We are failing too many Black Canadians, throughout their journeys
, and how, in the case of Black inmates, the situation has even gotten worse: Black Canadians represent 9.2 per cent of the incarcerated population, but only 3.5 per cent of the population at large, and more than a third of Black inmates in Canada are younger than 30.
When I was released, what I needed most was a second chance. For that, I needed a pardon to overcome roadblocks to potential employment. But there is a long waiting period before you can even apply for a pardon or record suspension after a criminal conviction. After being arrested in 2004, I had to wait 10 years after my probation ran out in 2009 before I could apply – so the incident wound up being a stain on my record for 15 years.
But I was determined to redeem myself and my mother’s namesake; in my community, for better or worse, parents are judged by what their children do. I was deep into creating music, and tried to use it to raise awareness of what was going on in my community; I scored a local hit and got covered in magazines.
I acknowledge that my experience is not replicable for everyone; that’s unfair to expect. But my life is an example of the importance of support systems like PAYE, and the many people who helped me along the way, when they’re needed the most. The key, for me, was that my mind had been elevated beyond the walls of the neighbourhood. I knew more, saw more and ultimately wanted to be more. Higher learning helped keep me out of the system.
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