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Hamilton Spectator

Ontario ombudsman says ‘growing crisis' in overcrowded jails undermines justice system

Ontario's ombudsman is urging Premier Doug Ford to address a 'growing crisis' in overcrowded jails with complaints skyrocketing 55 per cent and judges dropping or reducing charges against some inmates because of poor treatment and living conditions. The problems — including frequent lockdowns, three inmates in cells for two or bunking in broom closets, mould and getting the wrong medications — undermine the justice system, Paul Dubé said in releasing his annual report Wednesday, warning of the potential for bigger problems. 'If you keep raising the populations in a fixed amount of space and then you have staff shortages and there aren't enough people to adequately, safely run the prison, then you have lockdowns ... which leads to frustrations,' he told a news conference at the legislature. 'The cauldron starts heating up and the pressures build.' The latest investigation followed the Ministry of Solicitor General's two internal investigative Dubé's call for improvements follows an investigation he launched this month into a December 2023 incident at the Maplehurst Correctional Centre in Milton, where inmates were subject to a mass strip search by the institution's internal riot squad that has resulted in a host of lawsuits against the province. 'The conditions that we are seeing and hearing about in the correctional system not only fail to meet the basic expectations of fairness and dignity, but in some cases actively undermine the very principles of justice and human rights,' Dubé said. Ontario's Ministry of the Solicitor General is now investigating the December 2023 incident, 'This is a challenge that requires urgent attention and a long-term commitment to meaningful reform,' added the ombudsman, whose teams visited 12 jails, including Maplehurst, to see conditions first-hand. Solicitor General Michael Kerzner's office said it would 'review' the 103-page report. It has overseen internal investigations into the Maplehurst incident, but the results of those probes have not been made public. In Mississauga for a hospital expansion announcement, Ford told Citytv 'there's a process. They'll be held accountable, as simple as that.' New Democrat MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam (Toronto Centre) blamed a lack of resources for an overloaded court system, which leaves people accused of crimes stacking up in jails as they await hearings and trials. 'Over 80 per cent of the inmates are actually just waiting for trial,' she said. 'Making sure that we fund the court so it runs smoothly and efficiently, making sure we fund corrections so that we can reduce the overcrowding, all of that is going to make a huge difference in actually reducing the tension, the violence and the horrible conditions.' Complaints by inmates, their families and others to the ombudsman about jails soared 55 per cent to 6,870 last year — the highest number for any provincial service again last year. Dubé said his office has noticed the state of jails slipping for years. 'I will never, ever forget my visit to the Thunder Bay jail where the inmates were lined up on one side of the hallway and the correctional officers and staff on the other side. And they're both pleading with us to do what we could to bring change.'