The Big Story Overcrowding & reduced sentences: what's going on in Ontario's jails?
Jul 17, 2025
Jessica Evans, an Associate Professor at Toronto Metropolitan University's criminology department, dives into Ontario's prison crisis. She discusses alarming overcrowding rates that exceed 150% capacity, severely impacting inmate health and safety. The conversation highlights the plight of individuals awaiting trial, often presumed innocent, who suffer from systemic failures. Evans also critiques bail laws and the ethical dilemmas they present, advocating for a shift from punitive measures to addressing root causes of crime in the correctional system.
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Overcrowding Crisis in Ontario Jails
- Overcrowding in Ontario jails is a long-standing, systemic issue, not a new phenomenon.
- In 2023, 82% of Ontario's provincial prison population were legally innocent inmates awaiting trial.
Overcrowding Threatens Safety and Health
- Overcrowding impacts safety, increasing health risks and spread of disease like COVID-19 in close quarters.
- The issue extends beyond inmates to public health as released individuals rejoin communities.
Separate Jail Health Care System
- Inmates keep OHIP coverage but prison health care is run by Ministry of Solicitor General, not Ministry of Health.
- This separate system causes delays, misdiagnoses, and care discontinuity when entering and leaving jail.