Incarceration
What Does Incarceration Mean?
To be incarcerated means you are in jail.
You can be incarcerated (not allowed to leave) in jail if:
- You are waiting for your bail hearing
- You were denied bail and are waiting for trial
- You finished all your charges and were sentenced to stay in jail for a period of time
In some cases, you may get credit for any time you spend in custody (if you are not released on bail) before you are sentenced
- This is called pre-sentence custody
- It can reduce the length of your overall jail sentence
There are two types of jails:
Provincial Institution
jails, correctional/detention/treatment centers
You would stay in a provincial institution if:
- You are waiting for your bail hearing
- You were denied bail and are waiting for trial
- You finished all your charges and were sentenced to stay in jail for a period of time that is “two years less a day”
- This means you will spend no more time in jail than two years minus one day
Treatment Centres
There are also treatment centres at the provincial level that provide specialized and intensive treatment for motivated, sentenced offenders with problems relating to:
- substance misuse
- sexual misconduct
- impulse control
- anger management
Centres include:
- Algoma Treatment and Remand Centre
- Ontario Correctional Institute
- Lawrence Valley Correctional and Treatment Centre
- Vanier Centre for Women
You must apply to go to one of these institutions.
Federal Institution
prison, penitentiary
You would stay in a federal institution if:
- You finished all your charges and were sentenced to stay in jail for a period of time that is at least “two years plus a day”
- These are typically your more serious offences
Things to know about incarceration
- Women and men are housed separately
- There are protocols in place at each institution to deal with COVID-19 and your safety
Disclaimer: Most individuals supported by the CNSC-CE/CNSC-CW, will have experiences with provincial institutions so we will focus on them primarily.
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