Ontario jails are heading toward a record year for overcrowding, remand populations and lockdowns just as politicians debate bail reforms that could lead to a further influx of accused behind bars, data analyzed by CBC News reveals.

In the first six months of 2025, the jail population averaged 10,800 prisoners, while the province’s jails had a maximum capacity of approximately 8,500 beds.

But most surprising to those who reviewed the data CBC analyzed is the 38 per cent jump in the average number of women incarcerated from 2019 to 2024.

“It's certainly shocking and alarming to see the huge growth in the number of women,” said Nicole Myers, an associate professor of criminology at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont.

There are still proportionally more men than women in Ontario jails —

See Full Page