Feds consider clampdown on pardons for violent crimes
Date: Feb 16, 2007 11:00 AM
PUBLICATION: The Ottawa Sun
DATE: 2007.02.16
EDITION: Final
SECTION: News
PAGE: 6
ILLUSTRATION: photo by Chris Wattie, Reuters Prime Minister Stephen
Harper stands to speak in the House of Commons yesterday, where he
questioned the wisdom of granting 100,000 pardons for violent and sexual
crimes.
BYLINE: KATHLEEN HARRIS, NATIONAL BUREAU
WORD COUNT: 389

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Tories not in forgiving mood
Feds consider clampdown on pardons for violent crimes

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The Conservative government has signalled that it’s poised to clamp down
on ex-cons obtaining pardons for violent and sexual crimes.

Citing a Sun Media report that revealed pardons had been granted to
killers, rapists, child molesters and kiddie porn producers, Prime
Minister Stephen Harper said the statistics are proof the Liberals were
soft on crime while in power.

“I would like to know how he explains today the report that under his
government, the National Parole Board awarded more than 100,000 pardons
over the last six years, including two for murder convictions,” the PM
said in the House of Commons yesterday in response to a question from
deputy Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff. “That is not smart on crime.”

Records obtained through Access to Information reveal one pardon was
issued for a first-degree murder conviction, another for second-degree
murder and 168 for manslaughter. A pardon sets aside a criminal record
so it does not show up during a police background check for employment
or travel purposes.

SEX OFFENCES FLAGGED

Certain sex crimes are “flagged,” but according to current law, the
information can’t be shared without the offender’s permission.

Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day said he’s concerned by the “nature”
of some offences that have been pardoned, especially sex crimes.

“I’ve raised some questions on the whole process. I want to be better
informed and we have some concerns,” he said. “That’s why I’ve
asked for
a review of it.”

A government official said that review will consider potential changes
to the Criminal Records Act to limit the pardon process.

Meanwhile, private companies that help speed up the pardon process are
flourishing, says Peter Dimakos, a business development director for the
Toronto-based Canadian Pardon Service.

The company charges a $475 fee, with an extra $199 for “expedited”
service, and can cut the turnaround time from two years to about 10
months. He declined to detail how the acceleration process works.

“That’s kind of proprietary at this point,” he said. “We just
do some of
the little stuff. We don’t have any ins with the National Parole Board.”

Keri Wallis, regional director for the non-profit National Pardon Centre
in Montreal, has also noted a “booming business” in the cottage industry
of processing pardons and travel waivers. The NPC fee is $450 for
standard service and $585 for expedited service — both of which are
“guaranteed.”

‘GUARANTEED PROCESS’

“All the pardons that we process through the Parole Board if they do not
get approved, they will get approved. It’s a guaranteed process. You
have the right to obtain a pardon in Canada. In a rare occasion, they
might be suspected of a criminal charge but if they were never
convicted, I professionally, have not seen one come back refused.”
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PUBLICATION: The Ottawa Sun
DATE: 2007.02.16
EDITION: Final
SECTION: Editorial/Opinion
PAGE: 14
BYLINE: ANNE HOWLAND
COLUMN: Editorial
WORD COUNT: 289

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Past crimes shouldn’t be erased

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Since the pardons are being handed out free and easy these days, pardon
us for being just a little ticked off about news the National Parole
Board has awarded more than 100,000 pardons in the past six years –
including two for murder convictions.

As Sun Media’s Kathleen Harris reported yesterday, killers, rapists,
child sex offenders, child porn producers and violent attackers have had
their criminal records set aside so they can more easily obtain a
passport or seek employment with a clean slate.

Well, isn’t that great. We guess it would be a little tough to land a
job with a pesky murder sheet hanging over your head. But such a crime,
and others almost equally horrific, should never be whitewashed.

If you did the crime, you should do the time (although who knows with
our rag-tag justice system), and it should be something that is easily
flagged to potential employers or other officials.

“It’s in everybody’s best interests that we encourage and support people
who put their life back together,” said Graham Stewart, executive
director of the John Howard Society of Canada.

Maybe so. But wiping the slate clean seems just a little inappropriate.

As Steve Sullivan, president of the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims
of Crime, so aptly says: “From a victim’s perspective, it’s almost
like
we’re saying this didn’t happen … The victims don’t get that luxury.”

Plus we have to imagine that finding and keeping a job is also tricky
when you’ve been the victim of a violent incident.

The Harper government has promised it will get tough on crime, and they
seem to be serious about it. We’ve long argued that we’re sick to death
of a system that seems to favour sweet deals for offenders over the
safety of communities.

So here’s another aspect of the issue the Tories should put on their
tough-on-crime to-do list. Because voters likely won’t hand out pardons
for politicians who don’t live up to their promises as easily as the
parole board seems to give the nod to these serious offenders.

The Second Amendment IS Homeland Security !