Former Queen’s Park correspondent speaks on Ontario ombudsman’s ‘overcrowded prisons’ report

CHCH News anchor Matt Ingram spoke with former Queen’s Park correspondent Keith Leslie to expand on the Ontario ombudsman’s report on overcrowded jails and prisons.

Ontario’s ombudsman Paul Dube wants the Ford government to take urgent action on what he called a “growing crisis” in overcrowded jails and prisons.

Dube said there has been a 55 per cent increase in complaints about correctional facilities in the last year.

He said conditions inside prisons and jails are deteriorating, and is calling for meaningful systemic reform, saying “it’s a moral imperative.”

Leslie spoke about whether he thinks Dube’s report will push for quicker action on Doug Ford’s promise to build more prisons and beds for correctional facilities.

Ingram asked about the difficulties in building a political will to spend money on the prison system, and if a major investment in the prison system has been done before.

They also spoke about Dube’s promise to investigate the Ministry of the Solicitor General’s response to the incident at a Milton jail in December, and if it will lead to change at that facility.

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