A new early intervention service for inmates on remand in Canada will provide help to offenders who are at risk of being unfit to stand trial or who may have a defence of not criminally responsible available to them. The intervention was developed by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in partnership with the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services, with support provided by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. The new program, a first of its kind in Canada, will be launched at the Toronto South Detention Centre – a 1,650 bed, adult-male remand centre scheduled to open later this year. The centre will include a 26-bed mental health unit. The program will provide quicker and better access to voluntary forensic mental health services for inmates with acute mental illness, allow for early assessments, and fewer delays in court proceedings. The strategy is also expected to lead to reduced rates of recidivism.
See “Enhancing Public Safety Through Mental Health Services for Inmates”, available on the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services website.