Confirmed COVID-19 Cases Linked to Canadian Carceral Institutions - November 2020

649 Newly Reported COVID-19 Cases Linked to Canadian Jails, Prisons and Penitentiaries in November 2020

Federal Prisoners = 116

Provincial-Territorial Prisoners = 426

Total Prisoners = 542

Federal Prison Staff = 18

Provincial-Territorial Prison Staff = 89

Total Prison Staff = 107

Significance of Preliminary Findings

From when COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic on 11 March 2020 to 17 July 2020 (a period of just over four months), there were a reported 600 prisoners and 229 prison staff members, for a total of 829 human beings linked to Canadian carceral sites, that tested positive for COVID-19 according to CBC News. 

While figures for mid-July to the end of September have not yet been compiled, our findings from October 2020 (237 prisoners + 100 prison staff = 337 people) and November 2020 (542 prisoners + 107 prison staff = 649 people) indicate that in the past two months alone there have been 986 COVID-19 cases linked to Canadian jails, prisons and penitentiaries. In roughly half the time of the first wave of the pandemic there have been 157 more COVID-19 cases linked to Canadian carceral settings in October and November 2020. These figures do not account for transmission beyond bars linked to these cases. It is clear that the risk of significant spread of COVID-19 in sites of confinement in Canada remains. 

Prison authorities across the country need to recommit to diverting and decarcerating people from custody to the extent that is safely possible to prevent and limit the spread of the coronavirus behind and beyond concrete walls and razor wire fences. Investing more in community supports for criminalized people like permanent and supportive housing now, instead of planning the construction of new prison spaces in the name of economic recovery would be a far better use of taxpayer dollars to enhance public health and our collective safety both in the short- and long-term.

LIST OF INSTITUTIONS IMPACTED AND SOURCES 

Federal / Correctional Service Canada (CSC)

Drummondville Institution

Prisoners = 18

Staff = 0

Total = 18

Source: Correctional Service Canada (27 November 2020)

 

Stony Mountain Institution

Prisoners = 92

Staff = 8

Total = 100

Sources: Correctional Service Canada (27 November 2020) | 

Newstalk 610 (23 November 2020)

Edmonton Institution

Prisoners = 1

Staff = 7

Total = 8

Source: CTV News (21 November 2020)

 

Edmonton Institution for Women

Prisoners = 5

Staff = 1

Total = 6

Source: Edmonton Journal (24 November 2020)

Mission Institution

Prisoners = 0

Staff = 2

Total = 2

Source: CTV News (19 November 2020)

Provincial - Quebec

Établissement de détention New Carlisle

Prisoners = 41

Staff = 7

Total = 48

Source: Radio-Canada (20 November 2020)

Établissement de détention de Percé 

Prisoners = 0

Staff = 2

Total = 2

Source: Gouvernement du Québec

Établissement de détention de Sorel-Tracy 

Prisoners = 0

Staff = 1

Total = 1

Source: Gouvernement du Québec

Provincial - Ontario

Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre

Prisoners = 1

Staff = 0

Total = 1

Source: Government of Ontario (29 November 2020)

Toronto East Detention Centre

Prisoners = 2

Staff = 0

Total = 2

Source: Government of Ontario (29 November 2020)

Toronto South Detention Centre

Prisoners = 3

Staff = 0

Total = 3

Source: Government of Ontario (29 November 2020)

Maplehurst Correctional Complex

Prisoners = 4

Staff = 0

Total = 4

Source: Government of Ontario (29 November 2020)

Vanier Centre for Women

Prisoners = 1

Staff = 0

Total = 1

Source: Government of Ontario (29 November 2020)

Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre

Prisoners = 1

Staff = 2

Total = 3

Sources: Government of Ontario (29 November 2020) | 

Barton Prisoner Solidarity Project (28 November 2020)

South West Detention Centre

Prisoners = 1

Staff = 0

Total = 1

Source: Government of Ontario (29 November 2020)

Provincial - Manitoba

Agassiz Youth Centre 

Prisoners = 12 (-7 reported in October)

Staff = 5 (-1 reported in October)

Total = 9

Source: CTV News (23 November 2020)

 

Brandon Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 0

Staff = 3 (-3 reported in October)

Total = 0

Source: CTV News (23 November 2020)

 

Headingly Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 201 (-74 reported in October)

Staff = 42 (-21 reported in October)

Total = 148

Source: CTV News (23 November 2020)

 

Manitoba Youth Centre

Prisoners = 0

Staff = 3 (-1 reported in October)

Total = 2

Source: CTV News (23 November 2020)

 

Milner Ridge Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 0

Staff = 3 (-2 reported in October)

Total = 1

Source: CTV News (23 November 2020)

 

Women’s Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 26 (-16 reported in October)

Staff = 3 (-3 reported in October)

Total = 10

Source: CTV News (23 November 2020)

 

Winnipeg Remand Centre

Prisoners = 3

Staff = 6 (-1 reported in October)

Total = 8

Source: CTV News (23 November 2020)

Provincial - Saskatchewan

Regina Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 1

Staff = 2

Total = 3

Source: CBC News (28 November 2020)

Paul Dojack Youth Centre

Prisoners = 2

Staff = 1

Total = 1

Source: CBC News (28 November 2020)

Saskatoon Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 116

Staff = 26

Total = 142

Source: Global News (30 November 2020)

Kilburn Hall Youth Centre

Prisoners = 0

Staff = 1

Total = 1

Source: CBC News (27 November 2020)

Pine Grove Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 1

Staff = 0

Total = 1

Source: CBC News (28 November 2020)

Prince Albert Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 0

Staff = 1

Total = 1

Source: CBC News (28 November 2020)

Prince Albert Youth Residence

Prisoners = 0

Staff = 1

Total = 1

Source: CBC News (28 November 2020)

Provincial - Alberta

Calgary Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 8 + 41

Staff = 8 + 1

Total = 58

Sources: Calgary Herald (7 November 2020) | 

Global News (30 November 2020)

 

Edmonton Remand Centre

Prisoners = 58

Staff = 3

Total = 61

Source: CTV News (17 November 2020)

Canadian Jurisdictions without Newly Reported COVID-19 Cases 
Linked to their Provincial-Territorial Jails and Prisons in November 2020
Newfoundland and Labrador
Prince Edward Island
Nova Scotia

New Brunswick

British Columbia
Nunavut
Northwest Territories
Yukon

RESEARCH PROJECT AND FUNDING 

The data above was compiled as part of the "COVID-19: Investigating Canada's Carceral Response to the Coronavirus through the Prison Pandemic Partnership" (principal investigator: Kevin Walby, PhD - uWinnipeg | co-investigator: Justin Piché, PhD - uOttawa | partner organization: Canadian Civil Liberties Association) project funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. The partnership project is housed within the Centre for Access to Information and Justice at the University of Winnipeg.