Crimes of Poverty Lead to Future Barriers
Imagine rebuilding your life once you have a criminal record and are trying to search for housing and employment.
What if you had to make difficult choices around your basic daily survival due to poverty?
What if answering “yes” to the “criminal record” check box on an employment application made it impossible to get a job?
What if you did not have a “fixed address” to enable you to receive government documents that are essential for health care, employment and other benefits?
For many women and families in Calgary, these barriers are a daily reality that prevent them from moving forward in their lives. It is often these barriers that drive crimes of poverty leading to incarceration and having a criminal record. The result is further barriers and long term consequences to a successful future.
