Here is a nice quick read on how criminal pardons work in Canada. Pardons work a bit differently in the United States but this should give our readers a clear understanding of how they work up north. Searching criminal records in various ways might identify these pardons when conducting an employment background check. Its interesting also because there are actually different levels of pardons and some offenders may or may not receive all the full benefits. One of the benefits could be allowing foreign travel, including into the United States.
Since 1970, more than 400,000 Canadians have received pardons. Of those, 4% have seen their pardons revoked, “indicating that the vast majority of pardon recipients remain crime-free in the community,” the board’s website says. In 2006-2007 — the year Graham James was pardoned — the board issued 7,672 pardons to people convicted of summary offenses and granted another 7,076 to applicants with more serious convictions. In that same period, the board denied only 103 applications. The latest data, for 2008-2009, show that the board granted a whopping 9,628 pardons.
