2020 data on inmates in Ontario

Get 2020 data on inmate segregation, restrictive confinement and deaths in correctional facilities.

2020 data release

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Human rights-based data collection for inmates in segregation

The ministry is committed to publicly releasing data annually regarding the use of segregation for all individuals in Ontario’s adult correctional system, excluding those on lockdown and to also include the following in the report:

the duration of time each inmate spent in segregation, including continuous and total days over the last year
the reason the inmate was placed in segregation
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 disabilities (including risk of suicide or self-harm) whether identified through mental health alerts, mental health screening and reassessment, or by being reported and confirmed
gender
facility/institution
region

The review also covers human rights-based data and has been disaggregated by gender, race, age and religion or spiritual affiliation. This data is consistent with the Ontario Human Rights Code and follows the requirements in the Anti-Racism Data Standards under Ontario's Anti-Racism Act to monitor systemic racism.

The 2019 data release on the use of segregation covered the period of July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019. For the 2020 data release and for future releases, the reporting period has been changed to align with the government’s fiscal year, between April 1, 2019 and March 31, 2020. As a result, the 2020 data release overlaps with the 2019 release by a three-month period.

Disclosure on data collection method

Segregation is defined by the ministry’s policy as any type of custody where an inmate is highly restricted in movement and has limited meaningful social interaction with others for 22 hours or more a day (excluding circumstances of unscheduled lockdown), which can occur anywhere in an institution. To collect the data, a report was generated through the ministry’s Offender Tracking Information System (OTIS) to identify any individuals recorded as meeting segregation conditions between April 1, 2019 and March 31, 2020.

A record is created each time an inmate meets the conditions of segregation and closed when the inmate no longer meets those conditions. As of October 29, 2019, a break in a segregation placement occurs when an individual is out of segregation conditions for 24 or more continuous hours. For the purposes of this data release, this definition has been applied retroactively to cover the entire reporting year.

OTIS is an electronic database used to track individuals under the supervision of the ministry and includes demographic, institutional housing and placement history. Individual information is entered into OTIS manually and, due to technological limitations, may be recorded through other means and entered into OTIS at a later time.

The report generated through OTIS identified all individuals with a segregation placement within the identified time period. For these inmates, the report captured:

the number of placements
the duration of placements
reasons for placements
demographic information
alerts for mental health concerns, suicide risk and suicide watch

Demographic information entered into OTIS is mainly self-reported or is reliant upon information provided to the ministry by police agencies or the courts and therefore 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 demographic information that was active at the time of an inmate’s most recent period of supervision.

The information on race and religion or spiritual affiliation extracted from OTIS is aligned with the Anti-Racism Data Standards.

OTIS records inmates’ gender as either “male” or “female”. Additional expressions of gender are recorded by 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 identification of inmates with mental health conditions 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 and are the trigger for assessment for appropriate healthcare supports.

All mental health alerts are required to be verified by mental health professionals. Health care 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 at the beginning of each segregation placement.

The ministry has developed definitions of mental illness and serious mental illness to better align with parameters used by community health service providers. These definitions are currently being integrated into policy, and the mental health alert system is in the process of being updated to more appropriately and accurately reflect the presence of a mental illness.

Review of all inmates in segregation between April 1, 2019 and March 31, 2020

Inmates with an intermittent sentence have been separately reported in the data. As a result, the total population numbers and the segregation numbers below exclude cases where an individual was flagged as having an intermittent sentence.

At the time of this review, approximately 5% of the total inmate population was in segregation conditions on any given day, compared to 7% in the 2019 reporting period. There were 10,727 (29%) inmates identified as having at least one placement in segregation between April 1, 2019 and March 31, 2020, out of a total population of 36,436 inmates. Fifty-nine per cent of inmates had a single placement in segregation. In total, there were 22,665 segregation placements during this time period.

An individual’s custodial location may change across placements. As a result, the location in the following tables specific to unique individuals reflects the information on file for the most recent placement during the reporting period. The location specific to placements reflects the information on file at the time of each placement.

Population breakdown

Total number of inmates and placements in segregation by region, institution and gender
Location	Female inmates	Female placements	Male inmates	Male placements	Total inmates	Total placements
Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre	124	237	466	1,405	590	1,642
Maplehurst Correctional Complex	1	4	1,497	2,668	1,498	2,672
Niagara Detention Centre	n/a	3	279	892	279	895
Ontario Correctional Institute	n/a	n/a	25	35	25	35
Vanier Centre for Women	624	1,170	3	11	627	1,181
Central Region	749	1,414	2,270	5,011	3,019	6,425
Brockville Jail	n/a	n/a	81	142	81	142
Central East Correctional Centre	106	173	655	1,283	761	1,456
Ottawa Carleton Detention Centre	89	154	737	1,951	826	2,105
Quinte Detention Centre	129	269	541	1,063	670	1,332
St. Lawrence Valley Centre	n/a	n/a	53	107	53	107
Eastern Region	324	596	2,067	4,546	2,391	5,142
Algoma Treatment and Remand Centre	31	45	148	391	179	436
Fort Frances Jail	2	3	30	47	32	50
Kenora Jail	79	174	83	181	162	355
Monteith Correctional Centre	26	71	119	402	145	473
North Bay Jail	38	119	154	465	192	584
Sudbury Jail	8	10	159	834	167	844
Thunder Bay Correctional Centre	3	3	4	5	7	8
Thunder Bay Jail	n/a	n/a	133	281	133	281
Northern Region	187	425	830	2,606	1,017	3,031
Toronto East Detention Centre	n/a	2	631	1,202	631	1,204
Toronto South Detention Centre	11	24	1,273	2,088	1,284	2,112
Toronto Region	11	26	1,904	3,290	1,915	3,316
Central North Correctional Centre	16	19	873	1,969	889	1,988
Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre	154	258	599	1,156	753	1,414
Sarnia Jail	37	64	197	329	234	393
Southwest Detention Centre	91	155	416	798	507	953
Stratford Jail	n/a	n/a	2	3	2	3
Western Region	298	496	2,087	4,255	2,385	4,751
Total inmates	1,569	n/a	9,158	n/a	10,727	n/a
Total placements	n/a	2,957	n/a	19,708	n/a	22,665

Of the 10,727 inmates who were in segregation between April 1, 2019 and March 31, 2020, 1,569 (15%) identified as female and 9,158 (85%) identified as male. These numbers include 100 inmates who self-identified as transgender during this period. Trans inmates are captured in the dataset based on their gender identity.

Of the overall population in provincial institutions, 31% of females in custody and 29% of males in custody experienced at least one placement in segregation.

Number of placements

**Number of inmates who had repeated placements in segregation**
Number of times placed in segregation	Females	Males	Total number of inmates
1	985	5,303	6,288
2	293	1,725	2,018
3	119	848	967
4	67	430	497
5	36	260	296
6-10	55	432	487
11 or greater	14	160	174
Total number of inmates	1,569	9,158	10,727

There were 6,288 (59%) inmates with a single segregation placement during the time period, while 4,439 (41%) had been placed in segregation two or more times. The highest number of times an inmate was placed in segregation was 49.

Duration of time spent in segregation

**Maximum, median and mode of consecutive days spent in segregation placements**
Location	Maximum number of days - females	Median (days) - females	Mode (days) - females	Maximum number of days - males	Median (days) - males	Mode (days) - males	Median (days) - overall	Mode (days) - overall
Central Region	83	3	2	533	4	2	4	2
Eastern Region	96	4	2	566	4	2	4	2
Northern Region	47	3	2	219	3	2	3	2
Toronto Region	39	4	4	315	5	2	5	2
Western Region	94	4	2	308	5	2	5	2
Overall	96	4	2	566	4	2	4	2

Across all regions, the consecutive length of segregation placements for males ranged from a minimum of one day to a maximum of 566 days. Consecutive placement lengths for females ranged from one to 96 days. The median number of days consecutively spent in segregation was four days for both females and males. The most frequent, or mode, consecutive placement length was two days. These placement lengths include time that was spent in segregation conditions prior to April 1, 2019 if the placement continued into the April 1, 2019 to March 31, 2020 reporting period.

Ministry policy requires that inmates placed in segregation be reviewed within 24 hours, and every five days thereafter. As of November 1, 2019, Ontario introduced regulatory changes that require an independent review of inmates in administrative segregation conditions at least once every five consecutive days. These reviews include considering alternative strategies to remove individuals from segregation conditions and into appropriate and less restrictive conditions as soon as possible. For inmates with mental health conditions, alternatives may only be rejected if there is a significant risk to their own health and safety or the health and safety of others if they are not held in segregation conditions. Inmates in segregation receive a baseline assessment by a nurse upon entering segregation conditions and have their physical and mental health status assessed daily by a member of the health care services team.

Following the implementation of the independent review of segregation placements in November 2019, the duration of placements has shortened considerably. All placements exceeding 365 continuous days ended in 2019 and all placements exceeding 100 continuous days ended by February 2020. By March 31, 2020, at the end of the reporting period, the longest active continuous placement was 96 days.

Maximum, median and mode of aggregate days spent in segregation over the last year
Location	Maximum number of aggregate days in segregation - females	Median (days) - females	Mode (days) - females	Maximum number of aggregate days in segregation - males	Median (days) - males	Mode (days) - males	Median (days) - overall	Mode (days) - overall
Central Region	228	4	2	348	7	2	6	2
Eastern Region	161	5.5	2	323	8	2	7	2
Northern Region	80	4	2	291	7	2	6	2
Toronto Region	141	19	4	306	7	2	7	2
Western Region	70	6	2	247	8	2	8	2
Overall	228	5	2	348	7	2	7	2

Across all regions, the aggregate number of days for segregation placements ranged from a minimum of one day to a maximum of 348 days for males and from a minimum of one day to a maximum of 228 days for females. The overall median aggregate number of days was seven, and the most frequent aggregate number of days spent in segregation was two.

Aggregate days are calculated based on the total number of days in segregation during the one-year reporting period. The total number of aggregate days in segregation were counted to March 31, 2020.

Reports of inmates in segregation for 30 continuous days are provided directly to the Assistant Deputy Minister of Institutional Services and the Solicitor General. These reports include additional details about the circumstances of each individual’s segregation placement and the alternatives to segregation considered to the point of undue hardship. This level of detail also applies to the 60-day aggregate reports that go to the Assistant Deputy Minister of Institutional Services.

Reasons for placement in segregation

The ministry’s policy during this time period required that segregation only be considered for an inmate if they:

need protection such as security or medical concerns
have requested to be segregated
pose a security or safety risk to others
are under medical observation or isolation
have committed alleged misconduct
require confinement following misconduct

Overview of reasons for placement in segregation across all regions
Reason	Total number	Percentage
Inmate requested to be segregated	7,159	32%
Inmate requires protection for medical concerns	6,555	29%
Inmate committed alleged misconduct	4,426	20%
Inmate poses a security or safety risk to others	2,687	12%
Inmate requires protection for other concerns	1,789	8%
Inmate requires confinement following misconduct	1,669	7%
Inmate poses a security or safety risk to others for medical reasons	1,235	5%
Total	25,520*	n/a

*One placement in segregation may include more than one associated reason. As a result, the total number of placements in this table exceed the actual number of segregation placements.

Throughout a segregation placement, the reason for the placement may change. Of the 22,665 placements, 18,733 (83%) had one associated reason, while 3,932 (17%) had more than one reason associated with segregation placements. For example, an inmate may be placed in segregation for their own protection and subsequently request to remain in those conditions once approved for release. The most frequent reasons for segregation placement included:

7,159 (32%) occurrences where inmates requested to be placed in segregation
6,555 (29%) placements as a result of medical reasons such as observation, isolation and safety
4,426 (20%) placements as a result of an alleged misconduct

Mental health alerts

A mental health alert is recorded in an inmate’s file by staff including correctional, medical and clinical staff, if the inmate:

discloses a 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 health care professionals and may be referred to a psychiatrist or physician. Additionally, inmates are also reassessed for mental health care 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 10,727 inmates identified as being placed in segregation over the period of April 1, 2019 to March 31, 2020, 4,533 (42%) had an active mental health alert on file for at least one of their placements in segregation. Fifty-three per cent of females in segregation and 40% of males in segregation had an active mental health alert on file for at least one of their placements. Of the overall population in provincial institutions, 43.5% of all females in custody and 27% of all males in custody had an active mental health alert on file at any point between April 1, 2019 and March 31, 2020.

Number of individuals in segregation with a mental health alert
Gender	No alert	Mental health alert	Total
Females	739	830	1,569
Males	5,455	3,703	9,158
Total	6,194	4,533	10,727

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 10,727 inmates covered in the review, 3,471 (32%) had a suicide risk alert on file for at least one of their placements in segregation. There were 34% of females and 32% of males in segregation who had a suicide risk alert on file for at least one of their placements. In comparison, 24% of females in the overall custodial population and 18% of males had a suicide risk alert on file at any point between April 1, 2019 and March 31, 2020.

Number of individuals in segregation with a suicide risk alert
Gender	No alert	Suicide risk alert	Total
Females	1,038	531	1,569
Males	6,218	2,940	9,158
Total	7,256	3,471	10,727

A suicide watch is a type of a suicide risk alert that indicates when an inmate requires increased supervision due to a high risk of suicide or self-harm. Of the 10,727 inmates included in the review, 1,462 (14%) were on suicide watch. Thirteen per cent of females in segregation and 14% of males in segregation had a suicide watch alert on file for at least one of their placements. Overall, 6% of females and 5% of males in custody had suicide watch alerts on file at any point between April 1, 2019 and March 31, 2020.

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.

Number of individuals in segregation with a suicide watch alert
Gender	No alert	Suicide watch alert	Total
Females	1,371	198	1,569
Males	7,894	1,264	9,158
Total	9,265	1,462	10,727

Demographics

Demographic factors were extracted as they were recorded in OTIS at the time of the most recent supervision period and therefore does not reflect where the information may have changed over time.

Age

Age ranges and gender of inmates in segregation
Age ranges and gender	Central Region	Eastern Region	Northern Region	Toronto Region	Western Region	Total number of inmates
18 to 24 years old	549	465	216	478	442	2,150
Female	126	65	40	1	66	298
Male	423	400	176	477	376	1,852
25 to 49 years old	2,233	1,688	734	1,239	1,777	7,671
Female	580	238	143	10	223	1,194
Male	1,653	1,450	591	1,229	1,554	6,477
50 years or older	237	238	67	198	166	906
Female	43	21	4	n/a	9	77
Male	194	217	63	198	157	829
Total number of inmates	3,019	2,391	1,017	1,915	2,385	10,727

The average age amongst all inmates at the start of their placement in segregation was 33 years old.

Race

Racial background of inmates in segregation
Race	Central Region	Eastern Region	Northern Region	Toronto Region	Western Region	Total number of inmates
White	1,768	1,595	479	655	1,614	6,111
Black	388	248	20	684	194	1,534
Indigenous	194	213	426	88	289	1,210
Middle Eastern	41	47	1	68	30	187
East or Southeast Asian	64	29	n/a	72	11	176
South Asian	61	14	1	61	9	146
Latino	43	13	3	40	27	126
Another racial origin	65	35	7	61	36	204
Unknown or not reported	395	197	80	186	175	1,033
Total number of inmates	3,019	2,391	1,017	1,915	2,385	10,727

Of the 10,727 inmates covered in the review, 6,111 (57%) self-identified as white, 1,534 (14%) self-identified as black, and 1,210 (11%) self-identified as Indigenous. There were 204 inmates (1.9%) who identified as another racial origin, 187 (1.7%) as Middle Eastern, 176 (1.6%) as east or Southeast Asian, 146 (1.4%) identified as South Asian and 126 (1.2%) as Latino. There were 1,033 inmates (10%) who did not report this information or it was unknown.

Religion or spiritual affiliation

Religion or spiritual affiliation of inmates in segregation
Religion or spiritual affiliation	Central Region	Eastern Region	Northern Region	Toronto Region	Western Region	Total number of inmates
Christian	684	631	325	536	666	2,842
No religion	432	599	228	345	591	2,195
Muslim	170	215	8	286	109	788
Indigenous spirituality	114	167	103	101	141	626
Jewish	47	26	1	23	9	106
Sikh	23	1	4	15	7	50
Hindu	12	4	n/a	26	3	45
Buddhist	9	12	1	12	6	40
Another religious or spiritual affiliation	54	34	14	145	56	303
Unknown or not reported	1,474	702	333	426	797	3,732
Total number of inmates	3,019	2,391	1,017	1,915	2,385	10,727

There were 3,732 inmates (35%) covered in the review who did not report a religious or spiritual affiliation or it was unknown, while 2,842 (26%) self-identified as being Christian, and 2,195 (20%) stated they had no religious or spiritual affiliation. There were 788 (7%) who self-identified as Muslim and 626 (6%) self-identified as having Indigenous spirituality. Of the remaining inmates, self-identified religions included: 106 (0.9%) Jewish, 50 (0.5%) Sikh, 45 (0.4%) Hindu and 40 Buddhist (0.4%). There were 303 inmates (2.8%) who reported “another religious or spiritual affiliation”.

Intermittent sentences

When the court imposes a sentence of imprisonment of 90 days or less on a convicted offender, the court may order that the sentence be served intermittently, based on the age and character of the offender, the nature of the offence and/or the motive. An intermittent sentence is a custodial sentence that is served during specific recurring days and times, rather than all at once (for example: every Friday at 6 p.m. to Monday at 7 a.m. for five weeks).

Inmates who were serving an intermittent sentence any time during the reporting period have been removed from the above data but are included below for separate review. Additionally, inmates may have had multiple incarceration types or status during the reporting period. Segregation lengths may exceed the general length of an intermittent sentence, as some inmates may have been serving an intermittent sentence which was later changed to a non-intermittent sentence.

In total, there were 3,520 individuals who served an intermittent sentence between April 1, 2019 and March 31, 2020. Of these 3,520 individuals, there were 651(19%) who had a mental health alert on file, 416 (12%) with a suicide risk alert and 64 (2%) who had a suicide watch alert.

Of the 3,520 individuals serving an intermittent sentence, 722 (21%) had at least one placement in segregation. Of these 722 inmates, there were 179 (25%) who had a mental health alert on file for at least one placement, 120 (17%) who had a suicide alert, and 24 (3%) who had a suicide watch alert.

Total number of inmates with intermittent sentences in segregation by region, institution and gender
Location	Females	Males	Total
Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre	n/a	15	15
Maplehurst Correctional Complex	n/a	31	31
Niagara Detention Centre	n/a	25	25
Vanier Centre for Women	15	n/a	15
Central Region	15	71	86
Brockville Jail	n/a	2	2
Central East Correctional Centre	16	32	48
Ottawa Carleton Detention Centre	7	30	37
Quinte Detention Centre	7	74	81
Eastern Region	30	138	168
Algoma Treatment and Remand Centre	n/a	2	2
Kenora Jail	n/a	1	1
Monteith Correctional Centre	1	5	6
North Bay Jail	5	19	24
Sudbury Jail	n/a	9	9
Thunder Bay Jail	n/a	1	1
Northern Region	6	37	43
Toronto East Detention Centre	n/a	17	17
Toronto South Detention Centre	1	241	242
Toronto Region	1	258	259
Central North Correctional Centre	1	23	24
Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre	9	121	130
Sarnia Jail	n/a	6	6
Southwest Detention Centre	5	1	6
Western Region	15	151	166
Total	67	655	722

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 continuous and total days over the last year
the reason the inmate was placed in restrictive confinement
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 disabilities (including risk of suicide or self-harm) whether identified through mental health alerts, mental health screening and reassessment, or by being reported and confirmed
gender
facility/institution
region

The data has also been disaggregated on additional data related to race, age and religion or spiritual affiliation. This data is consistent with the Ontario Human Rights Code and follows the requirements in the Anti-Racism Data Standards under Ontario's Anti-Racism Act to monitor systemic racism.

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, 2019 and March 31, 2020. 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 a new tool to track inmate movement in and out of cell.

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 in OTIS is largely self-reported or reliant upon information provided to the ministry by police agencies or the courts and therefore is subject to 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 demographic information that was on file for each day that an individual was held in a unit that was locked down for 17 hours or more.

OTIS records inmates’ gender as either “male” or “female”. Additional expressions of gender 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.

The identification of inmates with mental health conditions 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 so assessments for appropriate health care supports can be provided.

Review of all inmates in restrictive confinement between April 1, 2019 and March 31, 2020

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 11,318 (28%) 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, 2019 and March 31, 2020, out of a total of 39,956 inmates.

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

Population breakdown in restrictive confinement
Location	Females	Males	Total
Maplehurst Correctional Complex	1	2,423	2,424
Niagara Detention Centre	n/a	318	318
Ontario Correctional Institute	n/a	12	12
Central Region	1	2,753	2,754
Central East Correctional Centre	129	878	1,007
Ottawa Carleton Detention Centre	n/a	1,594	1,594
Quinte Detention Centre	188	880	1,068
Eastern Region	317	3,352	3,669
Kenora Jail	16	40	56
Northern Region	16	40	56
Toronto South Detention Centre	11	2,907	2,918
Toronto South Detention Centre - Intermittent Centre	n/a	16	16
Toronto Region	11	2,923	2,934
Central North Correctional Centre	n/a	171	171
Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre	97	419	516
Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre - Regional Intermittent Centre	n/a	97	97
Sarnia Jail	21	50	71
South West Detention Centre	n/a	1,050	1,050
Western Region	118	1,787	1,905
Total number of inmates	463	10,855	11,318

Duration of time spent in restrictive confinement

Maximum, median and mode of aggregate days inmates spent in restrictive confinement over the last year
Location	Maximum number of aggregate days in restrictive confinement - females	Median (days) - females	Mode (days) - females	Maximum number of aggregate days in restrictive confinement - males	Median (days) - males	Mode (days) - males	Median (days) - overall	Mode (days) - overall
Maplehurst Correctional Complex	15	15	n/a	338	6	1	6	1
Niagara Detention Centre	n/a	n/a	n/a	208	8	1	8	1
Ontario Correctional Institute	n/a	n/a	n/a	57	6.5	2	6.5	2
Central Region	15	15	n/a	338	6	1	6	1
Central East Correctional Centre	165	4	1	305	7	1	6	1
Ottawa Carleton Detention Centre	n/a	n/a	n/a	366	19	1	19	1
Quinte Detention Centre	325	12.5	1	366	17.5	1	16.5	1
Eastern Region	325	7	1	366	15	1	14	1
Kenora Jail	44	1.5	1	14	1.5	1	1.5	1
Northern Region	44	1.5	1	14	1.5	1	1.5	1
Toronto South Detention Centre	186	23	2	366	8	1	8	1
Toronto South Detention Centre - Intermittent Centre	n/a	n/a	n/a	4	1	1	1	1
Toronto Region	186	23	2	366	8	1	8	1
Central North Correctional Centre	n/a	n/a	n/a	45	2	2	2	2
Elgin Middlesex Correctional Centre	42	3	1	144	4	1	4	1
Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre - Regional Intermittent Centre	n/a	n/a	n/a	89	2	1	2	1
Sarnia Jail	35	4	1	43	2	1	2	1
South West Detention Centre	n/a	n/a	n/a	195	2	1	2	1
Western Region	42	3	1	195	3	1	3	1
Overall	325	5	1	366	7	1	7	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 366 days. The median, or mid-point, number of days aggregately spent in restrictive confinement was seven days. The most frequent, or mode, aggregate placement length was one day for all inmates.

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

Of the 11,318 inmates included in the review, 3,516 (31%) had a mental health alert on file for at least one placement. Forty-six per cent of females and 30% 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, 2019 and March 31, 2020.

Number of individuals in restrictive confinement with a mental health alert
Gender	No alert	Mental health alert	Total
Females	250	213	463
Males	7,552	3,303	10,855
Total	7,802	3,516	11,318

Suicide risk alerts

enhanced supervision
previous suicide attempt(s)
suicide watch

Of the 11,318 inmates covered in the review, 1,835 (16%) had a suicide risk alert recorded in their file. Twenty-nine per cent of females in restrictive confinement and 16% 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, 2019 and March 31, 2020.

Number of individuals in restrictive confinement with a suicide risk alert
Gender	No alert	Suicide risk alert	Total
Females	330	133	463
Males	9,153	1,702	10,855
Total	9,483	1,835	11,318

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, 606 (5%) were on suicide watch while in restrictive confinement. Eight 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, 2019 and March 31, 2020.

Number of individuals in restrictive confinement with a suicide watch alert
Gender	No alert	Suicide watch alert	Total
Females	424	39	463
Males	10,288	567	10,855
Total	10,712	606	11,318

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.

Age

Age ranges and gender of inmates in restrictive confinement
Age ranges and gender	Central Region	Eastern Region	Northern Region	Toronto Region	Western Region	Total
18 to 24 years old	460	733	14	653	340	2,200
Female	n/a	53	3	1	24	81
Male	460	680	11	652	316	2,119
25 to 49 years old	1,981	2,540	39	1,944	1,414	7,918
Female	1	245	13	10	87	356
Male	1,980	2,295	26	1,934	1,327	7,562
50 years or older	313	396	3	337	151	1,200
Female	n/a	19	n/a	n/a	7	26
Male	313	377	3	337	144	1,174
Total number of inmates	2,754	3,669	56	2,934	1,905	11,318

Of the 11,318 inmates included in the review, 463 self-identified as female and 10,855 self-identified as male. These numbers include 48 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 34 years old.

Race

Racial background of inmates in restrictive confinement
Race	Central Region	Eastern Region	Northern Region	Toronto Region	Western Region	Total
White	1,533	2,288	7	1,040	1,256	6,124
Black	331	484	n/a	949	178	1,942
Indigenous	115	278	48	119	153	713
Middle Eastern	44	90	n/a	119	51	304
East or southeast Asian	77	48	n/a	144	18	287
South Asian	91	23	n/a	96	14	224
Latino	40	30	n/a	95	38	254
Another racial origin	62	64	n/a	90	38	254
Unknown or not reported	461	364	1	282	159	1,267
Total number of inmates	2,754	3,669	56	2,934	1,905	11,318

Of the 11,318 inmates covered in the review, 6,124 (54%) self-identified as white, 1,942 (17%) self-identified as Black, and 713 (6%) self-identified as Indigenous. There were 304 (2.7%) inmates who self-identified as Middle Eastern, 287 (2.5%) as East or Southeast Asian, 254 (2.2%) as another racial origin, 224 (2%) identified as South Asian and 203 (1.8%) as Latino. There were 1,267 (11%) inmates who did not report this information or it was unknown.

Religion or spiritual affiliation

Religion or spiritual affiliation of inmates in restrictive confinement
Religion or spiritual affiliation	Central Region	Eastern Region	Northern Region	Toronto Region	Western Region	Total
Christian	663	1,025	9	949	596	3,242
No religion	393	923	12	569	414	2,311
Muslim	134	378	n/a	412	79	1,003
Indigenous spirituality	81	192	19	129	97	518
Jewish	27	27	n/a	29	4	87
Hindu	18	8	n/a	45	6	77
Sikh	41	1	n/a	20	4	66
Another religious or spiritual affiliation	50	59	n/a	169	42	210
Unknown or not reported	1,347	1,056	16	612	663	3,694
Total number of inmates	2,754	3,669	56	2,934	1,905	11,318

There were 3,694 inmates (33%) covered in the review who did not report a religion/spirituality, or it was unknown, while 3,242 (29%) self-identified as being Christian, and 2,311 (20%) stated they had no religious or spiritual affiliation. There were 1,003 (8.9%) inmates who self-identified as Muslim and 518 (4.6%) self-identified as having Indigenous spirituality. Of the remaining inmates, self-identified religions included 87 (0.8%) Jewish, 77 (0.7%) Hindu and 66 (0.6%) Sikh. There were 210 inmates (1.9%) who reported “another religious or spiritual affiliation”.

Review of all inmate deaths within all facilities during 2019

The ministry is committed to providing greater transparency regarding any custodial-related deaths. The ministry is releasing data on all custodial-related deaths that occurred between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2019.

The data is disaggregated based on:

individuals with mental health disabilities (including risk of suicide or self-harm) whether identified through mental health alerts, mental health screening and reassessment, or by being reported and confirmed
demographics including age, gender and race
location of death
region

Depending on the circumstances surrounding a custodial-related death, several investigations may occur, including:

a death investigation by the Office of the Chief Coroner to determine the cause and means of death
a local police investigation to determine if the death resulted from any criminal activity
an internal investigation to determine whether all ministry policies and procedures were followed with respect to the care and custody of the inmate

The ministry is committed to ensuring the safety and security of all inmates. It is the ministry’s policy that all institutional staff are responsible for the care of inmates. If staff believe that an inmate may pose a danger to themselves or others, staff must alert the appropriate officials and take necessary steps to ensure the safety of all involved. Suicide awareness training is required for all corrections and healthcare staff. Protocols are in place to care for inmates who are at risk for suicide, including the initiation of suicide risk alerts and suicide watch alerts.

If a coroner’s investigation determines that a death was not a result of natural causes, a mandatory inquest is called to examine the circumstances. Examples of natural causes can include internal body or organ failure not caused by external factors, a pre-existing health condition, or illness that could lead to death. The ministry carefully reviews and considers recommendations from an inquest to help prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. Death inquest reports and schedule of inquests are publicly available.

Demographics

Between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2019, 25 (0.06%) inmates died out of a total population of 40,058 unique individuals in custody. These deaths include custodial deaths where an individual was under the ministry’s supervision, as well as non-custodial deaths where an individual may have been on an unescorted temporary absence pass, on parole, in police custody, in custody of the Canada Border Security Agency, or had their charges stayed.

Of the inmates who died in 2019, three inmates (12%) self-identified as female, while 22 (88%) self-identified as male. There were 16 inmates (64%) who had self-identified as white, one (4%) self-identified as Indigenous, and three (12%) self-identified as black at the time of their admission to the facility. The race of the remaining five individuals (20%) was unknown or not reported.

Twenty (80%) inmates were between the ages of 25 and 49 at the time of their deaths, while five (20%) were 50 or older.

Housing location at time of death

The ministry collects and analyzes information on all custodial-related deaths.

For the purposes of this report, the location at the time of death has been organized into the following four categories:

general population or protective custody units
segregation where an inmate was held in a unit that was formerly designated as a segregation unit, or where an inmate is highly restricted in movement and association with others for 22 hours or more per day
specialized care units, where an inmate was held in a unit that is neither segregation nor general population and may be subject to some level of restriction on movement or interactions with others. For the purposes of this review, specialized care units include medical units and infirmaries within institutions
outside of a correctional facility, such as a hospital

Medical cause of death by gender, race and location

The means of death are determined by the Office of the Chief Coroner through a death investigation or an inquest. The official means of death have not been declared for 23 inmates covered in this report. For the two occurrences where the means of death was officially declared, they were determined to be the result of natural causes. Means of death for the 23 inmates covered in this review will not be determined or available until after an inquest occurs.

The medical cause of death is determined by the Office of the Chief Coroner. For the purposes of this report, the specific medical causes of death from the Office of the Chief Coroner have been consolidated into categories by the ministry. The medical cause of death for the 25 inmates include:

10 resulting from drug toxicity
seven unknown to the ministry at the time of this release
one unable to be determined
two confirmed to be the result of natural causes
five as a result of a medical cause other than the above categories

In 2019, 17 (68%) deaths occurred within general population units, four (16%) in specialized care units, three (12%) in segregation conditions, and one (4%) death occurred outside of a correctional facility.

Medical causes of death by housing unit location
Medical cause of death	General population or protective custody unit	Specialized care unit	Segregation conditions	Outside of a facility	Total
Drug toxicity	10	n/a	n/a	n/a	10
Natural causes	1	1	n/a	n/a	2
Other	4	n/a	1	n/a	5
Unknown	2	2	2	1	7
Unable to be determined	n/a	1	n/a	n/a	1
Total	17	4	3	1	25

Mental health alerts

Staff may initiate the following alerts for inmates:

mental health alert, if the inmate discloses a history of a mental health condition, is showing signs that may indicate presence of a mental illness, or has disclosed thoughts about self-harm or suicide
suicide risk alert, if the inmate had previous suicide attempts or is at risk of posing harm to themselves or requires enhanced supervision
suicide watch alert, which is a type of suicide risk alert that indicates when an inmate requires increased supervision such as frequent in-person checks due to a high-risk of suicide or self-harm and requires increased supervision

An initial mental health screening is required within 48 hours of an inmate being admitted to an institution. If an inmate screens positive for a possible mental health condition, they are further assessed by health care professionals and may be referred to a psychiatrist or physician. Additionally, inmates are also reassessed for mental health care 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.

All mental health alerts are required to be verified by mental health professionals. Health care staff are required to assess individuals and verify mental health alerts in the ministry’s Offender Tracking Information System (OTIS) within 48 hours of the alert being entered. As a result, the data for this release includes both verified and unverified mental health alerts recorded on the inmate’s file for the period of supervision prior to death.

Alerts and housing unit type
Housing unit type	Mental health alert	Suicide risk alert	Suicide watch alert
General population or protective custody unit	3	2	3
Specialized care unit	1	n/a	n/a
Segregation conditions	1	2	1
Outside of a facility	n/a	n/a	n/a
Total	5	4	4

Of the 25 individual deaths examined in this report, five individuals (20%) had a mental health alert on their file, four (16%) had a suicide risk alert and four (16%) had a suicide watch alert on file.

Updated: May 06, 2024

Published: March 25, 2022