Ontario to expand jails by hundreds of beds to combat overcrowding | Globalnews.ca

Ontario will add more beds to its overcrowded prisons.

Provincial Attorney General Michael Kerzner said the province will add hundreds of spots throughout the system.

The province's prison population has surged over the past year, with data showing most jails are over capacity.

Ontario will reopen two intermittent detention centres in Toronto and London jails, increasing capacity to 430 beds by 2026.

Kirzner said as part of the expansion, they will hire up to 200 correctional staff, including officers, nurses and support staff.

Premier Doug Ford pledged in March to build more jails to handle the influx of inmates, the vast majority of whom are presumed innocent and awaiting trial.