Targeted Stakeholder Engagement on the Automated Sequestering of Criminal Records

The Government of Canada is exploring what would be required to implement an automated sequestering of criminal records (ASCR) system in Canada.

Who was the focus of the consultation

Public Safety targeted the following groups of stakeholders:

• Federal, provincial and territorial partners
• Indigenous organizations
• Academia and researchers in the field
• Law enforcement, police and criminal justice partners
• Organizations working with or representing victims
• Non-profit groups working on issues for women
• Non-profit groups working with marginalized and racialized communities, including Black Canadians and LGBTQ2S+ communities
• Non-profit groups and/or organizations working on issues related to homelessness, employment, mental health, and individuals impacted by the criminal justice system

Consultation details

The Government of Canada is committed to advancing reforms to the record suspension program by making record suspensions more accessible for individuals with criminal records who have served their sentences and are living law-abiding lives, particularly those from marginalized and racialized communities, in order to address systemic barriers, promote reintegration and ensure the system is fair and proportionate.  

The Government of Canada has taken recent actions to reform the record suspension program (see related information below). To further advance this priority, Public Safety Canada, in consultation with Portfolio agencies, is conducting targeted engagement in order to gain a fulsome understanding of what would be required to implement an Automated Sequestering of Criminal Records (ASCR) system in Canada. An ASCR system is understood to be a program by which a criminal record would be kept separate and apart from other criminal records, without an application by the former offender, after they have completed their sentence and certain additional conditions are met, as required by legislation.

This engagement intends to explore the benefits that an Automated Sequestering of Criminal Records system would have for individuals, in particular, marginalized communities, as well as the challenges. The engagement will target a diverse group of stakeholders, including municipalities, law enforcement, victims groups, non-profit groups, and organizations that advocate for marginalized and racialized individuals. These key stakeholders will be invited to virtual consultations sessions to be facilitated by Kūwiingu-néewul Engagement Services.

Federal, Provincial, and Territorial (FPT) engagement on the potential implementation of an ASCR system in Canada will be held at the director level and above through an FPT ASCR Working Group established under the umbrella of the FPT Crime Prevention and Policing Committee. The FPT engagement will seek to better understand the policy, legal, and operational considerations for the implementation of an Automated Sequestering of Criminal Records system.

What we heard

Final report

Automated Sequestering of Criminal Records: Parameters for a Canadian Approach

Related information

• Government of Canada to make record suspension more affordable
• Government of Canada to help more Canadians obtain record suspensions with support for community groups
• Record suspensions - Canada.ca
• PBC Record Suspension Application Guide
• Grants and Contributions Program to National Voluntary Organizations
• Government Response - 8512-421-505 - House of Commons of Canada (ourcommons.ca) The Government’s Response to the Thirtieth Report of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security (SECU): M-161, Record Suspension Program

Contact us

Media representatives can contact Public Safety Canada at the following coordinates:

Media relations: (613) 991-0657
E-mail: ps.mediarelations-relationsaveclesmedias.sp@ps-sp.gc.ca

Members of the public are invited to visit Public Safety Canada’s Contact Us page.