- Summer advocacy blitz – write your MP!We’re doing a summer advocacy blitz to make sure that the issue of record suspensions is a government priority heading into the Fall. Pitch in by emailing your elected representative – a template email is below. Please personalize it to make it your own – these emails are best if they speak of your own …
- The Fresh Start Coalition emphasizes the need to fix Canada’s criminal records system during government consultationsFrom April to June 2022, many supporters of the Fresh Start Coalition participated in stakeholder consultations launched by Public Safety Canada in order to explore the possibility of an automatic system for sealing criminal records. A wide range of organizations and individuals involved with the Fresh Start Coalition made their voices heard, either in writing …
- “The promise of a second chance”: Read Ralph Mastromonaco’s op-ed in the Montreal GazetteThis week, Ralph Mastromonaco, a member of the Fresh Start Coalition’s Steering Committee, published an op-ed in the Montreal Gazette, making the case for transformational reform of Canada’s record suspension system. While it may be tempting for politicians to resort to “tough on crime” rhetoric and policies, Ralph explains, such policies do not keep Canadians …
- Check out coalition member Samantha McAleese’s op-ed in the Ottawa CitizenLast month marked the ten-year anniversary of the Safe Streets and Communities Act – the omnibus tough on crime bill that was driven by a punitive political agenda. The bill enacted a slate of punitive, politically-driven changes to Canada’s criminal justice system, including new mandatory minimum sentences and increased prison time for cannabis-related convictions. It …
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- Quebec Civil Society Groups Join the Call for Federal Action on Criminal Record ReformMONTREAL — The Fresh Start Coalition announced today that several leading Quebec organisations are adding their voices to a growing chorus of groups urging the federal government to meaningfully reform the way Canada deals with criminal records. The coalition now includes 85 civil society groups from across Canada that have come together to call on …
Working to change the law so people can move beyond their old criminal records