Ontario resident Ken Pagan is one example of how people struggle to get back on track after a criminal offence. Pagan is infamous for throwing a beer can at a Major League Baseball (MLB) game in October 2015. Pagan was given a conditional discharge, earlier this year, which means that if he fulfills the conditions of his sentence, his criminal record will disappear in three years. However, in reality it will probably never disappear given the intense media coverage.
Many of our clients understand the impact that one mistake can have on one’s life. Many people struggle with unemployment and trying to find the right job. Pagan’s story demonstrates the value of rehabilitation and allowing people to get back on track after a mistake, no matter how big the mistake is.
How did Ken Pagan get back to work?
After the incident made front page news, Ken Pagan lost his job at Postmedia, a national newspaper chain that publishes papers such as the National Post and the Toronto Sun. His response was to immediately get back into the work, initially working part time as a pizza delivery driver and at a landscape supply yard. He now works as a janitorial supervisor. While there is nothing wrong with these jobs, Pagan probably feels the loss of his professional career acutely.
As his lawyer stated:
“He lost the career he had a passion for – journalism – and he has been publicly humiliated. He has significant anxiety issues now. Everyone who knows him believes he’s a great guy, a volunteer, a generous, caring guy, unfailingly kind. His life has changed completely.”
For many of our clients, getting back in the game where they left off is not impossible due to the fact that they can apply for a Record Suspension after a certain number of years. However, the extension of the waiting period to up to 10 years makes it harder to land on their feet. Ten years is a very long time to be outside of any industry. Combine that with what Google may turn up about them and it becomes even harder. Thus, many of our clients take on less fulfilling jobs and often don’t return to their dream careers.
Volunteering with a record
However, Ken Pagan is not discouraged. Even though he was temporarily banned from MLB games (and confesses that he feels too much shame to attend in any case), he volunteers for a minor league baseball team. Given that he has been given a conditional discharge, he likely won’t be blocked from this by policy. Many of our clients are not so lucky. Many tell us that they want to get a Record Suspension so they can volunteer for community sports, especially for their kids’ teams.
In some ways, Pagan is luckier than many of our clients because he received a Conditional Discharge and quickly found new work. In other ways, he is worse off due to the publicity. Either way, this story shows that when people are able to quickly get back on their feet, they are able to turn their lives around and go back to being productive and contributing members of society.
This is something the federal government should consider as they review our pardon system. Do five- and 10-year waiting periods really help people get back on track after a criminal conviction? Or would fulfilling work and the opportunity to volunteer be more meaningful.
If you think all Canadians should have the opportunity to get back on track, please sign our petition at Lift the Burden. If you would like to learn more about getting a Record Suspension, contact us for a free consultation at 1-866-972-7366.
Main photo by Jiaqian AirplaneFan