TORONTO – Ontario will add more beds to its beleaguered jails, which are bursting with inmates, solicitor general Michael Kerzner said Monday.
The province’s jail population has spiked recently. Data obtained by The Canadian Press through freedom-of-information laws shows the vast majority of the province’s jails are over capacity. Premier Doug Ford pledged in March to build more jails to deal with an influx of inmates, the vast majority of whom are innocent and awaiting trial.
The union representing correctional workers has long called for more staffing, more resources and more mental-health support as bursting jails coupled with long-standing staffing shortages have led to a human resources crisis within its ranks. “This is definitely going to help give the staff on the front lines some additional tools that they need in order to do their jobs and to do them safely,” he said.
Maplehurst Correction Complex in Milton, Ont., was the most overcrowded last year, with an average inmate population of 1,188 but official capacity for 887 – meaning it was operating at 134 per cent capacity in 2023.
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