Ontario is planning a massive expansion of provincial jails over the coming decades, with the current structure bursting at the seams and jail populations consistently overcapacity. Nearly 6,000 jail beds will be added by 2050, with the plan set to be broken down into three different phases. Phase 1 of the plan, which is already underway, includes 1,170 new beds by 2032 at a cost of $4 billion, although internal government documents indicate that only $2.9 billion has been approved so far. Per the Ministry of Ontario’s Solicitor General, these capacity problems are ‘complex’, with numerous factors contributing to the jail population spike. Andrew Pinsent digs deeper with Mackenzie Plumb, a PhD Candidate in Criminology at UOttawa, and Justin Piché, a UOttawa Criminology Professor.

<p>Ontario is planning a massive expansion of provincial jails over the coming decades, with the current structure bursting at the seams and jail populations consistently overcapacity. Nearly 6,000 jail beds will be added by 2050, with the plan set to be broken down into three different phases.&nbsp;Phase 1 of the plan, which is already underway, includes 1,170 new beds by 2032 at a cost of $4 billion, although internal government documents indicate that only $2.9 billion has been approved so far.&nbsp;Per the Ministry of Ontario&rsquo;s Solicitor General, these capacity problems are &lsquo;complex&rsquo;, with numerous factors contributing to the jail population spike.&nbsp;Andrew Pinsent digs deeper with Mackenzie Plumb, a PhD Candidate in Criminology at UOttawa, and Justin Pich&eacute;, a UOttawa Criminology Professor.</p>