* Updated: 3 January 2021 at 11:40pm *
NOTE ON METHOD
The data presented below was compiled from figures included media reports and publicly available government data sets. Only COVID-19 outbreaks linked to Canadian carceral institutions of 5 cases or more are included in this post. Due to the quality of the data available, it is possible that figures linked to one outbreak are in fact from multiple outbreaks at a single carceral site within a short period of time, although as is reflected in the notes below attempts were made to exclude cases that fell outside of the beginning and conclusion of declared outbreaks to limit this possibility. It is also possible that there are many laboratory confirmed cases of COVID-19 linked to prisoners and/or staff of Canadian carceral institutions that have not been publicly reported as many jurisdictions do not report both types of cases online on a pro-active basis like the Ministère de la Sécurité publique du Québec and Manitoba Corrections. 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 and British Columbia Corrections that have had smaller outbreaks linked to their provincial sites of confinement. Researchers, journalists, policymakers and practitioners using the data presented below are invited to contact justin.piche@uottawa.ca should they find any errors or have any questions.
NOTABLE PRELIMINARY FINDINGS
- There were at least 46 reported COVID-19 outbreaks linked to Canadian carceral institutions of 5 cases or more since the global pandemic was declared in March 2020.
- 34 of the 46 or 73.9% of the largest reported COVID-19 outbreaks linked to Canadian carceral institutions occurred during the second wave of the pandemic after 1 October 2020.
- 4 of the top-5 or 80% of the largest reported COVID-19 outbreaks linked to Canadian carceral institutions occurred during the second wave of the pandemic after 1 October 2020.
- 7 of the top-10 or 70% of the largest reported COVID-19 outbreaks linked to Canadian carceral institutions occurred during the second wave of the pandemic after 1 October 2020.
- 19 of the top-25 or 76% of the largest reported COVID-19 outbreaks linked to Canadian carceral institutions occurred during the second wave of the pandemic after 1 October 2020.
- Based on the preliminary findings above, it appears that amongst the COVID-19 outbreaks of five cases or more linked to Canadian carceral institutions, coronavirus transmission of this scale has not only become more widespread within these sites during the second wave versus the first wave of the pandemic (34 vs. 11 outbreaks of five cases or more), but has also generally been more severe on average (73.7 vs. 66.6 positive cases in outbreaks of five cases or more). Put simply, the spread of COVID-19 inside Canadian provincial jails and prisons, as well as federal penitentiaries, appears to be accelerating. There is an urgent need for governments across the country to take additional measures to depopulate their sites of human caging to the degree that is possible to limit potential COVID-19 exposure behind bars and to better manage the spread of the coronavirus when outbreaks within carceral institutions occur.
COVID-19 OUTBREAKS OF 5 CASES OR MORE
IN CANADIAN CARCERAL INSTITUTIONS
#1 Calgary Remand Centre | second wave
Calgary, Alberta
- 335 provincial prisoners
- 56 staff members
- 1 contractor
Total = 392
Source: CBC News (22 December 2020)
#2 Stony Mountain Institution | second wave
Stony Mountain, Manitoba
- 343 federal prisoners (1 dead)
- 33 staff members
Total = 376
Sources: CBC News (28 December 2020) | Correctional Service Canada (30 December 2020)
#3 Headingley Correctional Centre | second wave
Headingley, Manitoba
- 206 provincial prisoners
- 44 staff members
Total = 250
Source: CTV News (22 December 2020)
#4 Saskatchewan Penitentiary | second wave
Prince Albert, Saskatchewan
- 207 federal prisoners
- 14 staff members
Total = 221
Sources: CTV News (24 December 2020) | Correctional Service Canada (30 December 2020)
#5 Federal Training Centre | first wave
Laval, Québec
- 162 federal prisoners (1 dead)
- 10 staff members
Total = 172
Source: TPCP-Canada (28 May 2020)
#6 Saskatoon Correctional Centre - November | second wave
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
- 116 provincial prisoners
- 26 staff members
Total = 142
Source: Global News (30 November 2020)
#7 Calgary Correctional Centre | second wave
Calgary, Alberta
- 112 provincial prisoners
- 28 staff members
Total = 140
Source: Calgary Herald (7 November 2020)
#8 Joyceville Institution | second wave
Kingston, Ontario
- 135 federal prisoners *
- 4 staff members
Total = 139
* Note: there are additional cases linked to this outbreak not included in the figures above through transfers from Joyceville to Beaver Creek (at least 1), Collins Bay (at least 6) and Warkworth (at least 3) institutions.
#9 Établissement de détention Bordeaux | first wave
Montréal, Québec
- 96 provincial prisoners (1 dead)
- 39 staff members
Total = 135
Sources: TPCP-Canada (29 May 2020) | CBC News (17 July 2020)
#10 Mission Institution | first wave
Mission, British Columbia
- 120 federal prisoners (1 dead)
- 12 staff members
Total = 132
Source: TPCP-Canada (7 May 2020)
#11 Ontario Correctional Institute | first wave
Brampton, Ontario
- 91 provincial prisoners
- 25 staff members
Total = 116
Source: Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor General (25 May 2020)
#12 Brandon Correctional Centre | second wave
Brandon, Manitoba
- 89 provincial prisoners
- 18 staff members
Total = 107
Source: CTV News (22 December 2020)
#13 Joliette Institution | first wave
Joliette, Québec
- 54 federal prisoners
- 49 staff members
Total = 103
Source: TPCP-Canada (28 May 2020)
#14 Saskatoon Correctional Centre - December | second wave
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
#15 Regina Correctional Centre | second wave
Regina, Saskatchewan
- 60 provincial prisoners
- 3 staff members
Total = 63
Source: CBC News (31 December 2020)
#T-16 Toronto South Detention Centre | second wave
Toronto, Ontario
- 61 provincial prisoners
- No disclosed staff member cases
Total = 61
Source: Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor General (20 December 2020)
#T-16 Edmonton Remand Centre - November | second wave
Edmonton, Alberta
- 58 provincial prisoners
- 3 staff members
Total = 61
Source: CTV News (17 November 2020)
#18 Edmonton Remand Centre - December | second wave
Edmonton, Alberta
- 51 provincial prisoners
- 8 staff members
- 1 contractor
Total = 60
Source: Edmonton Journal (20 December 2020)
#19 Établissement de détention New Carlisle | second wave
New Carlisle, Québec
- 51 provincial prisoners
- 8 staff members
Total = 59
Source: Le Droit (23 November 2020)
#20 Milner Ridge Correctional Centre | second wave
Beausejour, Manitoba
- 30 provincial prisoners
- 17 staff members
Total = 47
#21 Fort Saskatchewan Correctional Centre | second wave
Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta
- 37 provincial prisoners
- 9 staff members (1 dead)
Total = 46
Source: CBC News (11 December 2020)
#22 Port-Cartier Institution | first wave
Port-Cartier, Québec
- 15 federal prisoners
- 26 staff members
Total = 41
Source: TPCP-Canada (26 April 2020)
#23 Établissement de détention Trois-Rivières | second wave
Trois-Rivières, Québec
- 18 provincial prisoners
- 15 staff members
Total = 33
Source: Radio-Canada (31 October 2020)
#24 Women's Correctional Centre | second wave
Headingley, Manitoba
- 26 provincial prisoners
- 3 staff members *
Total = 29
Source: CTV News (23 November 2020)
* Note: a fourth staff member case excluded from the figures above was later reported by Data MB in December 2020.
#25 Établissement de détention de Percé | second wave
Percé, Québec
- 14 provincial prisoners
- 14 staff members
Total = 28
Sources: Radio-Canada (9 December 2020) | Gouvernement du Québec (28 December 2020)
#26 Prince Albert Correctional Centre | second wave
Prince Albert, Saskatchewan
- 20 provincial prisoners
- 4 staff members
Total = 24
Source: CBC News (22 December 2020)
#27 Central North Correctional Centre | second wave
Penetanguishene, Ontario
- 19 provincial prisoners
- 3 staff members
Total = 22
Source: Collingwood Today (22 December 2020)
#28 Winnipeg Remand Centre | second wave
Winnipeg, Manitoba
- 10 provincial prisoners
- 11 staff members *
Total = 21
* Note: one prior staff member case excluded from the figures above was reported in October 2020.
#29 Drummond Institution | second wave
Drummondville, Québec
- 18 federal prisoners *
- No disclosed staff member cases
Total = 18
Source: Correctional Service Canada (27 November 2020)
* Note: a nineteenth prisoner case excluded from the figures above was reported by Correctional Service Canada on 29 December 2020. The department claims the case "occurred off-site".
#30 Agassiz Youth Centre | second wave
Portage la Prairie, Manitoba
- 12 provincial youth prisoners *
- 5 staff members
Total = 17
Source: CTV News (23 November 2020)
* Note: a thirteenth prisoner case excluded from the figures above was reported by Data MB in December 2020.
#31 Grand Valley Institution for Women | first wave
Kitchener, Ontario
- 8 federal prisoners
- 2 staff members
Total = 10
Source: TPCP-Canada (20 April 2020)
#32 Drumheller Institution | second wave
Drumheller, Alberta
- 9 federal prisoners
- No disclosed staff member cases
Total = 9
Source: Correctional Service Canada (30 December 2020)
#T-33 Edmonton Institution | second wave
#T-33 Établissement de détention Hull | second wave
Gatineau, Quebec
- 6 provincial prisoners
- 2 staff members
Total = 8
Source: Le Droit (22 October 2020)
#T-35 Toronto South Detention Centre | first wave
Toronto, Ontario
- 7 provincial prisoners
- No disclosed staff member cases
Total = 7
Source: Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor General (21 May 2020)
#T-35 Okanagan Correctional Centre | in between waves 1 and 2
Oliver, British Columbia
- 0 provincial prisoners
- 7 staff members
Total = 7
Source: Global News (14 September 2020)
#T-37 Collins Bay Institution | second wave
Kingston, Ontario
- 6 federal prisoners *
- No disclosed staff member cases
Total = 6
Source: Correctional Service Canada (29 December 2020)
* Note: These cases are linked to transfers from Joyceville Institution where there was an outbreak declared in December 2020.
#T-37 Pine Grove Correctional Centre | second wave
Prince Albert, Saskatchewan
- 6 provincial prisoners
- No disclosed staff member cases
Total = 6
Source: Newstalk 610 CKTB (16 December 2020)
#T-37 Toronto East Detention Centre | second wave
Scarborough, Ontario
- 6 provincial prisoners
- No disclosed staff member cases
Total = 6
Source: Government of Ontario (13 December 2020)
#T-37 Edmonton Institution for Women | second wave
Edmonton, Alberta
- 5 federal prisoners
- 1 staff member
Total = 6
Source: Edmonton Journal (24 November 2020)
#T-37 Edmonton Remand Centre - October | second wave
Edmonton, Alberta
- 6 provincial prisoners
- No disclosed staff member cases
Total = 6
Source: Edmonton Journal (23 October 2020)
#T-37 Établissement de détention Rivière-des-Prairies | first wave
#T-37 Saskatoon Correctional Centre | first wave
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
- 0 provincial prisoners
- 6 staff members
Total = 6
Source: Global News (6 April 2020)
#T-44 Red Deer Remand Centre | second wave
Red Deer, Alberta
- 2 provincial prisoners
- 3 staff members
Total = 5
Source: Red Deer Advocate (15 December 2020)
#T-44 Maplehurst Correctional Complex | first wave
Milton, Ontario
- 5 provincial prisoners
- No disclosed staff member cases
Total = 5
Source: Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor General (22 May 2020)
#T-44 Établissement de détention Bordeaux | second wave
Montréal, Québec
- No disclosed prisoner cases
- 5 staff members
Total = 5
Sources: Gouvernement du Québec (30 December 2020)
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment