Criminal lawyer Alison Craig, founding partner of Posner Craig Stein Credit: Photo supplied by Alison Craig
According to the Ontario Ombudsman’s 2023 -2024 annual report, “The fair and humane treatment of people in Ontario correctional facilities, including their health and safety, has long been a priority for our Office. In line with previous years, correctional services were the top source of complaints and inquiries in 2023-2024 – we received 4,444 cases about correctional facilities, a 26% increase from 3,524 in 2022-2023, but below the peak of 6,000 in 2019-2020.”
The report stated the most common inmate concerns continued to be medical care, overcrowding, lockdowns, segregation (solitary confinement) and the use of force by correctional officers.
During March and April 2024, a team of Ombudsman investigators conducted visits to Sudbury Jail, Maplehurst Correctional Complex in Milton, Vanier Centre for Women in Milton and Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre.
Here’s a summary of their findings:
At Sudbury Jail, we viewed the measures taken by the facility in response to inmate complaints about poor living conditions, and a mouse infestation in particular. We discussed the measures taken to remediate the infestation, and continue to follow up with the jail on this issue.
We received multiple complaints from inmates at the Vanier Centre for Women about severe overcrowding, not getting time out of their cells, and no access to services, including showers, due to construction projects. During our visit, staff told us the facility was dealing with a record high number of inmates. We were told staff were working to ensure inmates were given at least two hours outside their cells each day. We continue to monitor complaints about living conditions and receive updates about the construction projects.
Our visits to Maplehurst, Milton, ON and Hamilton-Wentworth focused on speaking with senior staff about the steps being taken to address overcrowding and lockdowns. We viewed several different units in each facility, including areas we were told were overcrowded. We discussed inmate complaints about a lack of access to phones and other services, and are monitoring the facilities’ responses.
With so many cases involving the human rights of inmates every year, we are committed to remaining abreast of the latest developments and best practices in the correctional services field. We exchange information with colleagues nationally and internationally about standards for humane and effective correctional practices.
Today, I’m joined by Alison Craig, founding partner of criminal law firm, Posner Craig Stein, to discuss overcrowding in Ontario’s jails.
Alison graduated from Queen’s University Law School. As a student at Queen’s, Alison volunteered for three years at the John Howard Society, serving as Vice President of the Board of Directors in her final year.
While in Kingston, Alison worked for the Correctional Law Project, a legal clinic run through Queen’s University. As an employee of the clinic, she represented federal prison inmates at their disciplinary court trials and parole hearings.
Alison continues to conduct parole hearings as well as representing clients before regulatory and licensing tribunals including the Law Society of Upper Canada and the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.
In 2007 and 2008, Alison represented nine individuals at the Inquiry into Pediatric Forensic Pathology in Ontario. Those individuals were convicted of homicides as a result of the flawed pathology work of Dr. Charles Smith. In the years since the Inquiry concluded, several of those convictions have been quashed by the Ontario Court of Appeal.
Alison has successfully conducted hundreds of trials at both the provincial and superior court levels.
In addition to her trial work, Alison has argued conviction and sentence appeals at the Summary Conviction Appeals Court for Ontario, the Ontario Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court of Canada.
Alison and I discuss why there has been a surge in inmates over the past 18 months as well as how understaffing is affecting the living conditions, medical care and mental health of inmates.
We also discuss Ford’s ineffective solutions including bail reform that makes it more difficult to get bail and building more jails while simultaneously continuing to underfund affordable permanent housing, mental health care and effective drug treatments.
Alison and I also discuss the role a Basic Income/Universal Standard of Living could play in preventing many nonviolent crimes as well as the role teaching life skills and providing trades training could play in reducing recidivism.
Thanks to everyone who read today’s article and listened to my podcast. With your continued support, a little Nicoll can make a lot of change.
Music: Real Estate by UNIVERSFIELD is licensed under a Attribution 4.0 International License. freemusicarchive.org.
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