The Ombudsman investigates individual complaints and major systemic issues under the Ombudsman Act.
He also investigates complaints about closed municipal meetings under the Municipal Act. To learn more, read about closed meeting cases or find your closed meeting investigator.
Use the filters to find the reports and case studies you are looking for.
September 28, 2020
28 September 2020
Vote for fairness
A young person in custody contacted us last year to complain that he wasn’t able to vote in the federal election, although he had expressed his interest in voting to the youth facility’s staff members.
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July 6, 2020
6 July 2020
Unreasonable search
A group of Indigenous inmates complained to us that they were strip-searched before attending a smudging ceremony, leaving them feeling violated, discriminated against and targeted because of their Indigenous spirituality.
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July 6, 2020
6 July 2020
Needed support
An inmate who uses a customized wheelchair to support his spine sought our help because he was being repeatedly transferred to a second institution without his chair.
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July 6, 2020
6 July 2020
Misconduct-ed
An inmate complained to us after a sergeant at his facility penalized him by taking away 30 days of earned remission (time off his sentence) for refusing a transfer to another facility.
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June 25, 2019
25 June 2019
Without further delay
A woman who had been pursuing her case at the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario for several years sought our help after she learned that the adjudicator assigned to her case was no longer able to continue.
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June 25, 2019
25 June 2019
Re: Vision
An inmate complained to us that staff at his correctional facility had taken his eyeglasses and refused to return them.
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June 25, 2019
25 June 2019
A time to mourn
An inmate sought our help in reaching the appropriate correctional officials after her father passed away and she could not get a response to her request to attend his funeral.
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June 26, 2018
26 June 2018
Lost and found
We referred a man to the right internal complaint mechanism at the Office of the Children’s Lawyer so he could voice concerns about delays in receiving documents and in setting his court date, all of which resulted in added legal costs for him.
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June 26, 2018
26 June 2018
Weekend schedule
A man serving weekend time in jail who required anxiety medication three times a day sought our help because the correctional facility would not give him his medication on Saturday mornings when he arrived, or on Sunday evenings before he left.
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June 26, 2018
26 June 2018
About time
We helped a woman from Manitoba who had struggled for six months to get Legal Aid Ontario to recognize her approval for legal aid in a custody case in Ontario.
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June 26, 2018
26 June 2018
Welcome assist
A woman who broke her collarbone before she was sent to jail complained to us that she had been waiting for eight days for a sling for her arm.
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June 27, 2017
27 June 2017
Motherhood issue
An inmate who was 29 weeks into a high-risk pregnancy contacted us in fear that she would lose her baby due to lack of care. She complained of delays in being referred to prenatal appointments, in being taken to hospital, and in accessing her health record.
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June 27, 2017
27 June 2017
Security risk
An inmate who had been in segregation for nine months – because the facility had concerns about his and others’ safety and security – complained to our office that it was harming his mental health and he needed to see a psychiatrist.
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June 27, 2017
27 June 2017
Sweet relief
An inmate with diabetes who needed to take insulin before his meals complained to our office that correctional staff could only give it to him after meals.
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April 20, 2017
20 April 2017
Out of Oversight, Out of Mind
Investigation into how the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services tracks the admission and placement of segregated inmates, and the adequacy and effectiveness of the review process for such placements.
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November 8, 2016
8 November 2016
Justice delayed
An inmate complained that he had sat in jail for days after becoming eligible for parole because a parole hearing had not been scheduled for him.
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November 8, 2016
8 November 2016
Best defence
A senior who was charged with threatening police complained that Legal Aid Ontario told him he was no longer eligible for their services after the Crown decided it would not seek to put him in jail if convicted.
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June 16, 2016
16 June 2016
A Matter of Life and Death
Investigation into the direction provided by the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services to Ontario’s police services for de-escalation of conflict situations.
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July 28, 2015
28 July 2015
Pearly rights
A woman whose teeth had been damaged as a result of physical abuse by her partner years earlier contacted the Ombudsman for help in obtaining funds to have them fixed.
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July 28, 2015
28 July 2015
Return to sender, address unknown
A man contacted our Office in frustration when the Ministry repeatedly sent mail to his address for a former tenant. He had returned the envelopes several times with a note stating “this person does not reside at this address,” but the Ministry mail did not stop.
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June 11, 2013
11 June 2013
The Code
Investigation into the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services’ response to allegations of excessive use of force against inmates.
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October 24, 2012
24 October 2012
In the Line of Duty
Investigation into how the Ontario Provincial Police and the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services have addressed operational stress injuries affecting police officers.
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December 14, 2011
14 December 2011
Oversight Undermined
Investigation into the Ministry of the Attorney General’s implementation of recommendations concerning reform of the Special Investigations Unit.
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December 7, 2010
7 December 2010
Caught in the Act
Investigation into the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services’ conduct in relation to Ontario Regulation 233/10 under the Public Works Protection Act.
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June 8, 2010
8 June 2010
Coroner’s inquest delays
The Office of the Chief Coroner of Ontario sped up its process, improved its practices and addressed a backlog of cases after the Ombudsman launched an investigation in 2008 into complaints that mandatory inquests were not being held within a reasonable time frame. Based on this result, the Ombudsman determined no further investigation was warranted, but continues to monitor the issue.
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September 30, 2008
30 September 2008
Oversight Unseen
Investigation into the Special Investigations Unit's operational effectiveness and credibility.
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June 26, 2008
26 June 2008
A Test of Wills
Investigation into Legal Aid Ontario’s role in the funding of the criminal defence of Richard Wills.
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February 27, 2007
27 February 2007
Adding Insult to Injury
Investigation into the treatment of victims by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board.
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