The Ford government is moving to permanently add third bunks to some of its jail cells, Global News can reveal, as it looks to squeeze as much space as it can from its major corrections expansion plan.
Ontario’s jails are currently struggling with overcrowding issues, including an average of around 130 per cent capacity, growing violent incidents and a higher number of staff shortages leading to lockdowns.
In response, the government has said it plans to build thousands of new jail beds across the province — with Premier Doug Ford saying he will “stack them 10 high.”
Now, internal documents accessed by Global News using freedom of information laws reveal how at least one jail expansion plan is being amended to fit a third bed into a cell designed to host two inmates.
A message sent from the solicitor general’s director of policy to Premier Doug Ford’s office in September 2025 outlined how some rooms would become triple-bunking cells at the Quinte Detention Centre.
“The (architect) has determined that an additional 25 beds (wall-mounted bunks) could be added with no significant impacts to the current design, HVAC, electrical, plumbing and site servicing,” they wrote.
“This feasibility study has confirmed that changing the design to have 25 triple bunked cells in place of double-bunked cells is achievable within the existing design footprint, with minimal cost and no impact to the overall project schedule.”
The move would effectively make an emergency measure, which critics have suggested is synonymous with overcrowding issues, official policy in at least part of one jail.
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“They are adding this third bunk in a cell that isn’t likely to be designed for having three people in the cell, other than having a couple extra screws in the wall,” Justin Piché, full-time professor in the University of Ottawa’s department of criminology, told Global News.
“This is a recipe for increased tension and violence impacting on prison people and staff, which hardly bodes well for community safety down the road. And hardly bodes well for how the courts are going to view this.”
The plan comes as Premier Ford leans into messaging suggesting he isn’t worried about conditions in Ontario’s over-capacity jails.
“We aren’t building Four Seasons hotels for these people; they’re going to jail,” he said in mid-April.
“I don’t care if you stack them 10 high. These are criminals that broke the law and they’re going to be held accountable. Maybe the other criminals will think twice about breaking the law.”
Details on the plan, like whether the change only applies to the 25 cells in the Quinte Detention Centre expansion, are scarce.
The policy appears not to have been announced publicly and is only referenced in a handful of emails between the solicitor general’s office and the premier’s staff.
Those emails suggest the plan was approved by Treasury Board because it doesn’t come with any meaningful cost increase. They also indicate that the existing procurement documents for the plan were amended to include the change.
A spokesperson for Solicitor General Michael Kerzner did not address questions from Global News about triple bunking, instead sending a broad statement about jail expansion.
“We continue to explore new ways, including operational measures, to bring more capacity to our (corrections facilities faster), and will be unveiling additional expansions in the coming months,” they wrote.
The union representing correctional officers, who are working against a backdrop of overcrowding and an increasing number of violent incidents, said any full-time move to triple bunking must come with more staffing.
“If we’re looking at permanently installing additional beds in some areas, our concerns would be the same,” Adam Cygler, an OPSEU member of the ministry-employee relations committee representing correctional workers in Ontario, said.
“We need to make sure there’s enough staff there to maintain order and safety for the inmate population, but also for themselves when they’re doing their duties.”
Cygler said it was also important for the government to ensure there were enough toilets, showers and programming space to accommodate extra inmates.
The Quinte Detention Centre changes are just part of the government’s large-scale jail expansion strategy.
The first phase of the province’s plan includes 1,170 new beds by 2032 at a cost of $4 billion, though the document notes only $2.9 billion has been approved.
Those efforts include the $1.2-billion project currently underway to build the new Thunder Bay Correctional Complex that will replace an aging jail, plus new, expanded or refurbished jails in Brockville, Kemptville and Napanee, and modular builds in Niagara, Milton and Sudbury, documents previously obtained by The Canadian Press show.
Phase 2 will deliver an estimated 1,500 beds at six sites between 2033 and 2041 “through a combination of expansions and new institutions,” documents say. Phase 3 will see another “2,000-3,000” jail beds built between 2040 and 2050.
–with files from The Canadian Press
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