Record Suspension Program

The goals of the program are to:

• Help people facing barriers by increasing their awareness of the criminal justice system and their rights within it
• Increase people’s access to a record suspension

A record suspension allows a criminal record to be kept separate and apart from other records, it will not show up on a criminal record check. The benefits of a record suspension are it removes the stigma attached to a criminal record. It also increases individuals’ access to employment, housing, and education.

To be eligible for the Record Suspension Program, service users must have completed all sentences, and the appropriate waiting periods. The waiting period starts when the sentence is completed. It can be either three, five, or ten years. It is determined by the date an individual committed their first offence and whether they were convicted of a summary or indictable conviction.