Ombudsman:

Ottawa-carleton among province’s top three for complaints

Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre in top three for complaints,

The Ottawa- Carleton Detention Centre is among the top three most complained about jails in the province, according to Ontario Ombudsman André Marin’s annual report released Tuesday.

There were 398 complaints to Marin about the Innes Road jail between April 2012 and the end of March 2013, said the report. That made the detention centre the third most complained about jail in the province, behind the Central North Correctional Centre in Penetanguishene and the Central East Correctional Centre in Lindsay.

The report does not identify the nature of the complaints about the Ottawa jail or whether they were substantiated. However, Marin’s report said he flagged complaints from across the province about excessive use of force by correctional officers, but also monitored complaints about inmate-on-inmate assaults.

“We also continue to receive a high volume of complaints about healthrelated issues, such as lack of access to medication, medical staff or treatment,” read the report. “Many complaints involve health care staff not communicating with community physicians, institutional doctors refusing to prescribe medications, missed or delayed medication due to lockdowns, and medication being cut off without an alternative.”

Marin’s report also said he received a “large number” of complaints from inmates with serious mental illnesses who faced long waits to see a psychiatrist, and about a lack of services for females with mental health issues.

Details of the number of complaints about the jail follow the release of a special report by Marin last month, called The Code, that focused on the coverup or lack of investigation of complaints of excessive force in jails.

Marin told the Citizen the OttawaCarleton Detention Centre was where he found “the worst example of coverup and the excessive use of force.”