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People who have been incarcerated – More legal information

Criminal law / General legal information

Community Legal Education Ontario (CLEO) has many pamphlets on different criminal law topics.

Legal Aid Ontario has a legal information resource website that includes information on criminal law topics including first appearances, diversion, bail, and types of sentences.

CALC offers a number of tip sheets on a variety of legal issues, including employment, housing, consumer and debt, and income assistance.

Parole Board of Canada and COVID-19 (page on operational measures in response to COVID-19).

Information about Provincial Detention Centres

The Ontario Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services has an “Inmate Information Guide for Adult Institutions.” This guide provides information about day to day tasks at detention centres such as buying canteen items and dealing with mail. It also includes more detailed information about how people who are incarcerated can make human rights complaints and complaints about the institution.

Criminal Records

Canadian Civil Liberties Association provides information sheets about police record checks.

Steps to Justice has information about what is included in a police record check, as well as information about how a police record can affect the hiring process.

The John Howard Society of Ontario has a Police Record Hub which contains resources and information on police and criminal records in Ontario. This includes information about how to read a criminal record, and an information guide for people impacted by non-conviction police records in Ontario.

Record Suspensions (Pardons)

The Parole Board of Canada (PBC) has the Official Record Suspension (previously known as pardons) Application Guide and Forms on their website. This site also contains useful tips for avoiding common mistakes when submitting a record suspension application.

The John Howard Society of Belleville provides workshops that assist eligible persons through the process of applying for a Record Suspension.

CALC also has a tip sheet on criminal records and employment for information on how to get a record suspension.

Income assistance while in custody

Steps to Justice has information about how income assistance from ODSP and OW can be affected when people are in custody.

For those helping others

If you are helping someone who is justice-involved, such as a community service worker or a friend or family member, please see our page on Helping the Justice Involved for more resources on how you can help.