aussi contente de savoir que ça n’affecte pas ma demande de pardon. Ça se termine bien pour moi mais, je trouve très triste l’idée d’augmenter encore les frais du pardon canadien. Prenons mon cas, Il y a plus de 20 ans, j’ai fait la bétise de boire et conduire. C’était pas très intelligent, je le sais mais bon, je l’ai fait, j’ai perdue mon permis et j’ai payée l’amende. Je me suis conformée à la condition de ne pas conduire un véhicule pour une période de 3 mois+9mois. Je l’avais méritée. Je savais que de boire au volant d’un véhicule était mal et je l’ai fait pareille. J’ai assumée mon geste et pourtant, je ne savais pas encore à quel point ce dossier judiciaire allait être judiciable. Quand je cherchais de l’emploi. Quand je voulais faire du bénévolat, quand j’ai voulue faire mon passeport, lors de contrat d’assurance et j’en passe. Tout ça parce que j’écoutais de la musique dans une voiture en marche et que j’avais .10 d’alcool. Juste le travail a toujours été problèmatique. Les heures de travail que les autres ne veulent pas. J’ai hypothèquée ma santé et l’éducation de mes enfants avec mes emplois. Ce n’est pas que je ne sois pas qualifiée pour un travail de commis de bureau ou de réceptionniste ou autre, c’est que j’ai un dossier. Enfin bref,j’ai pris la décision de démissionner de mon travail pour être là à une heure raisonnable pour aider mes enfants dans leur travaux scolaires. Depuis, je cherche du 7à 4heure et mes entrevues se terminent toujours à la fameuse question : Avez-vous des antécédant judiciaire… Ben oui. Donc, j’ai décidée de demander mon pardon. Je suis restée bouche bée lorsque j’ai sue que je devais payer 150$. C’est beaucoup d’argent lorsqu’on ne travaille pas. Déja, le loyer, l’électricité, la nourriture et j’en passe… J’ai payée parce que je me suis dit que c’était pour améliorer ma situation mais j’ai due couper sur autre chose. Bien franchement, si ça avait été 634, j’aurais due abandonner l’idée de payer 634$ avec ce que je gagne. C’est énorme quand on arrive à peine et c’est vraiment de couper l’herbe en dessous du pied de celui qui tente de reprendre sa vie en main. Qui va pouvoir payer ça, sinon un revendeur de drogue ou un escroc… J’exagère mais soyons réaliste, c’est terrible pour ceux qui tente d’améliorer leur situation de devoir payer autant pour une erreur commis des années avant. La personne a fait preuve de sa bonne foi alors, ce serait sympa de pardonner et non de surcahrger. Voilà .
Mistene Getz / February 23, 2011
Geez just think all the criminals in Ottawa may one day themselves be seeking pardons for their actions….crimes against us Canadian voters…The tables will turn and the end result will be justified as all dogs end up with fleas and all bad, crooked, criminal parliament senators will have their just deserts!!!!!!!!!!!!!I wonder what their fees will be for their pardons, or their family member pardons etc????????????????????
Me / February 27, 2011
I hired National Pardon in January 2009 after my employer went out of business. I had. record from 1996 where I was ordered to pay a $3000 fine which was paid. I soon found out after trying to fin a job in my field of logistics that everyone was asking for a records check for insurance reasons. I managed to find a job through a friend painting, but it was $20,000. Year less, so I maxes out credit to support myself of which has since shot my credit rating. Months after starting the application, court documents were returned to NP stating there was record my fine was paid, but there also was no record it wasn’t (no warrants or charges) and that the docket number file could not be found. so essentially this meant, pay it again. So, I was told if we waited another year then the limitation to provide proof of payment would have passed I then got an email saying the parson board had now changed that and I would have to pay it, which I have been s ing up to do as well as the money to do the checks again.
Now this blow? $631.
For me working as a sub contractor for $20,000 less a year than my career, I am two years behind in taxes and $30,000 in bad debt, looking at bankruptcy. This is the reality of not being able to get a pardon on a mistake made 15 years ago, and the cost of living just keeps going up. People makes mistakes, just not everyone gets caught.