Wait times are a serious issue in Canadian jails. While Ontario says it is reviewing its policies to allow for quicker trials and sentencing, statistics show that current wait times can be fatal. Of the nearly 270 people who have died in Canadian provincial jails in the past five years, two thirds were awaiting trial. Legally innocent people dying in prisons is a major issue in Canada, where the criminal defense system and tough bail practices have led to overcrowding in jails.
Although authorities will not release the names of the deceased, it is known that the deaths are from a wide range of alleged offenders. Some suffered from chronic mental illness. Some were accused of serious violent crimes while others were nonviolent offenders or people who had breached parole and bail conditions.
Long waits for proper criminal defense and poor jail conditions have led to a disproportionate number of legally innocent people dying. While those awaiting trial account for 56 percent of all provincial inmates, they account for 65 percent of the dead. In 2015, 59 percent of total inmates in provincial jails were awaiting trail. This is a significant increase from 10 years ago, when the number sat around 27 percent.
Most of the deaths in jails across Ontario and other provinces were due to suicide or natural causes. A small number of others were drug related or involved an accident or homicide. The condition of the person brought into jail as well as the lack of access to health services while inside are factors which may be affecting this issue. Those who are awaiting trial and wish to better understand their rights and criminal defense options should contact a lawyer with experience in these provincial systems.
Source: The Globe and Mail, "Canada's jailhouse secret: Legally innocent prisoners are dying", Anna Mehler Paperny, August 3, 2017
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