Ontario bail system said to be blamed for overcrowded jails

A backlog at Ontarios courts needs to be addressed if the province wants to stop an overcrowding inside its jails, say defence lawyers and former inmates.

Out of 29 jails in Ontario, 14 are overcrowded including the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre, according to the Ontario Ministry of Community Safety and Correction.

Thats why lawyers and former inmates came together to hold a special forumon the issue at Carleton University on Thursday night.

The population at Ottawas jail, for example, fluctuates between 550 and 600 when its capacity is just 326, according to criminal defence lawyer Jason Gilbert.

I'm talking triple bunking. I'm talking about sleeping on mattresses on the floor. I'm talking about sometimes being subjected to 24-hour lockdown, said Gilbert, deeming the current conditions unacceptable.

Deepan Budlakoti spent almost four years in the Ottawa jail after he was convicted on a weapons charge. He told the forum some perceive life in jail is a good life.

You're locked in a cell, with three people in a cell. I want people to understand that. They have a perception that people get arrested, they go to jail and they live a good life. You don't live a good life at OCDC, Budlakoti said.

The solution, according to Gilbert, needs to come from the court system. He said the majority of inmates are those who he believes should be granted bail, but instead they remain incarcerated and serve pre-trial detention.

Gilbert and Budlakoti want the provincial government to improve the bail process so they can help solve overcrowding problem.