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Welcome to Redemption Mountain

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You made it.

Not everyone who’s been through hell gets this far. But here you are — not because you're perfect, but because you're called. Redemption Mountain isn’t just a page. It’s sacred ground — a digital sanctuary carved out for the broken, the bitter, the bruised, the bold, and the ones who aren’t sure they deserve to breathe another day.

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This is for:

  • Ex-cons still battling the label.

  • Addicts still feeling the pull.

  • Abusers trying to face themselves.

  • Victims of their own choices.

  • The spiritually bankrupt and the soul-starved.

  • Anyone who’s ever whispered, “I don’t belong anywhere.”

You do belong.
Right here.

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Here, shame doesn’t get the final word. Grace does. And it’s not just talked about — it’s lived, raw and real.

 

🧭 Connect Here

You can either choose to take part in the chat box below or use the group thread by clicking the "go to feed" button. Just jump in! if you use the group feed, you can upload images, videos, GIF's, write up massages (kinda like Facebook), comment, share, etc. The chat box below is where you can engage in chat or invite other members...leave a prayer request, support others, connect, and grow. If it feels like nobody has your back...just know that Jesus does and we do here as well!

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Court Room

 

Curbing or Working Around a Criminal Record?

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What is a Criminal Record? A criminal record is a documented history of an individual’s interactions with the criminal justice system, including arrests, charges, convictions, and sentencing.

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Impact on Daily Life

Employment: Background checks can limit job opportunities.

Housing: Some landlords may hesitate to rent to individuals with records, and yes… there are landlords that request criminal record checks prior to signing a short, or long-term rental lease.

Travel: Entry restrictions to certain countries.

Social Stigma: Affects relationships and societal perception.

What is a Record Suspension?

In Canada, a record suspension (formerly a pardon) removes a criminal record from public access. While in the U.S., it varies by state and can involve pardons or rehabilitation certificates.

 

Process in Canada

In Canada, the waiting period for a record suspension is:

  • 5 years for summary offences.

  • 10 years for indictable offences.

This starts after completing your sentence, including fines and probation.

Applications are obtained through the Parole Board of Canada; an approval seals the record from public access.

 

Process in the U.S.

State and Federal Procedures vary by jurisdiction, involving applications to governors or parole boards.

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Sealing vs. Expunging

  • Sealing: Record exists but hidden from most background checks.

  • Expunging: Record is erased, treated as though the offense never occurred.

 

Jurisdiction Differences

  • In Canada: Focus on record suspensions.

  • In the U.S.: Availability and processes differ by state.

 

Navigating Life Successfully

A criminal record doesn’t define your future. Many people— including millionaires and billionaires —have built wildly successful lives and businesses despite their pasts.

 

Here’s how you can do the same:

 

Entrepreneurship

Starting your own business allows you to sidestep employment barriers. Many successful entrepreneurs, including those with criminal records, have built thriving businesses and even empires in various industries like tech, real estate, entertainment, metal (scrap yards), contracting (handyman), and construction just to mention a few.

 

Networking

Cultivate strong professional and personal networks. Connections can open doors to opportunities that bypass conventional barriers. Sometimes, it’s not what you know but who you know!

 

Skill Development

Focus on acquiring valuable skills that are in demand. Specialized knowledge in fields like technology, marketing, sales, or trades can make you indispensable even with a criminal record.

 

Mindset Shift

Embrace your past as a source of strength. Use it to fuel your drive to succeed. Many successful people with records leverage their experiences to inspire resilience and determination.

 

Personal Branding:

Control your narrative. Highlight your transformation, achievements, and the lessons learned from your past. People appreciate honesty, authenticity, and growth.

 

Community Impact:

Giving back to your community through mentorship or volunteering can enhance your reputation and open up further opportunities.

 

Understanding Judgment After Judgment:

Even after serving your sentence and paying your dues, society often continues to judge you. This judgment after being judged can feel like an endless sentence. Employers, landlords, relationships, and even social circles may treat you as though your past defines you. Imagine the tables being turned, I wonder if they would like to be judged?

 

How to Get Past People’s BS

  • Focus on Your Path: Remember, you’re not living for their approval. Their opinions don’t define your worth or your future. Focus on your goals, not their negativity.

  • Own Your Story: Be upfront and confident about your past. When you own your story, others can’t use it against you. Shift the narrative to focus on your growth and achievements.

  • Set Boundaries: Not everyone deserves a place in your life. Distance yourself from people who constantly remind you of your past or undermine your progress.

  • Surround Yourself with Support: Build a circle of people who uplift and encourage you.

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Seek out communities, mentors, and friends who understand your journey and respect your efforts to move forward.

  • Prove Them Wrong with Actions: Let your actions speak louder than their judgments. Success and growth are the best responses to doubters. Over time, your consistency and achievements will silence critics.

  • Don’t Internalize Their Negativity: Understand that their judgment often says more about them than about you.

 

Their inability to see past your record is their limitation, not yours.

Accessing Legal Aid

 

In Canada

Provincial legal aid societies, and community legal clinics differs province to province.

 

In the U.S.

Legal aid organizations, state-level legal services, and non-profits focused on criminal justice reform differs state to state.

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Statistics

“Let’s talk truth — not judgment. Just truth. Around the world, millions are stuck in a cycle: prison, release, relapse, return. In the U.S., two out of three people released from prison are re-arrested within three years. By year ten, that number jumps to over 80%. Canada’s not far behind, with more than half of provincially sentenced offenders re-offending within two years. For Indigenous people, that rate is even higher — a legacy of injustice that continues to bleed through the system.

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Globally, recidivism rates hover between 20% and 60%, depending on how a country chooses to treat its fallen. Norway, for example, leads with compassion and sees some of the world’s lowest rates — just 20%. Why? Because they focus on rehabilitation, not revenge. They treat prisoners like people. Like they still matter.

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The common thread in high-risk populations? Addiction. Trauma. Poverty. Nearly three-quarters of those who re-offend are battling substance abuse or untreated mental illness. And when someone walks out of prison with no job, no support, and nowhere to go, the system has practically planned their return.

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But here’s the good news — redemption is real, and change is measurable. Education in prison can cut recidivism by nearly 25%. Drug courts work. Faith-based mentorship programs have turned lives around. Peer accountability groups — like Circles of Support — have cut re-offense rates by over 70% for high-risk individuals.

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These aren’t just stats. These are the stakes. And this space, Redemption Mountain, exists to flip the script. Here, we believe that failure is not final. That grace is stronger than shame. That healing isn’t just possible — it’s promised to those who keep climbing.”

 

📊 Just How Many of Us?​

 

🔒 1 in 3 adults in the U.S. has a criminal record. That’s over 78 million people carrying that label — from felonies to minor charges that never got cleared. In Canada, while exact numbers aren’t tracked the same way, the story echoes — thousands re-enter society every year with little more than stigma trailing behind them.

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🧠 Addiction? It touches almost every circle. In the U.S., 1 in 7 people struggles with substance use each year. In Canada, around 6 million have met the criteria for addiction. Whether it’s alcohol, opioids, or trauma-fueled coping — it runs deep. And for many, it runs silent.

 

👥 Put it together? You’ve got tens of millions navigating criminal records, recovery, relapse, and regret — with very few places to land, be heard, or be healed.

 

💔 The systems label people as offenders, addicts, or cases — but here, we call them what they truly are: worthy. Still breathing. Still capable of redemption.

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