On May 30, the Province of Ontario announced that it was investing in expanding court capacity. Today, the Ontario government announced that it is adding more beds to several adult correctional facilities and thereby marking an important milestone in its plan to ensure safety and sufficient jail capacity in both the short- and long-term.
“Under the leadership of Premier Ford, our government is ensuring the sustainability of the correctional system,” said Solicitor General Michael Kerzner. “We’re expanding and building facilities that will help frontline staff to do their jobs safely and effectively while increasing capacity to keep violent and repeat offenders off our streets.”
According to the release, in the short term, the government is repurposing and re-opening the Regional Intermittent Centre at Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre in London and the Toronto Intermittent Centre at the Toronto South Detention Centre, adding up to 430 new beds by 2026 to accommodate minimum- and medium-risk inmates.
The province is also increasing the number of beds over the longer term at the following correctional facilities:
- Adding 18 new beds at the Quinte Detention Centre bringing the institution’s capacity to over 300 beds.
- More than doubling capacity at the new Brockville Correctional Complex by adding 184 new beds.
Increasing jail capacity will be supported by the hiring of up to 200 additional correctional staff which could include nurses, correctional officers and support staff, according to the Province.
Quick Facts
- As part of the government’s plans to increase capacity, two new jails will be built in eastern Ontario: the Eastern Ontario Correctional Complex in Kemptville and the Brockville Correctional Complex. The St. Lawrence Valley Correctional and Treatment Centre will also be expanded to accommodate a women’s treatment unit and the Quinte Detention Centre will be expanded to add inmate programming and female capacity.
- These expansion initiatives build on the government’s $500 million investment to modernize adult correctional services through infrastructure upgrades and hiring of new staff.
“We are pleased to hear of the government’s plan to reopen the RIC and the TIC, and infrastructure upgrades to expand the bed count at St. Lawrence/Brockville and Quinte. This investment in staffing and infrastructure is a good example of the type of solutions we need to help keep communities, our staff, and those inside our walls safe. We recognize the Ontario government’s ongoing commitment to support correctional staff and hope to see similar solutions implemented in other areas moving forward,” according to Chad Oldfield, Ontario Public Service Employees Union, Ministry Employee Relations Committee Co-chair.
Don’t miss out on Doppler!
Sign up here to receive our email digest with links to our most recent stories.
Local news in your inbox so you don’t miss anything!
Click here to support local news
Betsy Rothwell says
It says a lot about priorities when money is spent on jails and not on education
David Gordon says
With a growing population the emphasis on law and order can be enhanced with additional space to house criminals. Now we need to ensure all gun crimes are met with jail time and those who are perpetually out on bail can find a new home. Now we just need the judges to convict them and put them away. Imagine a world with fewer car thefts, fewer drive by shootings resulting in a safer place for law abiding people. This is a good decision and long overdue.