The Globe and Mail uncovered that a lack of data exists in provincial and territorial jail, particularly pertaining to solitary confinement. CMHA Ontario has recommended to the provincial Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services (MCSCS) solitary confinement – or segregation as it is also known – never be used for people with mental health issues.
CMHA Ontario has also requested an increase in reliable data. Without a reliable record of how solitary confinement is utilized and managed, it is very difficult to properly review the practice and effectively address its shortcomings.
The need for accurate data on the use of solitary confinement is centred upon understanding the harmful effects of the practice.
The need for accurate data on the use of solitary confinement is centred upon understanding the harmful effects of the practice.
“We know that people die in segregation, we know what people come out significantly harmed by segregation, and yet we don’t have any basic accountability or transparency about the practice,” said Debra Parkes, Associate Dean of the University of Manitoba Faculty of Law.
Last fall, the Globe and Mail launched an investigation into statistics on the use of solitary confinement within provincial and territorial prison systems.