Some inmates and immigrants in Ontario could be receiving thousands of dollars for being forced into multiple lockdowns at provincial correctional and detention facilities.
Two class-action lawsuits were filed, alleging the lockdowns were due to a lack of staff between 2009 and 2017.
The suits were first launched in 2016 and certified by the court a year later.
They argued that the province was negligent and had breached its fiduciary duty to prisoners, and that it had violated prisoners’ rights under three sections of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
A proposed settlement was reached earlier this month, with a court judge scheduled to review the $59 million offering in October.
If approved, the money will be dispersed to thousands of eligible claimants who were subjected to 16 or more lockdowns while incarcerated.
They could each receive up to $68,000.
