Ontario jails well over capacity, data shows

New data shows Ontario's jails have seen a dramatic increase in the number of inmates over the past year, with the majority of the facilities well over capacity.

And the province says 81 per cent of inmates held are awaiting trial and presumptively innocent.

The data was obtained through freedom of information laws and shows the average inmate count and institutional capacity over the past 10 years for the province's jails.

Those institutions hold people accused of a crime but not out on bail, as well as those serving sentences of two years less a day.

The data shows most of Ontario's institutions were over capacity in 2023.

As of Sept. 30, 2023, there was an average of 8,889 people in provincial jails, well over the 7,848 person capacity.