Human rights-based data collection for inmates in restrictive confinement
The ministry is committed to publicly releasing data annually regarding its use of restrictive confinement for all individuals in Ontario’s adult correctional system, excluding those on lockdown, and to include the following in the report:
- the duration of time each inmate spent in restrictive confinement, including total days over the last year
- the number of inmates who had a suicide alert or suicide watch alert
Furthermore, the ministry has disaggregated the data based on:
- individuals with mental health alerts
- gender
- facility/institution
- region
The data has also been disaggregated on additional data related to race, age and religion or spiritual affiliation.
The ministry defines restrictive confinement as any type of confinement that is more restrictive than the general population but less restrictive than segregation. As a result, the ministry is reporting any case where an individual was held in a unit regularly scheduled to be locked down for 17 hours or more per day. This timeframe is considered more restrictive than that of the general population based on an assessment of provincewide lockdown times. Regularly scheduled lockdowns are daily routine times where movement out of a cell is restricted, such as during meal times and overnight.
The ministry is reporting on a one-year period between April 1, 2022 and March 31, 2023. This time period aligns with the government’s fiscal year.
Disclosure on data collection method
To collect the information required, a report was generated through the ministry’s Offender Tracking Information System (OTIS) to identify any individuals who were held in a unit that was regularly locked down for 17 hours or more per day. OTIS is an electronic database used to track individuals under the supervision of the ministry and includes demographic, institutional housing and placement history. Information is entered into OTIS manually and, due to technological limitations, may be recorded through other means and transferred into OTIS later.
As an individual’s housing location may change daily, data on restrictive confinement was extracted for each day within the reporting period, rather than one single extraction, to provide more accurate data. Currently, the reason and number of placements or continuous days in restrictive confinement by individual cannot be tracked due to the data collection method. The ministry recognizes the challenges in accurately tracking inmates within restrictive confinement and is currently developing new ways to track inmate movement in and out of cell.
On August 13 and August 14, 2022, a scheduled outage to OTIS occurred. As a result of this outage, lockdown data captured in this report was unavailable for August 13 and 14, 2022. Lockdown data for August 15 and 16, 2022, was also partially impacted by the scheduled outage.
The data captured in this report excludes any cases where an inmate was held in a unit that was regularly locked down for 17 hours or more but was considered to meet segregation conditions based on the information recorded in the inmate’s file.
Demographic information entered into OTIS is largely self-reported and may change over time. OTIS displays the most recent details for an inmate and maintains a record of information previously entered into the system. The report generated for this release captured the most recent demographic information that was on file for individuals who were held in a unit that was locked down for 17 hours or more.
OTIS records inmates’ gender as either “male” or “female”. Additional gender identities are recorded in a “transgender alert”. Where an inmate has a transgender alert, the gender field in OTIS will reflect the individual’s preferred gender identity and may change over time.
The information on race and religion or spiritual affiliation extracted from OTIS is aligned with the Anti-Racism Data Standards (ARDS). Data is also collected on Indigenous identity, ethnic origin, race and religion in order to align with the ARDS under the Anti-Racism Act, 2017 (ARA).
The identification of inmates with mental health concerns is based on the presence of a mental health alert that is recorded in OTIS. Mental health alerts do not indicate a confirmed mental health diagnosis. However, they signal the presence of potential mental health concerns.
Serious mental Illness alerts are also included in the list of mental health alerts in OTIS. The identification of an inmate requiring a serious mental illness alert is made when:
- a regulated health professional who is qualified to make diagnoses within their clinical scope considers the inmate to be experiencing at least one disorder as identified in Ontario Regulation 778, or
- an institutional staff member has determined that an inmate is experiencing at least one of a list of symptoms outlined in O. Reg. 778
All mental health alerts, including serious mental illness alerts, are required to be verified by mental health professionals. Healthcare staff are required to assess individuals and verify mental health alerts in OTIS within 48 hours of the alert being entered. To capture the potential presence of a mental health concern, the data for this release includes both verified and unverified mental health alerts present on the inmate’s file for each day where they were held in a unit that was locked down for 17 hours or more.
Review of all inmates in restrictive confinement between April 1, 2022 and March 31, 2023
Inmates with an intermittent sentence have been included in the data. As a result, the total population numbers and the numbers of individuals who were housed in a unit that was locked down for 17 hours or more per day include cases where an individual was flagged as having an intermittent sentence. An intermittent sentence is a custodial sentence that is served during specific recurring days and times, rather than all at once.
There were 20,781 (62%) unique individuals who spent at least one day in a unit that was regularly locked down for 17 hours or more per day between April 1, 2022 and March 31, 2023, out of a total of 33,571 inmates in custody.
An individual’s custodial location information may change over time. As the data on restrictive confinement was generated for each day within the reporting period, the location reflects information on file for the most recent day where an individual was held in a unit that was locked down for 17 hours or more per day.
Population breakdown in restrictive confinement
| Location | Females | Males | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton Wentworth Detention Centre | 1 | 1,282 | 1,283 |
| Maplehurst Correctional Complex | 0 | 4,274 | 4,274 |
| Niagara Detention Centre | 0 | 1,024 | 1,024 |
| Central Region | 1 | 6,580 | 6,581 |
| Brockville Jail | 0 | 348 | 348 |
| Central East Correctional Centre | 27 | 736 | 763 |
| Ottawa Carleton Detention Centre | 387 | 2,368 | 2,755 |
| Quinte Detention Centre | 265 | 856 | 1,121 |
| Eastern Region | 679 | 4,308 | 4,987 |
| Algoma Treatment and Remand Centre | 92 | 495 | 587 |
| Kenora Jail | 88 | 583 | 671 |
| North Bay Jail | 8 | 24 | 32 |
| Sudbury Jail | 51 | 557 | 608 |
| Thunder Bay Correctional Centre | 187 | 0 | 187 |
| Thunder Bay Jail | 0 | 903 | 903 |
| Northern Region | 426 | 2,562 | 2,988 |
| Toronto South Detention Centre | 14 | 2,812 | 2,826 |
| Toronto Region | 14 | 2,812 | 2,826 |
| Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre | 140 | 1,397 | 1,537 |
| Sarnia Jail | 50 | 304 | 354 |
| South West Detention Centre | 200 | 1,193 | 1,393 |
| Stratford Jail | 1 | 114 | 115 |
| Western Region | 391 | 3,008 | 3,399 |
| Total number of inmates | 1,511 | 19,270 | 20,781 |
Duration of time spent in restrictive confinement
| Location | Maximum number of aggregate days in restrictive confinement for females | Median days for females | Mode days for females | Maximum number of aggregate days in restrictive confinement for males | Median days for males | Mode days for males | Median days overall | Mode days overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre | 1 | 1 | n/a | 142 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Maplehurst Correctional Complex | 0 | 0 | 0 | 362 | 9 | 1 | 9 | 1 |
| Niagara Detention Centre | 0 | 0 | 0 | 182 | 11 | 1 | 11 | 1 |
| Central Region | 1 | 1 | n/a | 362 | 9 | 1 | 9 | 1 |
| Brockville Jail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 218 | 12 | 1 | 12 | 1 |
| Central East Correctional Centre | 54 | 4 | 4 | 289 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 2 |
| Ottawa Carleton Detention Centre | 238 | 12 | 1 | 361 | 19 | 1 | 17 | 1 |
| Quinte Detention Centre | 271 | 13 | 2 | 316 | 13 | 1 | 13 | 1 |
| Eastern Region | 271 | 12 | 1 | 361 | 13 | 1 | 13 | 1 |
| Algoma Treatment and Remand Centre | 87 | 5 | 1 | 345 | 12 | 1 | 10 | 1 |
| Kenora Jail | 59 | 8 | 1 | 85 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 |
| North Bay Jail | 1 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Sudbury Jail | 54 | 5 | 1 | 221 | 12 | 1 | 11 | 1 |
| Thunder Bay Correctional Centre | 114 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 9 |
| Thunder Bay Jail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 312 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 |
| Northern Region | 114 | 7 | 1 | 345 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 1 |
| Toronto South Detention Centre | 185 | 7.5 | 1 | 361 | 10 | 1 | 10 | 1 |
| Toronto Region | 185 | 7.5 | 1 | 361 | 10 | 1 | 10 | 1 |
| Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre | 105 | 3 | 1 | 160 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Sarnia Jail | 35 | 9 | 3 | 65 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 11 |
| South West Detention Centre | 182 | 11.5 | 12 | 226 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 12 |
| Stratford Jail | 18 | 18 | n/a | 65 | 11.5 | 11 | 12 | 11 |
| Western Region | 182 | 8 | 1 | 226 | 9 | 5 | 9 | 1 |
| Overall | 271 | 9 | 1 | 362 | 10 | 1 | 10 | 1 |
Across all regions, the aggregate length of time for restrictive confinement placements for all inmates ranged from a minimum of one day to a maximum of 362 days. The median, or mid-point, number of days aggregately spent in restrictive confinement was ten days. The most frequent, or mode, aggregate placement length was one day for all inmates.
On August 13 and August 14, 2022, a scheduled outage to OTIS occurred. As a result of this outage, lockdown data captured in this report was unavailable for August 13 and 14, 2022, which impacted the data for aggregate days in restrictive confinement. Lockdown data for August 15 and 16, 2022, was also partially impacted by the scheduled outage.
Mental health alerts
A mental health alert is recorded in an inmate’s file by facility staff including correctional, medical and clinical staff, if the inmate:
- discloses a history of mental illness
- is showing signs of, or has disclosed thoughts about self-harm or suicide
- is demonstrating behaviour that may suggest a mental illness
The ministry’s policy requires an initial mental health screening to be completed within 48 hours of an inmate being admitted to an institution. All active mental health alerts are required to be verified by mental health professionals within 48 hours of the alert being entered into OTIS. If an inmate screens positive for a possible mental health condition, they are further assessed by healthcare professionals and may be referred to a psychiatrist or physician. Additionally, inmates are also reassessed for mental healthcare needs at least once every six months of continuous custody. Mental health professionals are required to add mental health alerts, verify new and existing mental health alerts and expire inactive alerts as appropriate throughout an individual’s stay in custody.
Of the 20,781 inmates included in the review, 5,502 (26.5%) had a mental health alert on file for at least one placement. Thirty-eight per cent of females and 26% of males in restrictive confinement had a mental health alert. The data includes all inmates who had a mental health alert present at any point between April 1, 2022 and March 31, 2023.
| Gender | No alert | Mental health alert | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Females | 942 | 569 | 1,511 |
| Males | 14,337 | 4,933 | 19,270 |
| Total | 15,279 | 5,502 | 20,781 |
Suicide risk alerts
A suicide risk alert is recorded in an inmate’s file when they require enhanced supervision or if they are at risk of posing harm to themselves. Suicide risk alerts are broken down into the following categories:
- enhanced supervision
- previous suicide attempt(s)
- suicide watch
Of the 20,781 inmates covered in the review, 3,214 (15.5%) had a suicide risk alert recorded in their file. Twenty-one per cent of females in restrictive confinement and 15% of males in restrictive confinement had suicide risk alerts. The data includes all inmates who had a suicide risk alert present at any point between April 1, 2022 and March 31, 2023.
| Gender | No alert | Suicide risk alert | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Females | 1,188 | 323 | 1,511 |
| Males | 16,379 | 2,891 | 19,270 |
| Total | 17,567 | 3,214 | 20,781 |
A suicide watch is a type of suicide risk alert and indicates when an inmate requires increased supervision due to a high risk of suicide or self-harm. Of the inmates included in the review, 1,013 (5%) were on suicide watch while in restrictive confinement. Four per cent of females in restrictive confinement and 5% of males in restrictive confinement had suicide watch alerts. The data includes all inmates who had a suicide watch alert present at any point between April 1, 2022 and March 31, 2023.
Ministry policy requires that an assessment, monitoring and documenting process including frequent in-person checks occur at least once every 10 minutes. Between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m., correctional staff are required to interact verbally with the inmate on an hourly basis.
| Gender | No alert | Suicide risk alert | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Females | 1,446 | 65 | 1,511 |
| Males | 18,322 | 948 | 19,270 |
| Total | 19,768 | 1,013 | 20,781 |
Demographics
Demographic factors were extracted as they were recorded in OTIS for each day that an individual was held in a unit that was scheduled to be locked down for 17 hours or more. An individual’s demographic information may change over time because this information is self-reported. As a result, demographic information in the following tables specific to unique individuals reflects the information on file for the most recent day during the reporting period where an individual was held in a unit that was regularly scheduled to be locked down for 17 hours or more.
In cases where an individual reported more than one race or religious affiliation, these individuals have been included in the categories of “more than one reported race category” or “more than one reported religious or spiritual affiliation”.
Age
| Age ranges and gender | Central Region | Eastern Region | Northern Region | Toronto Region | Western Region | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 to 24 years old | 1,186 | 829 | 559 | 497 | 436 | 3,507 |
| 25 to 49 years old | 4,594 | 3,572 | 2,168 | 2,002 | 2,594 | 14,930 |
| 50 years or older | 801 | 586 | 261 | 327 | 369 | 2,344 |
| Total number of inmates | 6,581 | 4,987 | 2,988 | 2,826 | 3,399 | 20,781 |
Of the 20,781 inmates included in the review, 1,511 self-identified as female and 19,270 self-identified as male. These numbers include 118 inmates who self-identified as transgender during this period. Trans inmates are captured in the dataset based on their gender identity. The average age amongst all inmates at the start of the reporting period was 35 years old.
Race
| Race | Central Region | Eastern Region | Northern Region | Toronto Region | Western Region | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White | 2,682 | 2,696 | 922 | 714 | 1,938 | 8,952 |
| Black | 862 | 503 | 133 | 806 | 263 | 2,567 |
| Indigenous | 325 | 395 | 1,384 | 99 | 328 | 2,531 |
| South Asian | 381 | 49 | 7 | 110 | 32 | 579 |
| Middle Eastern | 163 | 158 | 8 | 86 | 80 | 495 |
| Latino | 88 | 59 | 7 | 66 | 51 | 271 |
| East Asian | 169 | 35 | 7 | 87 | 16 | 314 |
| Another race category | 83 | 50 | 22 | 103 | 34 | 292 |
| More than one reported race category | 382 | 239 | 99 | 110 | 138 | 968 |
| Unknown or not reported | 1,446 | 803 | 399 | 645 | 519 | 3,812 |
| Total number of inmates | 6,581 | 4,987 | 2,988 | 2,826 | 3,399 | 20,781 |
Of the 20,781 inmates covered in the review, 8,952 (43%) self-identified as white, 2,567 (12%) self-identified as Black, and 2,531 (12%) self-identified as Indigenous. There were 579 (2.8%) inmates who self-identified as South Asian, 495 (2.4%) as Middle Eastern, 314 (1.5%) as East Asian, 271 (1.3%) as Latino and 292 (1.4%) as another race category. A total of 968 (4.7%) inmates reported more than one race. There were 3,812 (18%) inmates who did not report this information or it was unknown.
Religion or spiritual affiliation
| Religion/spirituality | Central Region | Eastern Region | Northern Region | Toronto Region | Western Region | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| no religion | 1,618 | 1,648 | 709 | 269 | 966 | 5,210 |
| Christian | 1,057 | 859 | 358 | 423 | 601 | 3,298 |
| Indigenous spirituality | 120 | 167 | 432 | 55 | 160 | 934 |
| Muslim | 260 | 270 | 32 | 231 | 108 | 901 |
| Sikh | 225 | 14 | 0 | 12 | 17 | 268 |
| Jewish | 24 | 32 | 6 | 25 | 9 | 96 |
| Hindu | 75 | 15 | 4 | 28 | 5 | 127 |
| Buddhist | 13 | 12 | 5 | 10 | 12 | 52 |
| Another religious or spiritual affiliation | 194 | 129 | 81 | 80 | 115 | 599 |
|
More than one reported religious or spiritual affiliation |
481 | 252 | 212 | 118 | 201 | 1,264 |
| Unknown or not reported | 2,514 | 1,589 | 1,149 | 1,575 | 1,205 | 8,032 |
| Total number of inmates | 6,581 | 4,987 | 2,988 | 2,826 | 3,399 | 20,781 |
There were 8,032 inmates (39%) covered in the review who did not report a religion or spirituality, or it was unknown, while 5,210 (25%) stated they had no religious or spiritual affiliation, and 3,298 (16%) self-identified as being Christian. There were 934 (4.5%) inmates who self-identified as having Indigenous spirituality and 901 (4.3%) self-identified as Muslim. Of the remaining inmates, self-identified religions included 268 (1.3%) Sikh, 127 (0.6%) Hindu, 96 (0.5%) Jewish, and 52 (0.3%) Buddhist. There were 599 inmates (2.9%) who reported “another religious or spiritual affiliation”. A total of 1,264 (6.1%) inmates reported more than one religious or spiritual affiliation.