Denise Durette and Judy Murphy of the N.B. chapter of the Elizabeth Fry Society. Image: Tamara Steele
The New Brunswick chapter of the Elizabeth Fry Society is trying to help women and gender-diverse people with criminal records.
The eFry society helps people who want a record suspension so they can find work, apply for a promotion, or get a degree.
Executive director Judy Murphy said the people they are trying to help often have criminal records resulting from “crimes of survival.”
“It may be providing for the children, it may be shoplifting for themselves, it may be a silly moment in their 20s when they shoplifted a pair of dark glasses. It’s not your more serious crimes,” Murphy said.
The eFry Society guides people through the application process for a record suspension, which Murphy says “is rigorous and daunting.”
The base fee to submit an application is $657.77 and, with other fees, it can cost nearly $1,000 to apply for a record suspension.
Murphy said there is shame and embarrassment to having a criminal record adding the people they are trying to help call it “a burden.”
She said it causes fear for people when they apply for work.
“‘If I apply for a job, they are going to find out I’ve got a record or the fear ‘if I apply for a job and I get an interview and I’m successful, are they going to hire me anyway?'” Murphy said.
Murphy said employers may not understand the people they support are motivated, committed, and ready to work.
Come on down to the SJ Art Centre to support those we work with and their journey through the record suspension process! BBQ is by donation, we are here from 11-1! pic.twitter.com/2XMYaBSVyn
— EFry New Brunswick Nouveau-Brunswick (@efrynb) August 16, 2021
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