Ontario to expand jail capacity by 2,500 beds over 10 years at a cost of $3 billion
Written by The Canadian Press on May 14, 2026
TORONTO — Ontario’s solicitor general says the province will expand its jails by 2,500 beds over the next 10 years at a cost of $3 billion to the taxpayers.
Michael Kerzner says the province will build new jails, expand current ones and reopen a few that have closed.
He says the province will add 255 jail beds by November 2026 and will hire 700 new correctional officers.
Documents obtained by The Canadian Press show the province has even grander plans for jails, aiming to add nearly 6,000 jail beds by 2050 at an unknown cost.
Recent data obtained through freedom-of-information laws show the province’s jails are bursting, with the average jail capacity for 2025 at 127 per cent.
Kerzner says they will use modular components to build some jails and will use tensile structures for others in an effort to keep costs down.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 14, 2026.
Liam Casey, The Canadian Press