Strip search of inmates at Milton jail to be investigated by Ontario’s Ombudsman

The Maplehurst Correctional Complex is shown in Milton, Ont., on Friday, March 8, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

The province’s Ombudsman has launched an investigation into an incident at Maplehurst Correctional Complex where several inmates were stripped to their boxers and forced to sit on the floor and face the wall.

The incident took place following the assault of a correctional officer in December 2023.

In an announcement on Monday, Ontario Ombudsman Paul Dube said the investigation is being conducted “due to significant public concerns about transparency, accountability and inmates’ rights.”

Dube said his office has been contacted by several inmates and members of the public who are concerned about what happened. The Toronto Star previously released a surveillance video showing the incident at the Milton, Ont., facility.

Dube noted that about 60 complaints were received by his office.

“The Ministry has already investigated the incident. What my investigation will cover is the steps the Ministry took as a result, and what it is doing to make sure something like this does not happen again,” Dube said in a news release.

According to the Ombudsman, the inmates involved were in Unit 8. After the assault of a correctional officer, the complex’s Institutional Crisis Intervention Team (ICIT) was deployed for two days.

The Ombudsman said ICIT officers in tactical gear patrolled behind the inmates, who were sitting on the floor facing the wall with their hands zip-tied and only wearing boxer shorts.

“When an incident occurs in an Ontario correctional facility that impacts the administration of justice and the rights of inmates, it is imperative that we understand why it happened and what is being done to ensure that it does not recur,” Dube said.

The Ombudsman noted that the incident resulted in some inmates having their sentences reduced, and in one case, the prosecution acknowledged that an inmate’s rights under the Charter were violated.

Dube’s investigation will not examine personnel or disciplinary matters related to individual correctional staff.