We are very fortunate in Canada to be given a second chance. If you have a criminal record, the government will allow you to obtain a pardon or Record Suspension so that your criminal record is removed from public scrutiny.
In the US, the process to get a Pardon is much more arduous and only given to a small handful of people who can make their plea directly to the state Govenor or US President.
The following news article talks about how the actor Mark Wahlberg is seeking a pardon for an old assault conviction. Even though he is famous, the criminal record still haunts him emotionally and socially. This is a common issue we hear with people living in Canada who have a criminal record as well.
“The 43-year-old says he is seeking the pardon because his past convictions still have an impact on his life, preventing him from becoming more active in law-enforcement activities “including those that assist at-risk individuals” but also for “formal recognition that I am not the same person I was on the night of 8 April 1988 … My hope is that, if I receive a pardon, troubled youths will see this as an inspiration and motivation that they too can turn their lives around and be formally accepted into society.”
Here is the recent article:
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/dec/05/mark-wahlberg-seeks-pardon-assault-conviction-prison
