Ar$st:

Peter Collins

Jus$n Pich, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Criminology University of O>awa

www.tpcp-canada.blogspot.com Twi>er and YouTube @tpcpcanada jus$n.piche@uo>awa.ca

Criminaliza$on and Punishment Educa$on Project

CULTURAL ECONOMIC HISTORICAL INSTITUTIONAL VOICES ALTERNATIVES LEGAL POLITICAL SOCIAL

Building and Synthesizing Knowledge Raising Awareness and Advoca$ng for Change

The State of Canadas Prisons: Overcrowding Today and Working Towards

Penal Minimalism Tomorrow
The Provincial-Territorial Prison Popula$on Examples of Facility Overcrowding Consequences of Human Warehousing The Road Were On and Changing Course

The Provincial-Territorial Prison Popula$on

AVERAGE DAILY PRISONER COUNT (I)

2006-07 Sentenced 10,019.7 Remand Other Total 311.7 2007-08 9,973.9 348.2 2008-09 9,927.9 13,547.9 349.1 23,825.1 2009-10 10,040.7 13,738.7 342.2 24,121.7 2010-11 10,916.4 13,085.8 458.3 24,460.7

12,168.4 12,972.5 22,499.8 23,114.8

SOURCE: Sta$s$cs Canada (2012) CANSIM Table 251-0005, O>awa.

AVERAGE DAILY PRISONER COUNT (II)

* 2010-11 NL NS NB PEI ON BC 314 426 452 114 8,731 2,818 ** 2011-12 (preliminary) 344 588 424 111 8,802 2,634 ** On 1 April 2012 (preliminary) 312 580 423 117 9,648 2,544

SOURCES: * Sta$s$cs Canada (2012) CANSIM Table 251-0005, O>awa. ** Canadian Criminal Jus$ce Associa$on (2012) Appendix A, O>awa.

Examples of Facility Overcrowding

NEW BRUNSWICK * opera$ng at about 40% over capacity, averaging close to 400 inmates in an adult system originally designed for 284 people ** general prac$ce is to double bunk
SOURCES: * NB Community and Correc$onal Services Branch (2008) Building Hope: Towards A Renewed Vision of New Brunswick CorrecEons, Fredericton March, page 18. ** Canadian Criminal Jus$ce Associa$on (2012) Appendix A, O>awa.

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND * designed for four females [] up to 18 female oenders are housed ** 20 addi$onal beds have been created through shared accommoda$on
SOURCES: * PEI Oce of the A>orney General (2008) Challenges to OpportuniEes: A Look at PEIs Adult CorrecEonal FaciliEes 25 Years Forward, Charlo>etown November, page 3. ** Canadian Criminal Jus$ce Associa$on (2012) Appendix A, O>awa.

ONTARIO

* Average total capacity of 9,206 in 2011-12 ** Its horrible. Were s$ll overcrowded. Were s$ll ve in a cell built for two
SOURCES: * Canadian Criminal Jus$ce Associa$on (2012) Appendix A, O>awa. ** St. Thomas Times Journal (2012) Overcrowding at Elgin-Middlesex Deten$on Centre described as horrible August 10.

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MANITOBA

* Headingley [capacity = 485 / u$liza$on = 814] and the Winnipeg Remand Centre [capacity = 289 / u$liza$on = 400] are incarcera$ng twice as many inmates as they were designed to hold

SOURCES: Batchelor, Megan (2012) Documents obtained by Global News show Manitoba prisons burs$ng at the seams, Global News August 17.

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ALBERTA * a 24-year-old man, who was placed in a cell with two 20 year olds, became involved in an argument. A short $me later [] he was checked by cell guards and was found unconscious on his ma>ress, said Duty Insp. Jim Leung [] the man has severe head injuries
SOURCES: CBC News (2012) Calgary inmate hospitalized with severe head injuries August 21.

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BRITISH COLUMBIA * at any $me about 90% of inmates are double-celled ** Capacity u$liza$on of 156% in 2011-12
SOURCES: * BC Correc$ons Branch (2009) Lower Mainland Pretrial Centre: Background Informa$on, Victoria April, page 1. ** Canadian Criminal Jus$ce Associa$on (2012) Appendix A, O>awa.

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Consequences of Human Warehousing

Lack of Programming and Recrea$on Opportuni$es Violence and Self-harm Disease Escapes Labour Issues Public Inquiries Risk of Charter Challenges Loss of Public Condence SOURCE: Pich, Jus$n (in prepara$on) Penal Reform and Carceral Conclusions: Explaining Recent Prison Capacity Expansion in Canada.

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The Road Were On and Changing Course

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INTERIM MEASURES

Conversion of Programming Spaces Into Dorms Incarcera$on of Adults in Youth Spaces Transfers to Other Facili$es Exhaus$on of Exchange of Service Agreements

SOURCE: Pich, Jus$n (in prepara$on) Penal Reform and Carceral Conclusions: Explaining Recent Prison Capacity Expansion in Canada.

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REDEFINING THE TERM CAPACITY Jurisdic$ons across Canada report overcrowding some$mes extreme [] in other jurisdic$ons, such as Western Canada, ins$tu$ons have redened their approved bed capacity and frequently have two and three prisoners to a cell
SOURCE: Deloi>e (2008) Report on Nova ScoEas Adult CorrecEonal FaciliEes, submi>ed to the Nova Sco$a Department of Jus$ce October, page 95.

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PRISON CAPACITY EXPANSION

PROVINCIAL-TERRITORIAL 22 New Prisons 17 New Units 6,312 Addi;onal Prisoner Beds $3.4 Billion in Construc;on-related Costs
SOURCE: Pich, Jus$n (2012) Accessing the State of Imprisonment in Canada: Informa$on Barriers and Nego$a$on Strategies, in Mike Larsen and Kevin Walby (eds.) Brokering Access: Power, PoliEcs, and Freedom of InformaEon Process in Canada, Vancouver: UBC Press, pp. 234-260.

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THE INTENSIFICATION OF PUNISHMENT

Further Restric$ons to Condi$onal Sentences Less Credit for Time Served in Remand Mandatory Minimum Sentences

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MOVING FORWARD
Punishment Legisla$on Moratorium Na$onal Discussion Revisi$ng What is Criminalized, Vic$miza$on Preven$on and Mee$ng the Human Needs Resul$ng From Criminalized Conicts and Harms Amending the Criminal Code of Canada + Inves$ng in Vic$miza$on Preven$on and Services to Meet the Needs of the Criminalized and Vic$mized

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Ar$st: Peter Collins

Jus$n Pich, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Criminology University of O>awa

www.tpcp-canada.blogspot.com Twi>er and YouTube @tpcpcanada jus$n.piche@uo>awa.ca