Tuesday, December 14, 2021

Efforts to diminish the use and pains of imprisonment at OCDC while working towards abolition continue as the JAIL hotline marks its third anniversary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

14 December 2021 (Algonquin Anishinaabe Territory / Ottawa) – Last Friday marked the third anniversary of the launch of the Jail Accountability & Information Line (JAIL), a hotline run by members of the Criminalization and Punishment Education Project (CPEP) that takes calls from people imprisoned at the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre (OCDC) and their loved ones to reduce the use and harms of imprisonment at the jail while working towards abolition. The initiative began following several preventable deaths and atrocities at the Innes Road jail. 

Souheil Benslimane, CPEP member and Coordinator for the initiative, reflects on what’s been accomplished over the past three years and the work that remains to be done: “The JAIL hotline has taken thousands of calls and worked with imprisoned people to document conditions of confinement, address urgent needs such as access to medical care in the face of state neglect and abandonment, organized campaigns to address injustices including hardships stemming from the jail phone system and other privatized services that line the pockets of prison-industrial-complex profiteers, and arranged supports like Prisoner Emergency Support Fund stipends with the Toronto Prisoners’ Rights Project, Starter Packs for Newly Released Neighbours with Hit The Streets, and numerous other mutual aid campaigns to meet some of the basic needs of criminalized people behind and beyond bars. We can’t stop here. Through prisoner solidarity work, mutual aid, and collective struggle, we must build communities where we’re all safe. This requires access to the basic necessities of life, justice that meets human needs arising from harm and transforms the conditions that give rise to it, decolonization, liberation, and overthrowing the current systems that are causing the extinction life and the destruction of the land”. 

Justin Piché, a CPEP member and criminology professor at the University of Ottawa, adds: “Initiatives like the JAIL hotline shouldn’t be necessary, yet because we as a society rely on human caging – which time and time again has proven to be demonstrably ineffective, costly, unjust and violent – the need for this work remains. What began at the initiative of Souheil Benslimane and Sarah Speight continues today. That’s an accomplishment, one that certainly would’ve not been possible without the involvement of others including current and former prisoners, law students, practicing lawyers, and professors who have worked at and volunteered their time with the hotline. The financial support of donors, a one-time grant from the Law Foundation of Ontario and on-going funding from the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Social Sciences has also allowed this critical work to continue. It remains my hope that one day these efforts will no longer be needed because we will have built communities, not cages and achieved abolition in our lifetime”. 

Commenting on the JAIL hotline’s anniversary, along with the resurgence in crowding at OCDC and the start of a new campaign to depopulate the jail, CPEP member and Carleton sociology professor Aaron Doyle states: “Despite the amazing work of many dedicated JAIL hotline staff and volunteers that worked with OCDC prisoners to diminish suffering at the jail and for decarceration, most of the same long-running problems persist such as grossly inadequate food and health care. We’re been very alarmed to hear through the hotline of recent increases in crowding leading to triple-bunking in some parts of the jail, especially given the risks of COVID transmission in such close quarters. It’s highly dangerous that horrendous crowding has returned to Ottawa’s jail during the pandemic after the courts and provincial government were previously able to reduce prison populations by 30 per cent in the early stages of the pandemic with few negative consequences simply by increasing the use of bail and reducing the use of custody for weekend sentences. It’s critical that Ontario’s Attorney General and Solicitor General act on the demands outlined in our email zap”. 

For the remainder of the month, the JAIL hotline will take calls on weekdays from 1-4pm. Starting in the new year, the initiative will have expanded hours from 8:30am to 8:30pm. Legal information hours offered by law students from the University of Ottawa Prison Law Clinic will also resume in 2022 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00am to 11:30am. Individuals interested in getting involved in call intake and resolution or mutual aid work are encouraged to contact the JAIL hotline Coordinator (see below). Those interested in providing financial support for the initiative can make a donation through the uOttawa CPEP Fund.

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English and French Media Interview Contact:

Souheil Benslimane

Coordinator, Jail Accountability & Information Line

Member, Criminalization and Punishment Education Project

jailhotline@gmail.com | 819-592-6469

 

Twitter: @jail_line and @CPEPgroup

Instagram: @CPEPgroup

Facebook: @CPEPgroup

Thursday, December 2, 2021

Over 10,000 COVID-19 Cases Linked to Canadian Carceral Institutions by the End of November 2021

* Updated 3 December 2021 at 12:10pm ET *

OVERALL
Prisoners = 7,736 (9 deaths reported)
Staff = 2,289 (1 death reported)
Contractors = 6 
Unknown = 11
Total = 10,042

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

Federal | Correctional Service Canada = 2,261 (1,646 prisoners | 615 staff) 
Newfoundland and Labrador = 0
Nova Scotia = 6 (5 prisoners | 1 staff)
New Brunswick = 14 (2 + 2 staff | 10 unknown)
Prince Edward Island = 1 (1 prisoner | 0 staff)
Quebec = 1,233 (795 prisoners | 438 staff) 
Ontario = 2,634 (2,068 prisoners | 562 staff | 4 contractors)
Manitoba = 672 (521 prisoners | 151 staff)
Saskatchewan = 1,177 (924 prisoners | 253 staff)
Alberta = 1,747 (1,529 prisoners | 216 staff | 2 contractors)
British Columbia = 278 (229 prisoners | 49 staff)
Nunavut = 14 (14 prisoners | 0 staff)
Northwest Territories = 1 (1 unknown)
Yukon = 4 (4 prisoners | 0 staff)

Other Carceral Institutions (not included in overall count above)
Federal | Canadian Border Services Agency = 6 (4 prisoners | 1 staff | 1 contractor)

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 SafetyPrince Edward Island Community and Correctional ServicesBritish Columbia CorrectionsNunavut CorrectionsNorthwest 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 British Columbia Provincial Jails and Prisons (end-November 2021)

 * Updated 2 December 2021 at 6:55am ET *

278 Reported COVID-19 Cases Linked to British Columbia Provincial Jails and Prisons as of the end of November 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, 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 2020CTV 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-November 2021)

 * Updated 2 December 2021 at 6:45am ET *

1,747 Reported COVID-19 Cases Linked to Alberta Provincial Jails and Prisons as of 30 November 2021 *

Prisoners = 1,529
Staff = 216
Contractors = 2
Total = 1,747

* 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 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 = 504

Staff = 2 + 56

Contractor = 1

Total = 563

Sources: Edmonton Journal (13 June 2021) | CBC News (17 July 2020) | CBC News (22 December 2020) | Newstalk 1010 (9 March 2021)


Calgary Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 134

Staff = 20 + 8 + 1

Total = 163

Sources: Edmonton Journal (13 June 2021) | iHeart Radio (31 October 2020) | Calgary Herald (7 November 2020) | Global News (30 November 2020)


Edmonton Remand Centre

Prisoners = 478 + 43

Staff = 105

Contractor = 1

Total = 627

Source: Edmonton Journal (13 June 2021 | 27 September 2021) | Edmonton Journal (21 January 2021)


Fort Saskatchewan Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 136

Staff = 9 (1 death on 10 December 2020)

Total = 145

Source: Edmonton Journal (13 June 2021) | CBC News (11 December 2020) | Sherwood Park News (26 February 2021 | 16 March 2021) | Edmonton Journal (28 March 2021)


Lethbridge Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 21 + 3

Staff = 4

Total = 28

Source: Edmonton Journal (13 June 2021) | CTV News (22 October 2021)


Medicine Hat Remand Centre

Prisoners = 2

Staff = 0

Total = 2

Source: Edmonton Journal (13 June 2021


Peace River Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 110 

Staff = 1 

Total = 111

Sources: Edmonton Journal (13 June 2021) | CBC News (11 December 2020) | River Country 94.7 FM (21 January 2021) | Reach 96.3 FM (26 February 2021) | Edmonton Journal (28 March 2021)


Red Deer Remand Centre

Prisoners = 98

Staff = 3 + 4 + 3

Total = 108

Source: Edmonton Journal (13 June 2021) | Red Deer Advocate (15 December 2020 | 21 January 2021 | 12 May 2021) | Red Deer News Now (5 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. 

COVID-19 Cases Linked to Saskatchewan Provincial Jails and Prisons (end-November 2021)

* Updated 2 December 2021 at 6:40am ET *

1,177 Reported COVID-19 Cases Linked to Saskatchewan Provincial Jails and Prisons as of the end of September 2021 *

Prisoners = 924 
Staff = 253
Total = 1,177

* Data based on figures made publicly available through government 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 Saskatchewan that have not been publicly disclosed. 

INSTITUTIONS AND CASES

Regina Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 511 + 9

Staff = 126 + 5

Total = 651

Source: Saskatoon StarPhoenix (26 August 2021 | 17 November 2021)


Saskatoon Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 184 + 31

Staff = 61 + 2

Total = 271

Source: Saskatoon Star Phoenix (26 August 2021  | 17 November 2021) | CBC News (17 November 2021)


Prince Albert Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 126

Staff = 25

Total = 151

Source: Saskatoon StarPhoenix (26 August 2021)


Pine Grove Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 46

Staff = 16

Total = 62

Source: Saskatoon StarPhoenix (26 August 2021)


Whitespruce Provincial Training Centre

Prisoners = 1

Staff = 0

Total = 1

Source: Saskatoon StarPhoenix (26 August 2021)


Bernard Lake Correctional Camp

Prisoners = 1

Staff = 0

Total = 1

Source: Saskatoon StarPhoenix (26 August 2021)


Saskatchewan Hospital North Battleford 

Prisoners = 0

Staff = 2

Total = 2

Source: Saskatoon StarPhoenix (26 August 2021)


Paul Dojack Youth Centre

Prisoners = 7

Staff = 5

Total = 12

Source: Saskatoon StarPhoenix (26 August 2021)


Kilburn Hall Youth Centre

Prisoners = 6

Staff = 5

Total = 11

Source: Saskatoon StarPhoenix (26 August 2021)


Prince Albert Youth Residence

Prisoners = 2

Staff = 4

Total = 6

Source: Saskatoon StarPhoenix (26 August 2021)


Drumming Hill Youth Centre

Prisoners = 0

Staff = 2

Total = 2

Source: Saskatoon StarPhoenix (26 August 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 Manitoba Provincial Jails and Prisons (end-November 2021)

* Updated: 2 December 2021 at 6:30am ET *

672 Reported COVID-19 Cases Linked to Manitoba Provincial Jails and Prisons as of 1 December 2021

Prisoners = 521
Staff = 151
Total = 672

INSTITUTIONS AND CASES

Agassiz Youth Centre

Prisoners = 13

Staff = 5

Total = 18

Source: Data MB (1 December 2021)


Brandon Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 91

Staff = 21

Total = 112

Source: Data MB (1 December 2021)

 

Headingly Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 214 

Staff = 51 

Total = 265

Source: Data MB (1 December 2021)


Manitoba Youth Centre

Prisoners = 2

Staff = 13

Total = 15

Source: Data MB (1 December 2021)

 

Milner Ridge Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 83 

Staff = 29

Total = 112

Source: Data MB (1 December 2021)

 

The Pas Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 0

Staff = 3

Total = 3

Source: Data MB (1 December 2021)


Winnipeg Remand Centre

Prisoners = 83

Staff = 20

Total = 103

Source: Data MB (1 December 2021)


Women’s Correctional Centre

Prisoners = 35 

Staff = 9

Total = 44

Source: Data MB (1 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 Ontario Provincial Jails and Prisons (end-November 2021)

* Updated: 3 December 2021 at 11:45am ET *

2,634 Reported COVID-19 Cases Linked to Ontario Provincial Jails and Prisons as of 1 December 2021 *

Prisoners = 2,068 (1 dead)
Staff = 562
Contractor = 4
Total = 2,634

* 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 additional laboratory confirmed cases of COVID-19 amongst provincial prison staff in Ontario that have not been publicly disclosed. 

INSTITUTIONS AND CASES

Algoma Treatment and Remand Centre
Prisoners = 28
Staff = 13
Total = 41
Sources: Ministry of the Solicitor General (30 November 2021 | 1 December 2021)

Central East Correctional Centre
Prisoners = 254
Staff = 15
Total = 269
Sources: Ministry of the Solicitor General (30 November 2021 | 1 December 2021)

Central North Correctional Centre
Prisoners = 142 (minus 9 transferred from when the Stratford Jail closed)
Staff = 9
Total = 142
Sources: Ministry of the Solicitor General (30 November 2021 | 1 December 2021)

Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre
Prisoners = 83
Staff = 54
Total = 137
Sources: Ministry of the Solicitor General (30 November 2021 | 1 December 2021)

Hamilton Wentworth Detention Centre
Prisoners = 88
Staff = 34
Contractor = 1
Total = 123
Sources: Ministry of the Solicitor General (30 November 2021 | 1 December 2021)

Kenora Jail
Prisoners = 10
Staff = 0
Total = 10
Sources: Ministry of the Solicitor General (30 November 2021 | 1 December 2021)

Maplehurst Correctional Complex
Prisoners = 350
Staff = 103
Contractor = 1
Total = 454
Sources: Ministry of the Solicitor General (30 November 2021 | 1 December 2021) | Radio-Canada Toronto (26 November 2021)

Milton-Vanier Centre for Women
Prisoners = 61
Staff = 8
Contractor = 1
Total = 70
Sources: Ministry of the Solicitor General (30 November 2021 | 1 December 2021)

Monteith Correctional Centre
Prisoners = 42
Staff = 11
Total = 53
Sources: Ministry of the Solicitor General (30 November 2021 | 1 December 2021)

Niagara Detention Centre
Prisoners = 17
Staff = 2
Total = 19
Sources: Ministry of the Solicitor General (30 November 2021 | 1 December 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 + 8
Staff = 27
Total = 126
Sources: Ministry of the Solicitor General (30 November 2021 | 1 December 2021)

Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre
Prisoners = 97
Staff = 13
Total = 110
Sources: Ministry of the Solicitor General (30 November 2021 | 1 December 2021)

Quinte Detention Centre
Prisoners = 12
Staff = 1
Total = 13
Sources: Ministry of the Solicitor General (30 November 2021 | 1 December 2021)

Sarnia Jail
Prisoners = 53 
Staff = 8
Total = 61
Sources: Ministry of the Solicitor General (30 November 2021 | 1 December 2021)

South West Detention Centre
Prisoners = 71
Staff = 24
Contractor = 1
Total = 93
Sources: Windsor Star (20 March 2020) | Ministry of the Solicitor General (30 November 2021 | 1 December 2021)

St. Lawrence Valley Correctional and Treatment Centre
Prisoners = 4
Staff = 2
Total = 6
Sources: Ministry of the Solicitor General (30 November 2021 | 1 December 2021)

Stratford Jail
Prisoners = 9 + 2
Staff = 2
Total = 13
Sources: Ministry of the Solicitor General (30 November 2021 | 1 December 2021)

Sudbury Jail
Prisoners = 2
Staff = 10
Total = 12
Sources: Ministry of the Solicitor General (30 November 2021 | 1 December 2021)
* A number of prisoners who contracted COVID-19 at the Sudbury Jail, which was temporarily closed following a October 2021 outbreak, were transferred elsewhere leading to additional transmission at the Central North Correctional Centre (20 October 2021) and Toronto South Detention Centre (27 October 2021). These cases are not included in the Sudbury Jail cases above, which preceded the October 2021 outbreak, but are included instead as part of the Central North Correctional Centre and Toronto South Detention Centre figures.

Thunder Bay Correctional Centre
Prisoners = 64
Staff = 22
Total = 86
Sources: Ministry of the Solicitor General (30 November 2021 | 1 December 2021)

Thunder Bay Jail
Prisoners = 98
Staff = 44
Total = 142
Sources: Ministry of the Solicitor General (30 November 2021 | 1 December 2021)

Toronto East Detention Centre
Prisoners = 87 (1 dead on 23 March 2021)
Staff = 46
Total = 133
Sources: Ministry of the Solicitor General (30 November 2021 | 1 December 2021)

Toronto South Detention Centre
Prisoners = 403
Staff = 113
Total = 516
Sources: Ministry of the Solicitor General (30 November 2021 | 1 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.