COVID-19 Cases Linked to 61.6% of Adult Jails, Prisons and Penitentiaries in Canada

* Updated 21 November 2021 at 4:15pm ET

OVERALL

During the pandemic, 98 of 159 (61.6%) adult 'correctional' institutions across Canada had detected COVID-19 among people imprisoned and/or working at them. Click here for a breakdown of the cases by jurisdiction.

FEDERAL | CORRECTIONAL SERVICE CANADA (27/57 = 47.4%)

Atlantic Region (1/5)

Nova Institution for Women - NO

Springhill Institution - NO

Atlantic Institution - NO

Dorchester Penitentiary (medium) - YES

Dorchester Penitentiary (minimum) - NO

Quebec Region (9/12)

Archambault Institution (medium) - YES

Archambault Institution (minimum) - YES

Cowansville Institution - NO

Donnacona Institution - YES

Drummond Institution - YES

Federal Training Centre (minimum) - YES

Federal Training Centre (multi) - YES

Joliette Institution for Women - YES

La Macaza Institution - NO

Port Cartier Institution - YES

Regional Mental Health Centre - YES

Regional Reception Centre - NO

Ontario Region (6/13)

Bath Institution - NO

Beaver Creek Institution (medium) - YES

Beaver Creek Institution (minimum) - NO

Collins Bay Institution (maximum) - NO

Collins Bay Institution (medium) - YES

Collins Bay Institution (minimum) - NO

Grand Valley Institution for Women - YES

Joyceville Institution (medium) - YES

Joyceville Institution (minimum) - NO

Millhaven Institution - YES

Regional Treatment Centre, Bath - NO

Regional Treatment Centre, Millhaven - NO

Warkworth Institution - YES 

Prairie Region (8/16)

Stony Mountain Institution (maximum) - NO

Stony Mountain Institution (medium) - YES

Stony Mountain Institution (minimum) - NO

Okimaw Ohci Healing Lodge - NO

Regional Psychiatric Centre - NO

Saskatchewan Penitentiary (maximum) - YES

Saskatchewan Penitentiary (medium) - YES

Saskatchewan Penitentiary (minimum) - NO

Willow Cree Healing Centre - YES

Bowden Institution - YES

Drumheller Institution - YES

Edmonton Institution - YES

Edmonton Institution for Women - YES

Grande Cache Institution - NO

Grierson Centre - NO

Pê Sâkâstêw Centre - NO

Pacific Region (3/11)

Fraser Valley Institution for Women -  YES

Kent Institution - NO

Kwìkwèxwelhp Healing Lodge - NO

Matsqui Institution - YES

Mission Institution (medium) - YES

Mission Institution (minimum) - NO

Mountain Institution - NO

Pacific Institution - NO

Regional Reception and Assessment Centre - NO

Regional Treatment Centre - NO

William Head Institution - NO 

NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR (0/6 = 0%)

Her Majesty's Penitentiary - NO

West Coast Correctional Institution - NO

Newfoundland & Labrador Correctional Centre - NO 

Bishop's Falls Correctional Centre - NO 

Corner Brook Lockup - NO

Labrador Correctional Centre - NO

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND (1/2 = 50%)

Provincial Correctional Centre - YES 

Prince County Correctional Centre - NO

NOVA SCOTIA (1/4 = 25%)

Cape Breton Correctional Facility - NO

Central Nova Correctional Facility - YES

Northeast Nova Scotia Correctional Facility - NO

Southwest Nova Scotia Correctional Facility - NO

NEW BRUNSWICK (3/5 = 60%)

Dalhousie Regional Correctional Centre - YES

Madawaska Regional Correctional Centre - YES

New Brunswick Women's Correctional Centre - NO

Southeast Regional Correctional Centre - YES

Saint John Regional Correctional Centre - NO

QUÉBEC (16/17 = 94.1%)

Établissement de détention d'Amos - YES

Établissement de détention de Baie-Comeau - YES

Établissement de détention de Hull - YES

Établissement de détention Leclerc de Laval - YES

Établissement de détention Bordeaux - YES

Établissement de détention de New Carlisle - YES

Établissement de détention de Percé - YES

Établissement de détention de Québec (women) - YES

Établissement de détention de Québec (men) - YES

Établissement de détention de Rimouski - YES

Établissement de détention Rivière-des-Prairies - YES

Établissement de détention de Roberval - YES

Établissement de détention de Saint-Jérôme - YES

Établissement de détention de Sept-Îles - NO

Établissement de détention de Sherbrooke - YES

Établissement de détention de Sorel-Tracy - YES

Établissement de détention Trois-Rivières - YES 

ONTARIO (22/25 = 88%)

Central East Correctional Centre - YES

Central North Correctional Centre - YES

Maplehurst Correctional Complex - YES

Monteith Correctional Complex - YES

Ontario Correctional Institute - YES

St. Lawrence Valley Correctional and Treatment Centre - YES

Thunder Bay Correctional Centre - YES

Vanier Centre for Women - YES

Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre - YES 

Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre - YES

Niagara Detention Centre - YES

Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre - YES

Quinte Detention Centre - YES

Southwest Detention Centre - YES

Toronto East Detention Centre - YES 

Toronto South Detention Centre - YES

Brockville Jail - NO

Fort Frances Jail - NO

Kenora Jail - NO

North Bay Jail - YES

Sarnia Jail - YES

Stratford Jail - YES 

Sudbury Jail - YES

Thunder Bay Jail - YES

Algoma Treatment and Remand Centre - YES 

MANITOBA (6/6 = 100%)

Brandon Correctional Centre - YES

Headingley Correctional Centre - YES

Milner Ridge Correctional Centre - YES 

The Pas Correctional Centre - YES

Winnipeg Remand Centre - YES 

Women's Correctional Centre - YES

SASKATCHEWAN (5/5 = 100%)

Pine Grove Correctional Centre (women) - YES

Prince Albert Correctional Centre - YES

Regina Correctional Centre - YES

Saskatoon Correctional Centre - YES 

Saskatchewan Hospital North Battleford - YES

ALBERTA (8/8 = 100%)

Calgary Correctional Centre - YES

Calgary Remand Centre - YES

Edmonton Remand Centre - YES

Fort Saskatchewan Correctional Centre - YES

Lethbridge Correctional Centre - YES

Medicine Hat Remand Centre - YES

Peace River Correctional Centre - YES

Red Deer Remand Centre - YES

BRITISH COLUMBIA (5/10 = 50%)

Alouette Correctional Centre for Women - NO

Ford Mountain Correctional Centre - NO

Fraser Regional Correctional Centre - YES

Kamloops Regional Correctional Centre - NO

Nanaimo Correctional Centre - NO

North Fraser Pretrial Centre - YES

Okanagan Correctional Centre - YES

Prince George Correctional Centre - NO

Surrey Pretrial Centre - YES

Vancouver Island Regional Correctional Centre - YES

NUNAVUT (2/5 = 40%)

Baffin Correctional Centre - YES

Qikiqtani Correctional Healing Centre - NO 

Ranking Inlet Healting Facility - NO

Kugluktuk Ilavut - NO

Makigiarvik - YES

NORTHWEST TERRITORIES (1/3 = 33%)

North Slave Correctional Complex - YES

South Mackenzie Correctional Centre - NO 

Fort Smith Correctional Complex - NO

YUKON (1/1 = 100%)

Whitehorse Correctional Centre - YES

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 and the Ministère de la Sécurité publique du Québec. 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, British Columbia Corrections, Nunavut Corrections, Northwest Territories Corrections Service, and Yukon Corrections that have had fewer total cases linked to their provincial or territorial 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.