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“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

Rather than building sufficient capacity for mental health care and other vital community supports, Doug Ford offers slogans that rhyme but are short on concrete action (Policy Options)

In December 2016, Soleiman Faqiri, a younger brother of one of the co-authors of this commentary, died after a beating by jail guards at the Central East Correctional Centre in Lindsay, Ont. A 2023 coroner’s inquest deemed his death a homicide.

He was sent to the jail after an incident with a neighbour during a mental health crisis associated with his schizoaffective disorder because there were no psychiatric hospital spaces available – a common occurrence with tragic consequences for people living with mental health conditions.
One of many preventable deaths

Soli’s case is one example of the many preventable and tragic deaths in Ontario’s jails. Most of the victims died while legally innocent in pre-trial detention, according to a 2022 expert panel report commissioned by Ontario’s chief coroner. This is indicative of incarceration as a catch-all for unmet needs in the community and for governments that fail to properly fund needed support for the people who need it.

Rather than building sufficient capacity for mental health care and other vital, evidence-based community support, Ontario Premier Doug Ford offers slogans such as “jail, not bail” that rhyme but offer little to suggest his government is guided by, or committed to, legal principles and empirical evidence ...

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