Carceral Depopulation in Canada During the COVID-19 Pandemic

  * Updated: 2 August 2021 at 11:20am EDT *

Overall *

Pre-pandemic | February 2020 = 37,976
June 2020 = 30,580 (-19.5% pre-pandemic levels)

September 2020 = 32,141 (-15.4% pre-pandemic levels)

October 2020 = 32,259 (-15.1% pre-pandemic levels)

November 2020 = 32,525 (-14.4% pre-pandemic levels)

December 2020 = 31,981 (-15.8% pre-pandemic levels)
2021 = to be compiled once data is available from all jurisdictions

* February to December 2020 data compiled by Statistics Canada (8 July 2021)

Correctional Service Canada | Federal

Pre-pandemic | February 2020 = 13,891

June 2020 = 13,141 (-5% pre-pandemic levels)

September 2020 = 12,761 (-8.1 pre-pandemic levels)

October 2020 = 12,652 (-8.9% pre-pandemic levels)

November 2020 = 12,664 (-8.8% pre-pandemic levels)

December 2020 = 12,592 (-9.4% pre-pandemic levels)

11 January 2021 = 12,500 (-10% pre-pandemic levels)

24 May 2021 = 12,025 (-13.4% pre-pandemic levels)

Newfoundland and Labrador | Provincial

Pre-pandemic | February 2020 = 310

June 2020 = 187 (-40% pre-pandemic levels)

September 2020 = 332 (+7.1% pre-pandemic levels)

October 2020 = 346 (+11.6% pre-pandemic levels)

November 2020 = 337 (+8.7% pre-pandemic levels)

December 2020 = 350 (+12.9% pre-pandemic levels)
2021 = not publicly disclosed

Prince Edward Island | Provincial

Pre-pandemic | February 2020 = 114

June 2020 = 94 (-17% pre-pandemic levels)

September 2020 = 115 (+0.9% pre-pandemic levels)

October 2020 = 118 (+3.5% pre-pandemic levels) 

November 2020 = 122 (+7% pre-pandemic levels) 

December 2020 = 123 (+7.9% pre-pandemic levels) 
15 March 2021 = 93 (-18.4% pre-pandemic levels)

Nova Scotia | Provincial

Pre-pandemic | February 2020 = 440

June 2020 = 268 (-39% pre-pandemic levels)

September 2020 = 325 (-26.1% pre-pandemic levels)

October 2020 = 344 (-21.8% pre-pandemic levels) 

November 2020 = 341 (-22.5% pre-pandemic levels) 

December 2020 = 318 (-27.7% pre-pandemic levels) 

10 January 2021 = 334 (-24.1% pre-pandemic levels)

22 March 2021 = 353 (-19.8% pre-pandemic levels)

7 May 2021 = "over 350" (approx. -19.8% pre-pandemic levels)

New Brunswick | Provincial

Pre-pandemic | February 2020 = 450

June 2020 = 358 (-20% pre-pandemic levels)

September 2020 = 417 (-7.3% pre-pandemic levels)

October 2020 = 412 (-8.4% pre-pandemic levels) 

November 2020 = 425 (-5.5% pre-pandemic levels) 

December 2020 = 405 (-10% pre-pandemic levels) 

2021 = not publicly disclosed

Quebec | Provincial

Pre-pandemic | February 2020 = 4,381

June 2020 = 3,512 (-19.8% pre-pandemic levels)

September 2020 = 3,504 (-20% pre-pandemic levels)

October 2020 = 3,617 (-17.4% pre-pandemic levels) 

November 2020 = 3,670 (-16.2% pre-pandemic levels) 

December 2020 = 3,627 (-17.2% pre-pandemic levels) 

15 March 2021 = 3,695 (-15.6% pre-pandemic levels)

22 March 2021 = 3,768 (-14% pre-pandemic levels)

8 June 2021 = 3,658 (-16.5% pre-pandemic levels)

7 July 2021 = 3,722 (-15% pre-pandemic levels)

Ontario | Provincial

Pre-pandemic | February 2020 = 8,269

June 2020 = 5,811 (-30% pre-pandemic levels)

September 2020 = 6,315 (-25.8% pre-pandemic levels)

October 2020 = 6,591 (-20.3% pre-pandemic levels) 

November 2020 = 6,731 (-18.6% pre-pandemic levels) 

December 2020 = 6,724 (-18.7% pre-pandemic levels) 

25 January 2021 = 7,190 (-14.3% pre-pandemic levels) 

2 March 2021 = 7,111 (-14% pre-pandemic levels)

22 March 2021 = 7,131 (-13.8% pre-pandemic levels)

4 May 2021 = 6,887 (-16.7% pre-pandemic levels)

27 May 2021 = 6,794 (-17.8% pre-pandemic levels)

8 June 2021 = 6,827 (-17.4% pre-pandemic levels)

Manitoba | Provincial

Pre-pandemic | February 2020 = 2,238

June 2020 = 1,688 (-23% pre-pandemic levels)

September 2020 = 1,804 (-19.4% pre-pandemic levels)

October 2020 = 1,797 (-19.7% pre-pandemic levels) 

November 2020 = 1,732 (-22.6% pre-pandemic levels) 

December 2020 = 1,619 (-27.7% pre-pandemic levels) 

2021 = not publicly disclosed

Saskatchewan | Provincial

Pre-pandemic | February 2020 = 1,984

June 2020 = 1,527 (-23% pre-pandemic levels)

September 2020 = 1,771 (-10.7% pre-pandemic levels)

October 2020 = 1,812 (-8.7% pre-pandemic levels) 

November 2020 = 1,835 (-7.5% pre-pandemic levels) 

December 2020 = 1,672 (-15.7% pre-pandemic levels) 

1 January 2021 = 1,631 (-17.8% pre-pandemic levels) 

Alberta | Provincial

Pre-pandemic | February 2020 = 3,384

June 2020 = 2,370 (-30% pre-pandemic levels)

September 2020 = 2,582 (-23.7% pre-pandemic levels)

October 2020 = 2,750 (-18.7% pre-pandemic levels) 

November 2020 = 2,831 (-16.3% pre-pandemic levels) 

December 2020 = 2,787 (-17.6% pre-pandemic levels) 

10 March 2021 = 2,932 (-13.4% pre-pandemic levels)

4 June 2021 = 2,925 (-13.5% pre-pandemic levels) 

British Columbia | Provincial

Pre-pandemic | February 2020 = 2,193

June 2020 = 1,474 (-33% pre-pandemic levels)

September 2020 = 1,445 (-34.1% pre-pandemic levels)

October 2020 = 1,507 (-31.3% pre-pandemic levels) 

November 2020 = 1,543 (-29.6% pre-pandemic levels) 

December 2020 = 1,485 (-32.3% pre-pandemic levels) 

22 January 2021 = 1,550 (-29.3% pre-pandemic levels)

Nunavut | Territorial

Pre-pandemic | February 2020 = 122

June 2020 = 118 (-3.3% pre-pandemic levels)

September 2020 = 151 (+23.8% pre-pandemic levels)

October 2020 = 151 (+23.8% pre-pandemic levels)

November 2020 = 143 (+17.2% pre-pandemic levels) 

December 2020 = 144 (+18% pre-pandemic levels) 

2021 = not publicly disclosed

Northwest Territories | Territorial

Pre-pandemic | February 2020 = 143

June 2020 = 112 (-21.7% pre-pandemic levels)

September 2020 = 107 (-25.2% pre-pandemic levels)

October 2020 = 105 (-26.6% pre-pandemic levels) 

November 2020 = 98 (-31.5% pre-pandemic levels) 

December 2020 = 94 (-34.3% pre-pandemic levels) 

2021 = not publicly disclosed

Yukon | Territorial

Pre-pandemic | February 2020 = 56

June 2020 = 39 (-30.4% pre-pandemic levels)

September 2020 = 55 (-1.8% pre-pandemic levels)

October 2020 = 57 (+1.8% pre-pandemic levels) 

November 2020 = 53 (-5.4% pre-pandemic levels) 

December 2020 = 41 (-26.8% pre-pandemic levels) 

2021 = not publicly disclosed

RESEARCH PROJECT AND FUNDING 

The preliminary findings above were 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. Researchers, journalists, policymakers and practitioners using the data presented above are invited to contact justin.piche@uottawa.ca should they have additional data, find any errors or have any questions. 

9,190 COVID-19 Cases Linked to Canadian Carceral Institutions by the End of July 2021

 * Updated 2 August 2021 at 10:15am EDT *

OVERALL

Prisoners = 7,030 (9 deaths reported)

Staff = 2,154 (1 death reported)

Contractors = 6 

Total = 9,190

Canadian Jurisdictions with Reported COVID-19 Cases 
Linked to their Carceral Institutions as of 30 July 2021  

Federal | Correctional Service Canada = 2,189 (1,580 prisoners | 609 staff) 

Nova Scotia = 6 (5 prisoners | 1 staff)

New Brunswick = 2 (0 prisoners | 2 staff)

Prince Edward Island = 1 (1 prisoner | 0 staff)

Quebec = 1,047 (640 prisoners | 407 staff) 

Ontario = 2,279 (1,767 prisoners | 508 staff | 4 contractors)

Manitoba = 643 (506 prisoners | 137 staff)

Saskatchewan = 1,054 (825 prisoners | 229 staff)

Alberta = 1,697 (1,483 prisoners | 212 staff | 2 contractors)

British Columbia = 258 (209 prisoners | 49 staff)

Nunavut = 14 (14 prisoners | 0 staff)

Other Carceral Institutions (not included in overall count above)

Federal | Canadian Border Services Agency = 6 (4 prisoners | 1 staff | 1 contractor)

Canadian Jurisdictions without Reported COVID-19 Cases 
Linked to their Provincial-Territorial Jails and Prisons as of 30 July 2021 
Newfoundland and Labrador

Northwest Territories
Yukon

NOTE ON METHOD

The preliminary findings presented above were compiled from figures included media reports and publicly available government data sets. Due to the quality of the data available, it is possible that there are additional laboratory confirmed cases of COVID-19 linked to prisoners and/or staff of Canadian carceral institutions than those compiled above as many state bodies do not report both types of cases online on a pro-active basis like Manitoba Corrections. The Ministère de la Sécurité publique du Québec last provided an update with such data on 7 July 2021. Correctional Service Canada and the Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor General release prisoner COVID-19 case figures on a regular basis through tables accessible through a single web link, but not those of their institutional staff. All other Canadian human caging authorities do not make such data sets available online, including the Saskatchewan Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety and the Alberta Correctional Services Division that have had several large outbreaks linked to their provincial jails and prisons, as well as the Nova Scotia Correctional Services Division, the Corrections Branch of the New Brunswick Department of Public Safety, Prince Edward Island Community and Correctional Services, and British Columbia Corrections that have had fewer cases linked to their provincial sites of confinement. Researchers, journalists, policymakers and practitioners using the data presented above are invited to contact justin.piche@uottawa.ca should they find any errors or have any questions. 

RESEARCH PROJECT AND FUNDING 

The preliminary findings above were 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.  

COVID-19 Cases Linked to Manitoba Provincial Jails and Prisons

 * Updated: 2 August 2021 at 9:55am EDT *

643 Reported COVID-19 Cases Linked to Manitoba Provincial Jails and Prisons as of 30 July 2021

Prisoners = 506

Staff = 137

Total = 643

INSTITUTIONS AND CASES

Agassiz Youth Centre

Prisoners = 13

Staff = 5

Total = 18

Source: Data MB (30 July 2021)

Brandon Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 90

Staff = 19

Total = 109

Source: Data MB (30 July 2021)

 

Headingly Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 214 

Staff = 49 

Total = 263

Source: Data MB (30 July 2021)

Manitoba Youth Centre

Prisoners = 0 

Staff = 8

Total = 8

Source: Data MB (30 July 2021)

 

Milner Ridge Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 83 

Staff = 29

Total = 112

Source: Data MB (30 July 2021)

 

The Pas Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 0

Staff = 2

Total = 2

Source: Data MB (30 July 2021)

Winnipeg Remand Centre

Prisoners = 72

Staff = 18

Total = 90

Source: Data MB (30 July 2021)

Women’s Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 34 

Staff = 7

Total = 41

Source: Data MB (30 July 2021)

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. 

COVID-19 Cases Linked to Ontario Provincial Jails and Prisons

 * Updated: 2 August 2021 at 9:45am EDT *

2,279 Reported COVID-19 Cases Linked to Ontario Provincial Jails and Prisons as of 29 July 2021 *

Prisoners = 1,767 (1 dead)

Staff = 508

Contractor = 4

Total = 2,279

* Data based on figures made publicly available through government, union and media reporting. Due to the quality of the data available, it is possible that there are fewer or additional laboratory confirmed cases of COVID-19 amongst provincial prisoners and prison staff in Ontario that have not been publicly disclosed. 

INSTITUTIONS AND CASES

Algoma Treatment and Remand Centre

Prisoners = 4

Staff = 2

Total = 6

Sources: Ministry of the Solicitor General (29 July 2021 | 27 June 2021)

Central East Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 225

Staff = 15

Total = 240

Sources: Ministry of the Solicitor General (29 July 2021 | 27 June 2021)

Central North Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 109 (minus 9 transferred from the closed Stratford Jail)

Staff = 8

Total = 108

Sources: Ministry of the Solicitor General (29 July 2021 | 27 June 2021)

Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre

Prisoners = 74

Staff = 50

Total = 124

Sources: Ministry of the Solicitor General (29 July 2021 | 27 June 2021)

Hamilton Wentworth Detention Centre

Prisoners = 83

Staff = 33

Contractor = 1

Total = 117

Sources: Ministry of the Solicitor General (29 July 2021 | 27 June 2021)

Kenora Jail

Prisoners = 10

Staff = 0

Total = 10

Sources: Ministry of the Solicitor General (29 July 2021 | 27 June 2021)

Maplehurst Correctional Complex

Prisoners = 296

Staff = 96

Contractor = 1

Total = 393

Sources: Ministry of the Solicitor General (29 July 2021 | 27 June 2021)

Milton-Vanier Centre for Women

Prisoners = 56

Staff = 8

Contractor = 1

Total = 65

Sources: Ministry of the Solicitor General (29 July 2021 | 27 June 2021)

Monteith Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 40

Staff = 11

Total = 51

Sources: Ministry of the Solicitor General (29 July 2021 | 27 June 2021)

Niagara Detention Centre

Prisoners = 15

Staff = 2

Total = 17

Sources: Ministry of the Solicitor General (29 July 2021 | 27 June 2021)

North Bay Jail

Prisoners = 33 (-32 prisoners transferred due to 24 June 2021 temporary closure)

Staff = 1

Total = 2

Sources: Radio-Canada Nord de l'Ontario (26 July 2021) | CTV News (24 June 2021)

Ontario Correctional Institute

Prisoners = 91

Staff = 27

Total = 118

Sources: Ministry of the Solicitor General (29 July 2021 | 27 June 2021)

Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre

Prisoners = 91

Staff = 13

Total = 104

Sources: Ministry of the Solicitor General (29 July 2021 | 27 June 2021)

Quinte Detention Centre

Prisoners = 5

Staff = 0

Total = 5

Sources: Ministry of the Solicitor General (29 July 2021 | 27 June 2021)

Sarnia Jail

Prisoners = 52 

Staff = 8

Total = 60

Sources: Ministry of the Solicitor General (29 July 2021 | 27 June 2021)

South West Detention Centre

Prisoners = 49

Staff = 19

Contractor = 1

Total = 69

Sources: Windsor Star (20 March 2020) | Ministry of the Solicitor General (29 July 2021 | 27 June 2021)

St. Lawrence Valley Correctional and Treatment Centre

Prisoners = 0

Staff = 2

Total = 2

Sources: Ministry of the Solicitor General (29 July 2021 | 27 June 2021)

Stratford Jail

Prisoners = 9 + 2

Staff = 2

Total = 13

Sources: Ministry of the Solicitor General (29 July 2021 | 27 June 2021)

Sudbury Jail

Prisoners = 2

Staff = 0

Total = 2

Sources: Ministry of the Solicitor General (29 July 2021 | 27 June 2021)

Thunder Bay Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 64

Staff = 22

Total = 86

Sources: Ministry of the Solicitor General (29 July 2021 | 27 June 2021)

Thunder Bay Jail

Prisoners = 98

Staff = 44

Total = 142

Sources: Ministry of the Solicitor General (29 July 2021 | 27 June 2021)

Toronto East Detention Centre

Prisoners = 48 (1 dead on 23 March 2021)

Staff = 38

Total = 86

Sources: Ministry of the Solicitor General (29 July 2021 | 27 June 2021)

Toronto South Detention Centre

Prisoners = 352

Staff = 107

Total = 459

Sources: Ministry of the Solicitor General (29 July 2021 | 27 June 2021)

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.