The Quinte Detention Centre in Napanee is adding more beds for the second time as part of a provincial plan to expand correctional facilities in Ontario.
The province provided an update on their ongoing plans on Thursday.
Ontario has established a multi-pronged approach to increasing adult correctional capacity across the province, including adding up to 255 permanent new beds across 12 existing institutions by November 2026, revising the design and scope of projects currently in the pipeline to bring up to 1,703 beds online and adding up to 610 beds through rapid builds at existing institutions.
As part of phase two at the Quinte Detention Centre, they have initiated design changes to add 25 more beds, bringing the expansion total at that site to 91 beds overall.
As part of the government’s plan to strengthen the bail system and keep dangerous offenders behind bars, Ontario is increasing adult correctional capacity by adding more than 2,500 permanent jail beds within the next decade. The province’s $3 billion investment in corrections capacity expansion will ensure the system can keep pace with tougher bail and sentencing laws while supporting frontline staff with increased hiring, supports and resources. The investment includes building new correctional facilities and expanding existing facilities, with projects currently underway across the province.
“When violent and repeat offenders break the law, Ontarians expect them to be kept behind bars and not back on our streets,” said Solicitor General Michael Kerzner. “That’s why we’re strengthening bail and making generational investments to increase correctional capacity so there is always room to hold criminals accountable, today and into the future.”
As announced in the 2026 Budget, the government is also supporting increased capacity by hiring more than 700 new correctional staff, including correctional officers, nurses and critical support workers. Ontario is also strengthening safety protocols in adult correctional facilities by upgrading body scanners and increasing the number of canine searches.
