Getting out of jail can be just as hard as life behind bars

By TUAN TRAN

For individuals released from prison, the end of a sentence is rarely the end of the struggle, but the start.

Criminal records create lifelong barriers—locking people out of jobs, housing, and even travel—while systemic failures in rehabilitation and society’s stigmatization perpetuate a cycle of recidivism that traps many in the justice system for years.

Jessica Buffalo, academic director at UBC’s Peter A. Allard School of Law, said the challenges begin the moment someone is released.

“Having a criminal record impacts you,” said Buffalo. “It’s difficult for [ex-convicts] to find employment because you have to disclose that to your employer, and an employer has every right not to accept you. If you can’t find meaningful employment, you fall back on what you know.”

According to Statistics Canada, 50 per cent of adults released from full-time custody or community supervision are reconvicted within three years. For those with 10 or more prior convictions, the rate climbs to 79 per cent.

Behind these numbers lie systemic barriers—employment discrimination, housing challenges, and limited rehabilitation support—that make reintegration into society a challenging task.

More than a third of offenders released from custody or community supervision are reconvicted within one year, StatsCan data shows, while 45 per cent are back before the courts within two years. By the third year, half of those released have reoffended.

Those who serve prison sentences are reconvicted more quickly and more frequently than those who serve community sentences.

Buffalo said the lack of support for those with criminal histories creates a “revolving door” effect, where individuals are repeatedly drawn back into the justice system.

And she said, Indigenous and Black offenders are also disproportionately affected, as systemic barriers like housing insecurity and employment discrimination exacerbate their struggles.

Even minor conviction can lead to life-long issues

Dwayne Smith, convicted of possession of an illegal substance in the 1970s, said he is still facing challenges for having a criminal record, despite receiving a pardon seven years after his conviction.

“The US does not recognize Canadian pardons,” said Smith. “It costs around $1,400 to apply for a US Entry Waiver application every time I want to go into the US.”

Smith’s struggles extend beyond travel. Finding employment with a criminal record would have been difficult if it wasn’t for the kindness of his employer.

“It was technically not legal for me to work where I did,” said Smith. “My boss appreciated my work, so he let me keep on working and told me to keep a close lid on it.”

A criminal record creates a web of challenges that extend far beyond employment.

Buffalo said individuals are often barred from volunteering, working in care homes, or finding stable housing due to being deemed a “safety risk.” These barriers prolong the punishment long after a sentence is served.

“When someone goes to prison for an offence, they are taking responsibility by serving time,” said Buffalo.

 “Because of what happens afterwards, it’s almost like their sentence is prolonged, and they end up spending more time on more punishment than should have been imposed in the first place.”

Kirsty Gordon, supervisor for JustKids Initiatives and Woolwerx Fibre Arts Studio at Elizabeth Fry Society of Greater Vancouver, said she agrees that stigmatization creates definite barriers to basic needs for people, especially women, with criminal records.

Gordon said at Woolwerx Fibre Arts Studio, a social enterprise created by the Elizabeth Fry Society to provide training and employment to marginalized women transitioning out of the legal system, some women who stayed in the program longer than intended due to the difficulty of finding jobs outside of their programs.

“There is one [person] that was trying to find housing, and as soon as she mentioned that she had been incarcerated, they withdrew their [offer],” said Gordon. “They had accepted her, and then they withdrew it because they found out.”

Gordon said one of the factors that lead to crime is the role of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)—traumatic events like parental separation, abuse, or neglect.

“If you didn’t have great nurturing yourself as a child, the more ACEs you have, the more likely you are to be involved in substance use, be incarcerated, or have poorer health outcomes,” said Gordon.

Women offenders face even more challenges upon release

Another prevalent challenge for incarcerated women is the separation of parents and children for short-term incarcerations.

“When they have children, their children can be taken into care and have ministry involvement,” said Gordon. “When these kids go into the foster system, if their parent is serving a very short prison sentence, it’s really difficult for the mom to get the kids back again.”

This separation creates rippling effects on the next generation and increases the number of ACEs that children of incarcerated people experience.

Gordon said she believes a woman could be serving short-term sentences in the community instead to mitigate the ripple effects affecting family units.

Buffalo said she believes the classification system in federal penitentiaries is another barrier to rehabilitation. Convicts are placed in low, medium, or maximum security based on factors like education level, poverty, and housing instability. Those in maximum security are often excluded from rehabilitation programs, further entrenching the cycle of crime.

“We call going to prison ‘school for crime,’” said Buffalo. “They come out learning new tricks, making new connections, and often worse than when they went in.”

While organizations like the John Howard Society and Elizabeth Fry Society provide critical support, Buffalo said she believes there needs to be significantly more efforts put into support systems to “make a dent in what’s going on right now.”

“If you can’t get housing, there’s going to be the incentive, the need to survive,” said Buffalo. “The only way you know how might be by breaking and entering, by committing robberies, and then you find yourself back in this rotating door.”