Auditors Says Overcrowding in Prisons to Worsen in Long Term

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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A report issued by Auditor General, Michael Ferguson, on Tuesday, found that Canada’s prisons are so overflowing with inmates that many are forced to “double-bunk” in shared cells even though the corrections officials have admitted that the practice spreads violence and puts offenders and staff at risk.

The report said that recent projects under construction for expansion will only resolve the over-crowding problem in the “short-term.” It said that Correctional Service Canada (CSC) has failed to develop expansion plans for its penitentiaries to accommodate the growing number of inmates. The report identified that double-bunking is supposed to be a temporary measure but it has grown significantly and appears to have become a permanent fixture of the system. The report quoted the CSC policy, which states that double bunking should only be allowed in preapproved areas and should not exceed 20 per cent of a prison’s population.

However, the report said that “we found that 26 per cent of offenders were being double bunked in the Ontario and Prairie regions in the 2012–13 fiscal year. That same year, we also found that double bunking was occurring in segregation cells and in cells smaller than 5 square meters, which is contrary to the intent of CSC policy. Even after the construction is completed, CSC officials expect double bunking to continue.” Ferguson alleged that “at that time, CSC identified serious implications with double bunking, including increased levels of tension, aggression, and violence. It also identified increased safety and security concerns for staff and offenders, especially at maximum and medium security penitentiaries.”

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