Volunteering with a Criminal Record

Volunteering is a rewarding way to give back to your community and grow as a person. However, finding volunteer opportunities is not easy for those with a criminal record. A simple background check will easily uncover your criminal record, which will limit the organizations and community programs to which you can give your time.

For decades, the team at Pardons Canada has guided our clients in volunteering with a criminal record. This blog will explore how a criminal record can lead to being denied volunteering opportunities and present ways we can help you navigate these issues. 

Background Checks for Volunteering

Most volunteer organizations or charitable organizations now require a criminal background check for all volunteers. This policy is implemented for the safety and security of the individuals they serve and to maintain trust and integrity within the community.

This CBC article discusses how volunteer positions in Ottawa require a criminal background check, which the volunteers themselves must now pay for.

Challenges of Volunteering with a Criminal Record

If you have been convicted of a criminal offence or even if you have been charged and fingerprinted, then you may not be able to get the volunteer position. Even if your charges were dismissed, withdrawn, stayed, peace bond, or absolute or conditional discharge, your record is likely still in the system.

The Impact of Old Offenses on Volunteering

We receive calls from parents wanting to volunteer at their children’s school. One spouse has an old petty theft offence from years past, and they can’t pass a criminal background check.

They are devastated to learn that something so far in the past is coming back to haunt them and prevent them from volunteering at their child’s school. It is embarrassing and disappointing to learn that a past criminal offence is getting in the way of their lives.

Record Suspensions for Volunteer Work

Obtaining a pardon or record suspension is a significant step toward clearing your name for volunteer work. This legal process effectively removes your criminal record from public databases, thereby:

• Enhancing Accessibility: Without a criminal record showing up in background checks, you’re more likely to pass the screening processes for various volunteer roles.
• Restoring Opportunities: This can open doors to positions in fields that are particularly sensitive, such as those involving vulnerable populations.

Once a record suspension is granted, the criminal offence will no longer show up on a background check, and you will be permitted to volunteer. An exception, however, is if you have been placed on the vulnerable sector list. 

Even after a pardon is granted, your name will still appear on this database, and you may not be able to volunteer for positions involving youth or the elderly. Depending on your specific situation, there may be an opportunity to remove your name, which you can discuss with one of our counsellors.

Contact Us About Volunteering with a Criminal Record

Volunteering with a criminal record can be challenging, but you don’t have to do it alone Pardons Canada is committed to helping individuals like you overcome these hurdles. We are here to support you every step of the way.
Don’t let your past define your future—contact us today to explore how we can help you clear your record and open doors to rewarding volunteer opportunities. 

Pardons Canada undertakes all necessary steps and procedures for removing your criminal record, including: Pardons/Record Suspensions, Purges, Photograph & Fingerprint Destruction, and U.S. Entry Waivers.