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Silver handcuffs with key beside it sitting on top of a sheet of fingerprint identification. Photo by Bill Oxford on Unsplash

Have you ever wondered what a criminal record is or how it affects a person's life even after they've served their punishment for a crime?

Criminal records are an important piece of documentation, and they can have significant impacts on your future if you end up with one.

What Is A Criminal Record?

Files on a tablePhoto by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

A criminal record documents a person's criminal history.

All information relating to a person's criminal involvement, charged or not charged, appears on a criminal record in Canada.

Criminal records contain information about a person's identity, charges, convictions, fingerprints, DNA, and more.

Example:

If you're suspect in a criminal investigation, or you were fingerprinted in relation to a criminal offense, this information, along with your name and date of birth, will be kept on file.

How Does A Criminal Record Affect Your Life?

✈️ Travel

Border officials can question you about your criminal record and they can deny you access into their country.

💼 Employment

Many employers require a criminal record check and will not hire someone with a criminal record.

🇨🇦 Citizenship

Any person applying for citizenship in Canada will be denied citizenship if they have a criminal record.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Child custody

Parents can lose custody or visitation rights if a judge believes a criminal record will affect their ability to care for children.

Quiz

How many years do you think a criminal record will impact a person's life in Canada?

Did you know?

Criminal records can be highly detrimental to a person's personal life, as they will likely struggle to find employment and afford basic necessities, such as housing.

Take Action

Man in court getting questioned if he has a previous criminal record, and responding with 'None. No, sir.'

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This Byte has been authored by

EP

Emily P.

University Student

English

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