Ontario has failed to follow segregation rules, human rights commission says

TORONTO — The Ontario Human Rights Commission says the province has failed to keep inmates with mental health disabilities out of segregation.

The claims come in a new motion filed by the commission that alleges the province has breached its legal obligations to inmates in doing so.

The commission is seeking an order to hold the province accountable along with a prohibition on segregation for anyone with a mental health disability.

The commission says that nearly half of the 12,000 people placed in segregation between July 2018 and June 2019 had mental health alerts on their files.

It says the practice continues despite a human rights tribunal order in 2018 that says those with mental health disabilities should only be placed in segregation as a last resort

The Ministry of the Solicitor General says it will respond to the allegations shortly.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 25, 2020.

The Canadian Press