US EditionDoug Ford Vows to Find Out How Ontario’s Jails Improperly Released More than 150 Inmates
Records show 39 improper releases in 2025 after a central coordinator and new handbook were added, with most errors tied to institutional issues.
- On Wednesday, Ontario jails improperly released more than 150 inmates over several years, a problem Premier Doug Ford called "unacceptable" while vowing to investigate.
- Overcrowding and staffing shortages fuel the crisis, with jails reaching 130 per cent capacity and some exceeding 160 per cent across Ontario.
- Documents attribute 77 releases to institutional errors and 39 to court-related mistakes; records show 39 people were released improperly between January and September 2025 despite a 2023 coordinator appointment.
- Ford defended plans to build 6,000 new jail beds costing "billions and billions," while Ontario NDP MPP Krysten Wong-Tam argued the government has "no solutions" for the crisis.
- Meanwhile, 69 individuals were considered unlawfully at large over the same period, reflecting systemic risks as the Ministry of the Solicitor General faces pressure to prevent future improper releases.
26 Articles
26 Articles
Ford vows probe into 157 improper inmate releases in Ontario
More than 150 inmates have been improperly released from Ontario's jails over several years, a problem that Premier Doug Ford called "unacceptable" on Wednesday. Global News unearthed government documents through freedom-of-information laws that show the province mistakenly released 157 inmates between 2021 and 2025. Those documents say the majority of errors were made at the jails and in court, some were administrative while others were human e…
Doug Ford vows to find out how more than 150 inmates were improperly released – 105.9 The Region
TORONTO — Ontario’s premier and solicitor general have vowed to figure out how the province’s jails improperly released more than 100 inmates over several years. Premier Doug Ford says the situation is unacceptable and he will get to the bottom of what happened. Global News unearthed government documents through freedom of information laws that show the province mistakenly released 157 inmates between 2021 and 2025. Those documents say the major…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 96% of the sources lean Left
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
