ManitobaJails across Manitoba are over capacity by hundreds of inmates, with those numbers largely driven by people being held in remand custody — meaning they haven’t been convicted of a crime, but also haven’t been released on bail as their case moves through court.People being held in custody before conviction make up more than three-quarters of adult jail populationCaitlyn Gowriluk · CBC News · Posted: Sep 28, 2025 7:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 6 hours agoThere are 2,582 adult inmates being held in jails across Manitoba, with 1,968 of them — over three-quarters — on remand, numbers provided by the province as of Sept. 19 show. (Sakhorn/Shutterstock)Jails across Manitoba are over capacity by hundreds of inmates, with those numbers largely driven by people being held in remand custody — meaning they haven’t been convicted of a crime, but also haven’t been released on bail as their case moves through court.Those numbers have the union that represents provincial corrections officers questioning what will happen if proposed bail reform measures lead to even more people being kept behind bars.”We really need a plan from this government moving forward, because once bail reform comes we’re going to be in a tight position in this province,” said Kyle Ross, president of the Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union.”Right now what’s facing our workers is overcrowding, understaffing and a volatile environment for them to work in…. If [the] population keeps growing in these facilities, it’s going to get harder and harder every day.”There are 2,582 adult inmates being held in jails across Manitoba, with 1,968 of them — over three-quarters — on remand, numbers provided by the province as of Sept. 19 show. The rated capacity for those institutions totals 1,924, meaning the remand population alone is enough to push them over capacity. That’s also the case individually for almost every jail in the province.Kyle Ross is president of the Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union. He says high incarceration and remand numbers in Manitoba have him questioning what will happen if proposed bail reform measures lead to even more people being kept behind bars. (Gary Solilak/CBC)High remand numbers are also driving up the inmate population at the Manitoba Youth Centre, where about two-thirds of the 136 inmates are on remand. However, that facility is still shy of reaching its rated capacity of 150.The update comes amid heightened calls for changes that would make it harder for certain offenders to be released on bail in Canada, and related concerns about public safety.Ross said the more Manitoba’s jail populations climb above the rated capacity, the harder it is for staff to maintain safety in the institutions — a concern on top of the increased prevalence of issues like addictions and mental illness among inmates, he said.”Two to a cell is still not a big space when they’re at the rated capacity…. You don’t have room to move around a ton,” said Ross.”But now you’re putting three, putting maybe a mattress on the floor…. You can’t even get up from your bed at night.”So it creates a lot of issues, like interpersonal issues, and now you have workers trying to defuse these issues before they boil over.”Michael Weinrath, a criminal justice professor at the University of Winnipeg, said it’s important to remember people on remand are still considered innocent — and the repercussions of tensions caused by overcrowding can be far-reaching.Michael Weinrath is a criminal justice professor at the University of Winnipeg. He says overcrowding can mean less opportunity for rehabilitation programs. (Submitted by Michael Weinrath)”People may end up spending more time in their cells for safety and security reasons. There’s less space and time for visitors,” he said.”You may not get very many visits, which is, I think, important for not only the mental health of inmates, but people who maintain these contacts tend to do better when they’re finally released. There’s less opportunity for rehabilitation programs.”‘We have capacity in our jails’: justice ministerJustice Minister Matt Wiebe said while the numbers show the province’s jails are over their rated capacities, there’s still enough room in them — the capacity numbers refer to the “optimal amount of space that the institution is rated for,” not the maximum number of inmates they can possibly hold.”Right now, we have capacity in our jails. We know that. And what we also know is that we’re building, finally, more capacity,” said Wiebe, pointing to the government’s pledge to build a new justice centre in Dauphin, where a jail was closed under the previous Progressive Conservative government.”Public safety is the number 1 concern for our government. We’re going to make sure that we take action. And what that means is holding people to account. If they’ve done something wrong, they should be in jail.”Wiebe also pointed to the NDP government’s reintroduction of an ankle monitoring program for some people on bail as an example of ways the province is exploring options to keep people out of custody when possible.He said the province is still calling on the federal government for changes to bail, including strengthening reverse onus provisions for certain offenders — meaning the person charged would have to show why they should be released, rather than the prosecutor having to prove they shouldn’t be.Matt Wiebe is Manitoba’s justice minister. He says though the province’s jails are over their rated capacities, there is still room in the facilities. (CBC)Criminologist Weinrath said one possible solution to high jail populations could be more alternatives to remand custody, like residential settings where people can access drug and alcohol treatment. “You can put all these people into our provincial jails, but you know, really then you start getting into the revolving door. And in the end, people are just wondering what our justice system is doing, because we don’t seem to be having … a lot of success. “But it’s hard to be successful when your jails are packed and … politicians are saying, ‘Yeah, we need more people in custody.'”For the MGEU’s Ross, the plan going forward also needs to include things like recruitment to fill staffing vacancies in the corrections system — and adding capacity to hold a high number of inmates sooner than however long it takes for the province’s promised Dauphin facility to open.”It’s great that … we’re starting to have a plan to go forward,” Ross said. “But in the interim, it’s really challenging for our workers.”ABOUT THE AUTHORCaitlyn Gowriluk has been writing for CBC Manitoba since 2019. Her work has also appeared in the Winnipeg Free Press, and in 2021 she was part of an award-winning team recognized by the Radio Television Digital News Association for its breaking news coverage of COVID-19 vaccines. Get in touch with her at caitlyn.gowriluk@cbc.ca.Follow Caitlyn Gowriluk on X
Remand populations pushing Manitoba jails well over rated capacity, creating ‘volatile’ situation: union
