Prison Pandemic Papers - Links to Disclosure Exemptions and ATI/FOI Request Forms

The Prison Pandemic Partnership launched its Prison Pandemic Papers in March 2022. The dataset includes "unpublished government records obtained using access to information [ATI] and freedom of information [FOI] requests submitted to governments across Canada" that "provide insights into the COVID-19 response of federal, provincial, and territorial prison authorities, along with the impact the pandemic has had on imprisoned people and those working in congregate settings of human caging". It is important to note that a number of governmental records sought by the Prison Pandemic Partnership were not disclosed and there still exists gaps in knowledge our ATI/FOI requests were unable to address. It is with this in mind that links to ATI/FOI request forms and disclosure exemptions are provided below to (a) assist dataset users to understand the grounds upon which the records the partnership obtained were redacted and (b) assist those interested in obtaining government records on the prison pandemic to file requests to "contribute to this collective endeavour of knowledge and action, and work together towards greater transparency, accountability and change".  

Federal  

Access to Information Act (1985)

* Disclosure exemptions - sections 13 to 26

* Request form

Newfoundland and Labrador

Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (2015)

* Disclosure exemptions - sections 27 to 41

* Request form

Prince Edward Island

Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (2021)

* Disclosure exemptions - sections 14 to 27

* Request form

Nova Scotia 

Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (1993)

* Disclosure exemptions - sections 12 to 23

* Request form

New Brunswick

Right to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (2009)

* Disclosure exemptions - sections 17 to 33

* Request form

Québec

Act Respecting Access to Documents Held by Public Bodies and the Protection of Personal Information (1982)

* Disclosure exemptions - sections 18 to 41

* Request form

Ontario

Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (1990)

* Disclosure exemptions - sections 12 to 23

* Request form

Manitoba

Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (1997)

* Disclosure exemptions - sections 17 to 32

* Request form

Saskatchewan

Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (1990)

* Disclosure exemptions - sections 13 to 23

* Request form

Alberta

Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (2000)

* Disclosure exemptions - sections 16 to 29

* Request form

British Columbia

Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (1996)

* Disclosure exemptions - sections 12 to 22

* Request form

Nunavut

Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (1994)

* Disclosure exemptions - sections 13 to 25

* Request form

Northwest Territories

Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (1996)

* Disclosure exemptions - sections 13 to 25

* Request form

Yukon

Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (2018)

* Disclosure exemptions - sections 67 to 81

* Request form

RESEARCH PROJECT AND FUNDING 

The "COVID-19: Investigating Canada's Carceral Response to the Coronavirus through the Prison Pandemic Partnership" project (principal investigator: Kevin Walby, PhD - uWinnipeg | co-investigator: Justin Piché, PhD - uOttawa | partner organization: Canadian Civil Liberties Association) is 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.  

Over 22,400 COVID-19 Cases Linked to Jails, Prisons and Penitentiaries in Canada by the End of February 2022

* Updated 2 March 2022 at 11:20am ET *

OVERALL

Prisoners = 16,111 (11 deaths reported)

Staff = 6,250 (1 death reported)

Contractors = 6 

Unknown = 61

Total = 22,428

Canadian Jurisdictions with Reported COVID-19 Cases 
Linked to their Jails, Prisons and Penitentiaries by the end of February 2022

Federal | Correctional Service Canada = 5,189 (3,489 prisoners | 1,700 staff) 

Newfoundland and Labrador = 22 (22 prisoners | 0 staff)

Prince Edward Island = 23 (8 prisoners | 15 staff)

Nova Scotia = 147 (146 prisoners | 1 staff)

New Brunswick = 338 (212 prisoners | 116 staff | 10 unknown)

Quebec = 3,787 (2,359 prisoners | 1,428 staff) 

Ontario = 6,027 (4,648 prisoners | 1,375 staff | 4 contractors)

Manitoba = 1,433 (941 prisoners | 492 staff)

Saskatchewan = 2,052 (1,444 prisoners | 608 staff)

Alberta = 3,015 (2,562 prisoners | 451 staff | 2 contractors)

British Columbia = 278 (229 prisoners | 49 staff)

Nunavut = 109 (44 prisoners | 15 staff | 50 unknown)

Northwest Territories = 1 (0 prisoners | 0 staff | 1 unknown)

Yukon = 7 (7 prisoners | 0 staff)

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 proactively disclose such data sets 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.  

COVID-19 Cases Linked to Territorial Jails and Prisons in Canada (end-February 2022)

 * Updated 27 February 2022 at 2:35pm ET *

117 Reported COVID-19 Cases Linked to Territorial Jails and Prisons in Canada as of the end of February 2022 *

Prisoners = 51

Staff =  15

Unknown = 51

Total = 117

* Data based on figures made publicly available through media reporting. Due a lack of proactive disclosure by territorial governments in Canada and the quality of the data available, it is possible that there are additional laboratory confirmed cases of COVID-19 amongst territorial prisoners and prison staff in Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, and the Yukon that have not been publicly reported. 

Nunavut

Prisoners = 44

Staff =  15

Unknown = 50

Total = 109

Aaqqigiarvik Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 30

Staff = 15

Unknown = 42

Total = 87

Source: Nunatsiaq News (1 February 2022) | Nunavut News (15 February 2022)

Baffin Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 14 (minus 3 transferred from the Makigiarvik Correctional Centre)

Staff = 0

Total = 11

Sources: Radio-Canada (16 June 2021)

Makigiarvik Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 3

Staff = 0

Total = 3

Sources: Nunatsiaq News (30 April 2021)

Rankin Inlet Healing Facility

Prisoners = 0

Staff = 0

Unknown = 2 + 2

Total = 4

Sources: Nunatsiaq News (15 February 2022) 

Nunavut Women Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 0

Staff = 0

Unknown = 2 + 2

Total = 4

Sources: Nunatsiaq News (15 February 2022) | Nunavut News (15 February 2022)

Northwest Territories

Prisoners = 0

Staff =  0

Unknown = 1

Total = 1

Fort Smith Correctional Complex

Prisoners = unspecified

Staff = unspecified

Total = unspecified

Source: CBC News (14 February 2022)

North Slave Correctional Complex

Prisoners = 0 + unspecified

Staff = 0 + unspecified

Unknown = 1

Total = 1 + unspecified

Sources: Cabin Radio (31 August 2021) | CBC News (14 February 2022)

Yukon

Prisoners = 7

Staff =  0

Total = 7

Yukon Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 4 + 3

Staff = 0

Total = 7

Sources: CBC News (9 July 2021) | Radio-Canada (13 December 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 British Columbia Provincial Jails and Prisons (end-February 2022)

 * Updated 27 February 2022 at 2:10pm ET *

278 Reported COVID-19 Cases Linked to British Columbia Provincial Jails and Prisons as of the end of December 2021 *

Prisoners = 229

Staff =  49

Total = 278

* Data based on figures made publicly available through government, union and media reporting. Due to the quality of the data available (e.g. the last data available is from media reporting on 8 November 2021), it is possible that there are fewer or additional laboratory confirmed cases of COVID-19 amongst provincial prisoners and prison staff in British Columbia that have not been publicly disclosed. 

INSTITUTIONS AND CASES

Fraser Regional Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 31

Staff = 5

Total = 36

Source: Globe and Mail (7 March 2021)

North Fraser Pretrial Centre

Prisoners = 1 + 22

Staff = 0 + 7

Total = 30

Sources: Vancouver Sun (25 September 2020) | CTV News (26 February 2021)

Okanagan Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 1 + 1

Staff = 3 + 7 + 1

Total = 13

Sources: CBC News (17 July 2020) | CTV News (14 August 2020) | Global News (14 September 2020) | New Westminster Record (25 January 2021) 

Surrey Pretrial Centre

Prisoners = 0 + 38

Staff = 3 + 1

Total = 42

Sources: News 1130 (24 October 2020) | Tri-City News (14 February 2021)

Vancouver Island Regional Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 20 

Staff = 0

Total = 20

Sources: CTV News (8 November 2021)

Unknown Institutions 

Prisoners = 209 (minus 128 cases noted above)

Staff = 35 (minus 10 Okanagan and 3 Surrey staff cases from 2020 above)

Total = 116 

Source: Radio-Canada (16 June 2021) | TriCity News (22 January 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 Alberta Provincial Jails and Prisons (end-February 2022)

 * Updated 27 February 2022 at 1:55pm ET *

3,015 Reported COVID-19 Cases Linked to Alberta Provincial Jails and Prisons as of the end of February 2022 *

Prisoners = 2,543 adults + 19 youth

Staff = 451

Contractors = 2

Total = 3,015

* Data based on figures made publicly available through government, union and media reporting. Due to the quality of the data available (e.g. the last cases linked to Alberta provincial jails and prisons were reported by the Edmonton Journal on 28 January 2022), it is possible that there are additional laboratory confirmed cases of COVID-19 amongst provincial prisoners and prison staff in Alberta that have not been publicly disclosed. 

INSTITUTIONS AND CASES

Calgary Remand Centre

Prisoners = 489 + 26

Staff = 85 + 9

Contractor = 1

Total = 610

Source: Edmonton Journal (28 January 2022)

Calgary Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 121 + 9

Staff = 47 + 4

Total = 181

Source: Edmonton Journal (28 January 2022)

Edmonton Remand Centre

Prisoners = 861 + 413

Staff = 153 + 8

Contractor = 1

Total = 1,436

Source: Edmonton Journal (28 January 2022)

Fort Saskatchewan Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 140 + 68

Staff = 56 + 3 (1 death on 10 December 2020)

Total = 267

Source: Edmonton Journal (28 January 2022)

Lethbridge Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 79 + 3

Staff = 13

Total = 95

Source: Edmonton Journal (28 January 2022)

Medicine Hat Remand Centre

Prisoners = 8 + 3

Staff = 4 + 2

Total = 17

Source: Edmonton Journal (28 January 2022)

Peace River Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 229 

Staff = 23 + 3

Total = 255

Source: Edmonton Journal (28 January 2022)

Red Deer Remand Centre

Prisoners = 68

Staff = 20

Total = 88

Source: Edmonton Journal (28 January 2022)

Calgary Young Offender Centre and Adult Female Annex

Prisoners = 13 adults + 11 youth

Staff = 10

Total = 34

Source: Edmonton Journal (28 January 2022)

Edmonton Young Offender Centre

Prisoners = 13 adults + 8 youth

Staff =11

Total = 32

Source: Edmonton Journal (28 January 2022)

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 Manitoba Provincial Jails and Prisons (end-February 2022)

 * Updated: 28 February 2022 at 3:20pm ET *

1,433 Reported COVID-19 Cases Linked to Manitoba Provincial Jails and Prisons as of 28 February 2022

Prisoners = 941

Staff = 492

Total = 1,433

INSTITUTIONS AND CASES

Agassiz Youth Centre

Prisoners = 27

Staff = 23

Total = 50

Source: Data MB (28 February 2022)

Brandon Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 187

Staff = 72

Total = 259

Source: Data MB (28 February 2022)

 

Headingly Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 329 

Staff = 145

Total = 474

Source: Data MB (28 February 2022)

Manitoba Youth Centre

Prisoners = 7

Staff = 28

Total = 35

Source: Data MB (28 February 2022)

 

Milner Ridge Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 155 

Staff = 83

Total = 238

Source: Data MB (28 February 2022)

 

The Pas Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 56

Staff = 30

Total = 86

Source: Data MB (28 February 2022)

Winnipeg Remand Centre

Prisoners = 110

Staff = 62

Total = 172

Source: Data MB (28 February 2022)

Women’s Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 70 

Staff = 49

Total = 119

Source: Data MB (28 February 2022)

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 Saskatchewan Provincial Jails and Prisons (end-February 2022)

 * Updated 27 February 2022 at 1:40pm ET *

1,872 Reported COVID-19 Cases Linked to Saskatchewan Provincial Jails and Prisons as of the end of February 2022 *

Prisoners = 1,444 

Staff = 608

Total = 2,052

* The Government of Saskatchewan announced in early-February 2022 that they would no longer be sharing data concerning confirmed cases of COVID-19 amongst provincial prisoners and prison staff (see Saskatoon StarPhoenix - 7 February 2022). The data below is based on figures previously made publicly available through government and media reporting. Due to the quality of the data available, it is possible that there are additional laboratory confirmed cases of COVID-19 amongst provincial prisoners and prison staff in Saskatchewan that have not been publicly disclosed.

INSTITUTIONS AND CASES

Regina Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 573

Staff = 172

Total = 745

Source: Saskatoon StarPhoenix (7 February 2022)

Saskatoon Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 380

Staff = 162

Total = 542

Source: Saskatoon StarPhoenix (7 February 2022)

Prince Albert Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 351

Staff = 122

Total = 473

Source: Saskatoon StarPhoenix (7 February 2022)

Pine Grove Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 107

Staff = 57

Total = 164

Source: Saskatoon StarPhoenix (7 February 2022)

Whitespruce Provincial Training Centre

Prisoners = 1

Staff = 10

Total = 11

Source: Saskatoon StarPhoenix (7 February 2022)

Bernard Lake Correctional Camp

Prisoners = 2

Staff = 4

Total = 6

Source: Saskatoon StarPhoenix (7 February 2022)

Saskatchewan Hospital North Battleford 

Prisoners = 0

Staff = 15

Total = 15

Source: Saskatoon StarPhoenix (7 February 2022)

Paul Dojack Youth Centre

Prisoners = 11

Staff = 21

Total = 32

Source: Saskatoon StarPhoenix (7 February 2022)

Kilburn Hall Youth Centre

Prisoners = 12

Staff = 27

Total = 39

Source: Saskatoon StarPhoenix (7 February 2022)

Prince Albert Youth Residence

Prisoners = 4

Staff = 16

Total = 20

Source: Saskatoon StarPhoenix (7 February 2022)

Drumming Hill Youth Centre

Prisoners = 0

Staff = 2

Total = 2

Source: Saskatoon StarPhoenix (7 February 2022)

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.