Ombudsman calls for ‘urgent’ correctional reform after record number of complaints

By Paola Loriggio Ontario’s ombudsman is urging the province to address a “growing crisis” in correctional facilities, pointing to a record number of complaints about facilities in the last year as well as deteriorating conditions. Ombudsman Paul Dubé says in his 2024-25 annual report that there was a 55 per cent increase in complaints about correctional facilities, totalling a record 6,870. Dubé says that while the sector has always been the top source of complaints, the nature and severity of what his office has heard and witnessed demand “urgent attention.” Many of the issues go beyond inefficiencies, Dubé says, to the point of raising questions about basic human rights. He says many of the complaints regarding corrections were about “severe, entrenched problems” such as overcrowding, frequent lockdowns and inadequate health…

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