Published plans and annual reports 2019-2020: Ministry of the Solicitor General

Ministry overview

On April 4, 2019 the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services became the Ministry of the Solicitor General. The province’s police, corrections staff, firefighters and other frontline responders have a proud history in Ontario. By returning to the title of Solicitor General – which was used until 2002 – we honour that history and the contributions our brave responders continue to make.

The Ministry of the Solicitor General is committed to ensuring that all of Ontario’s communities are supported and protected by law enforcement and correctional services, and that public safety is effective, efficient and accountable.

To carry out this mandate, the ministry has a wide range of responsibilities to ensure the safety and security of the people of Ontario through effective crime prevention, police oversight and setting province-wide police standards, as well as maintaining the physical security of Ontario by coordinating public safety standard initiatives among municipal fire and emergency service organizations. In addition, the ministry is charged with providing care, custody and supervision for those in remand, or who are serving a court ordered custodial or community sentence.

The Ministry of the Solicitor General is directly responsible for a number of organizations that contribute to community safety including the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), the Office of the Chief Coroner, the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service and Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management. The ministry operates three training facilities – the Ontario Police College, Ontario Fire College and Correctional Services Recruitment and Training Centre for law enforcement, fire services, correctional officer and probation and parole officer training and continuous education.

The ministry is also accountable for animal welfare legislation in Ontario, as well as governing and licensing of private security and investigative services.

Ministry contribution to priority outcomes

The Ministry of the Solicitor General is dedicated to making Ontario a safer place to live, work and raise a family. This objective is supported by five priorities areas in community safety and well-being, protection of our first responders and greater respect for the taxpayer through more efficient service delivery. The list of achievements in this annual report support these priority areas:

• Ensure that police have the tools, resources and government support they need to keep our communities safe.
• Strengthen trust between police and the public, enhance oversight and improve transparency.
• Reform of Ontario’s adult correctional system to achieve better outcomes for individuals in custody or those serving a sentence in the community while keeping our institutions secure and correctional services staff safe.
• Improve mental health awareness and wellness programs for frontline staff.
• Deliver programs and services that work in an effective and efficient manner across the ministry.

Legislation

Legislation administered by Ministry of the Solicitor General:

Ammunition Regulation Act, 1994
Regulates the sale of ammunition. The act generally requires that purchasers be a minimum of 18 years old and requires that businesses keep certain records.

Anatomy Act
Allows the General Inspector (Chief Coroner) to send bodies, which have been donated or are unclaimed, to universities or colleges for educational purposes.

Anti-Racism Act, 2017
Regulates the strategy to eliminate racism in Ontario relating to anti-Indigenous racism, anti-Black racism, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia reflect histories of systemic exclusion, displacement and marginalization.

Christopher’s Law (Sex Offender Registry), 2000
Requires sex offenders who are residents of Ontario to register with police upon conviction and on an annual basis and at any time that they change their address. The ministry is required to maintain the registry and provide access to the police.

Coroners Act
Provides for investigations by Coroners into the circumstances surrounding certain deaths. The act sets out the circumstances under which an inquest will be held and the procedures for holding an inquest.

Correctional Services Staff Recognition Week Act, 2016
Proclaims the week commencing on the first Monday in May in each year as Correctional Services Staff Recognition Week.

Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act
Addresses both emergency preparedness and emergency response at municipal and provincial levels. The act requires municipalities and ministries to develop emergency programs and formulate emergency plans.

Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997
Governs fire safety in Ontario and sets fire protection requirements for municipalities. The act establishes the Office of the Fire Marshal to oversee the operation of fire departments.

Firefighters’ Memorial Day Act, 2000
Establishes the first Sunday in October as Firefighters’ Memorial Day to honour firefighters.

First Responders Day Act, 2013
Establishes May 1 in each year as First Responders Day.

Forensic Laboratories Act, 2018
Imposes an accreditation requirement with respect to the carrying out of a laboratory test in a prescribed category that is requested for the purpose of legal proceedings, for some other legal purpose or pursuant to an order of a court or other lawful authority.

Hawkins Gignac Act (Carbon Monoxide Safety), 2013
Establishes the annual carbon monoxide awareness week.

Imitation Firearms Regulation Act, 2000
Regulates the sale and other transfers of imitation firearms and deactivated firearms, and prohibits the purchase and sale of starter pistols capable of being adapted for use as firearms.

Interprovincial Policing Act, 2009
Provides a framework for the exercise of police powers in Ontario by police officers from other provinces. Reciprocal legislation in other provinces permits Ontario police to exercise powers in those provinces.

Mandatory Blood Testing Act, 2006
Enables certain classes of persons who have come into contact with the bodily substance of another person to make an application for an order to have that person’s blood tested for ,HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B and C.

Mandatory Gunshot Wounds Reporting Act, 2005
Requires hospitals that treat a person for gunshot wound(s) to disclose this fact to the local police.

Ministry of Correctional Services Act
Establishes the legislative framework for correctional services in Ontario and governs matters relating to the detention and release from custody of remanded and sentenced inmates. The act provides for community supervision services and establishes the Ontario Parole Board. The powers and duties of the Minister of Correctional Services are to be exercised by the Solicitor General, by Order in Council.

Ministry of the Solicitor General Act
Establishes the Ministry of the Solicitor General.

Missing Persons Act, 2018
Establishes measures to assist members of a police service in locating a missing person in the absence of a criminal investigation. Also allows officers to apply for an order, or make an urgent demand, for the production of records to assist in locating a missing person or a search warrant to facilitate a search for a missing person.

Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act
Sets out inspection, enforcement and appeal procedures for the prevention of cruelty to animals and deals with animals in distress. The act also creates the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Animal Care Review Board.

Police Record Checks Reform Act, 2015
Sets out a process and exceptions governing requests for searches of the Canadian Police Information Centre databases, or other police databases, in connection with screening an individual for certain purposes.

Police Services Act
Provides the legislative framework for policing in Ontario. This act requires municipalities to decide on the method of providing adequate and effective policing in their communities. This act also creates the Ontario Provincial Police, the Special Investigations Unit, the Ontario Civilian Police Commission, the Independent Police Review Director and the Ontario Police Arbitration Commission.

Private Security and Investigative Services Act, 2005
Regulates private investigators and security guards. The act replaced the Private Investigators and Security Guards Act.

Security for Electricity Generating Facilities and Nuclear Facilities Act, 2014
Sets out various powers for peace officers in respect of restricted access to electricity and nuclear generating facilities.

Acts not in force

The following acts will come into force on a date set by proclamation:

Correctional Services and Reintegration Act, 2018
Provides the legislative framework for the correctional system in Ontario, including limits on the use of segregation. This act creates an Independent Regional Chair and members of the review roster who serve as Disciplinary Hearings Officers or as members of an Independent Review Panel. The act also continues the Ontario Parole Board.

Community Safety and Policing Act, 2019
This act provides the legislative framework for policing in Ontario, repealing and replacing the Police Services Act. It requires police service boards and the Ontario Provincial Police to provide adequate and effective policing in the areas for which they are responsible, including First Nation reserves. This act continues the Ontario Provincial Police and the Ontario Police College; continues and modifies the mandate of the Ontario Police Arbitration and Adjudication Commission (formerly Ontario Police Arbitration Commission) and the Law Enforcement Complaints Agency (formerly Office of the Independent Police Review Director; to be administered by Ministry of the Attorney General; creates the Inspector General of Policing and the OPP Governance Advisory Council; and regulates municipal and eligible First Nation police service boards as well as special constable employers.

Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services Act, 2018
Continues the Ministry of the Community Safety and Correctional Services in a new act. The duties and powers of the Solicitor General are set out. The act provides for the appointment of employees and delegations to them.

Key performance indicators

The ministry is committed to ensuring Ontarians are safe in their communities by focusing on the following performance indicators:

• The ministry is committed to addressing the increase in violent crime in Ontario. In 2017, Ontario’s police-reported Violent Crime Severity Index was 68.7. This was an increase of 7% over the last year and 15% since 2015 suggesting that violent crime has become more severe over the last three years. The trend for the police-reported crime rate in Ontario was less significant reported at 4,119 per 100,000 population in 2017, which was an increase of 1.4% over the last year and 3.0% since 2015.
• The ministry is committed to reducing gun and gang violence in Ontario. In 2017, there were 84 gun-related homicides in Ontario. This was an increase of 2% since 2016 and 71% since 2015. There was a similar trend in gang-related homicides with 48 in 2017, an increase of 9% over the previous year and 129% since 2015 suggesting that there has been an increase in gun and gang related crime over the last three years.
• Ontario is committed to reducing the rate of re-offending among those released from custody and community supervision. Data reported in 2018 states that 37% of offenders who were released from custody (this includes only those offenders who had served a sentence of 6 months or more) and 23% of offenders who were released from community supervision in 2015-16 re-offended during the following two years. The percent of re-offenders is up 2% from the previous year (2014-15) for those released both from custody and community supervision, but down (7% for custody and 1% for community supervision) from five years prior (2009-10).

Ministry programs

Community Safety

Public Safety

The Public Safety Division works with its policing and community partners to promote community safety and well-being. Activities include: scientific analysis in the Centre of Forensic Sciences; oversight of the private security industry; development of policing guidelines and standards; monitoring and inspecting police services; administration of community safety and policing grants; support for intelligence-led operations; management of provincial appointments to Police Services Boards and the Constable Selection System; delivery of the Major Case Management system; support for First Nations policing in Ontario, including representing the province in negotiating First Nations policing agreements with the federal government and First Nations communities; and administration of the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, including the promotion of animal welfare.

Public Safety Training

The mandate of the Public Safety Training program is to provide and support expert training for police and other community safety personnel to meet the public safety needs of all communities throughout the province in a sustainable way.

Ontario Provincial Police

Under the leadership of the Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), the OPP provides direct front-line policing services in hundreds of municipalities and First Nations communities throughout the province utilizing Ontario’s Mobilization and Engagement Model. The OPP investigates province-wide and cross-jurisdictional crimes including complex fraud and organized criminal activity. In addition, the OPP patrols provincial highways and is responsible for many of the waterways and trail systems in the province. The OPP maintains specialized provincial registries, including the Violent Crimes Linkages Analysis System, Human Trafficking and the Ontario Sex Offender Registry. Oversight of provincial strategies such as child exploitation, serious fraud and biker enforcement are also responsibilities of the OPP. Included as part of its provincial mandate, the OPP also investigates anti-terrorism, cybercrime, provides emergency services support, is responsible for security for high profile international events, and delivers specialized security and protection services for the Government of Ontario throughout the province.

Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management (OFMEM)

OFMEM carries out its legislated mandate as set out in the Fire Protection and Prevention Act and the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act. OFMEM is led by the Fire Marshal of Ontario and the Chief of Emergency Management. OFMEM works to minimize the loss of life and property from fire in Ontario by supporting municipalities, fire services and other public safety agencies to meet the needs of their communities, including public education, fire prevention, firefighting, fire protection, training and fire investigation. The Chief of Emergency Management Ontario oversees the delivery of emergency management programs and services in accordance with its mandate as set out in the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act.

The Office of the Fire Marshal advises the government on public fire safety, policy, standards and legislation relating to fire prevention and protection, and investigates the cause, origin and circumstances of any fire/explosion that might have caused a loss of life, serious injury or damage to property.

The Emergency Management program coordinates provincial emergency management activities including prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery and provides leadership, support, oversight and coordination of emergency programs in the province at municipal, ministry, and government-wide levels. The Emergency Management program maintains the Provincial Emergency Operations Centre (PEOC) to ensure 24/7 situational awareness and support for actual or potential incidents impacting Ontario and provides over-arching emergency management and business continuity plans to inform more specialized plans by Order-in-Council Ministries. Emergency Management also operates the Ministry Emergency Operations Centre (MEOC) and manages and maintains the ministry’s emergency management program. Emergency Management works with other jurisdictions in Canada and in contiguous states to support broader emergency management activities.

Office of the Chief Coroner and Ontario Forensic Pathology Service

Ontario’s death investigation system is delivered in a partnership between the Office of the Chief Coroner (OCC) and the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service (OFPS). The OCC and OFPS have a shared mission to provide high quality death investigation that supports the administration of justice, the prevention of premature death and is responsive to Ontario’s diverse needs.

The OCC is responsible for conducting death investigations and inquests in accordance with provisions of the Coroners Act. Investigations are typically conducted in sudden and unexpected deaths in order to answer five questions (who, where, when, how and by what means) and to determine if an inquest should be conducted where not mandated by the act. Investigations and inquests may result in recommendations that, if implemented, may reduce the likelihood of future deaths thereby enhancing public safety. The OCC also provides reporting, monitoring and oversight on all provincial medical assistance in dying cases, including data collection in accordance with Bill C-14.

The OFPS is legislatively responsible for providing medico-legal autopsy services pursuant to the Coroners Act. The OFPS, in partnership with the University of Toronto, currently operates an accredited training program for Forensic Pathologists in Canada. The OFPS also provides accredited medical training for many medical students, pathology and imaging residents, pathology assistants, undergraduate students and other learners from the University of Toronto, Western University and other universities in Canada and the United States. OFPS supports the education and capacity development of professionals working in the death investigation system in Canada and internationally.

Inspectorate

The Community Safety and Policing Act, 2019, which received Royal Assent but is not yet in force, establishes a provincial Inspector General of Policing as part of the Ministry of the Solicitor General. The Inspector General and supporting Inspectorate are required to monitor and conduct inspections related to compliance with the act and to deal with certain complaints regarding policing and police service board members. The Inspector General may appoint inspectors to conduct inspections for these purposes and the Inspector General may issue directions and impose measures to address non-compliance. This new role will enhance the ministry’s capacity to ensure compliance with the act and its regulations, including the provision of adequate and effective policing, across the province.

Correctional Services

The mandate of Correctional Services is to provide care, custody and control of offenders who are remanded and/or serving a custodial sentence (up to two years less a day) and to provide supervision of offenders serving sentences in the community on terms of probation, conditional sentence and Ontario parole. Key services and programs include training, rehabilitative programming, treatment and services designed to help offenders achieve changes in attitude and behaviour to support successful reintegration into the community and enhance public safety.

Correctional Services has four divisions: Institutional Services, Community Services, Operational Support and Correctional Services Oversight and Investigations. Authority for correctional services is provided under both provincial and federal legislation including the Ministry of Correctional Services Act, Provincial Offences Act and the Criminal Code of Canada.

Ministry Administration, Policy and Justice Technology Services

Ministry Administration

The ministry’s core businesses are supported by corporate services that provide leadership, direction, planning and governance. Ministry Administration activities include the Solicitor General’s Office, Deputy Solicitor General of Community Safety’s Office, Deputy Solicitor General of Correctional Services’ Office, Provincial Security Advisor’s Office, Ministry Modernization Division, Office of the Chief Administrative Officer, Communications Branch, Legal Services Branch, Business and Financial Planning Branch, Procurement and Business Improvement Branch, Human Resources Strategic Business Unit, and Facilities and Capital Planning Branch. The program also shares Justice Sector services for freedom of information, French language services, and internal audit.

Justice Technology Services Cluster

The Justice Technology Services Cluster delivers highly integrated and complex Information Information Technology (I&IT) services and solutions and reliable and responsive operational support. This is in alignment with the corporate Information and Information Technology strategic direction that enables and supports business priorities and goals across the justice sector ministries (Ministry of the Solicitor General and the Ministry of the Attorney General, including their respective Agencies, Boards and Commissions). Key support is provided through development, implementation and maintenance of technology solutions and critical services, liaising with other service providers as well as information management and planning. The Cluster also provides application support to Youth Justice Services Division, Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services. In addition, the Cluster supports the province-wide Public Safety Radio Network on behalf of 11 ministries.

Strategic Policy, Research and Innovation

The division is responsible for leading policy development and data analysis, research and evaluation to support ministry and government priorities. Key functions include: development of evidence-based policy and legislation; analytics, research and evaluation; and the coordination of justice sector intergovernmental activities.

Anti-Racism Directorate

The Anti-Racism Directorate (ARD) provides anti-racism leadership and expertise focused on systemic issues in collaboration with other ministries, the Ontario Human Rights Commission and community organizations. ARD has established itself as an authoritative body of anti-racism knowledge and expertise. ARD addresses systemic racism by building an anti-racism approach into the way government develops policies and programs, and provides services delivery.

Highlights of 2018-19 results

Ministry organization chart

This is a text version of an organizational chart for the Ministry of the Solicitor General as of April 12, 2019. The chart shows the following hierarchical structure with the top level assigned to the Solicitor General.

• Solicitor General – Sylvia Jones
  • Advisory and adjuticative Agencies, Boards and Commissions
    • Constable Joe MacDonald Public Safety Officers Survivors Scholarship Fund – Patricia Kirkwood, Chair
    • Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council – Jon Pegg, Chair
    • Ontario Police Arbitration Commission – Sig Walter, Chair
    • Death Investigation Oversight Council – Christine McGoey, Chair
  • Deputy Solicitor General, Community Safety – Mario Di Tommaso
    Acting Executive Assistant - M. Astill
    • Ontario Provincial Police – T. Carrique, Commissioner
      • Provincial Command, Field Operations – G. Couture, Deputy Commissioner and Provincial Commander
      • Provincial Command, Investigations and Organized Crime – R. Barnum, Acting Deputy Commissioner and Provincial Commander
      • Provincial Command, Traffic Safety and Operational Support – C. Cox, Acting Deputy Commissioner and Provincial Commander
      • Provincial Command, Corporate Services – M. Silverthorn, Provincial Commander
    • Associate Deputy Minister, Provincial Security Advisor - C. Letang, Acting Provincial Security Advisor
    • Public Safety – S. Beckett, Assistant Deputy Minister 
      • External Relations – S. Waldie, Director
      • Private Security and Investigative Services – B. Herridge, Acting Director
      • Centre of Forensic Sciences – T. Tessarolo, Director
      • Criminal Intelligence Service Ontario – B. Martin, Director
      • First Nation Policing – A. Jones, Acting Director
    • Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management – Vacant (J. Pegg), Acting Fire Marshal and Chief, Emergency Management 
      • Field and Advisory Services/Deputy Fire Marshal – D. Browne, Director
      • Emergency Management – D. Nodwell, Acting Director
      • Standards, Training and Public Education – Vacant, Director
      • Administration and Business Services – T. Fernandes, Acting Director
    • Public Safety Training – Vacant Assistant Deputy Minister, reporting to Acting Deputy Minister S. Beckett 
      • Ontario Police College – P. Herbert, Acting Director
      • Business Development and Coordination – Vacant, Director
    • Office of the Chief Coroner – Dr. D. Huyer, Chief Coroner
    • Ontario Forensic Pathology Service – Dr. M. Pollanen, Chief Pathologist
      • Operational Services – M. Chicilo, Director (this position also reports to the Chief Coroner)
  • Deputy Solicitor General, Correctional Services – Sam Erry
    Acting Executive assistant – N. Holland
    • Modernization Division – N. Sanders, Assistant Deputy Minister
      • Transformation Services – N. Ero-Brown, A/Director
      • Innovation, Data and Technology Advance – K. Fitzgerald, A/Director
      • Human Rights Plan – D. Mathur, Acting Director
      • Corrections Policy and Procedures – J. Melnychuk, A/Director
      • Corrections Learning and Standards – K. Michalicka, A/Director
    • Operational Support – S. Unterlander, Acting Assistant Deputy Minister
      • Program Design and Implementation – M. Zaffino, A/Director
      • Corporate Health Care and Wellness – M. Mayoh, A/Director
      • External Oversight and Compliance – M. Djurakov, A/Director
      • Business Planning and Support – S. Mahimkar-Patrick, A/Director
      • Correctional Services Recruitment and Training Centre– K. Sawicki, A/Director
    • Institutional Services – C. Danylchenko, Assistant Deputy Minister
      • Eastern Region – M. Parisotto, A/Regional Director
      • Central Region – L. Lucier, A/Regional Director
      • Western Region – D. Wilson, Acting Regional Director
      • Northern Region – K. Kinger, Regional Director
      • Institutional Operations – D. Pitfield, Acting Director
      • Infrastructure Investment Project – C. Arthur, Executive Lead
    • Community Services – A. Berday, Assistant Deputy Minister
      • Eastern Region – T. Robertson, A/Regional Director
      • Central Region – D. Kasias, A/Regional Director
      • Western Region – B. Forbes, Regional Director
      • Northern Region – S. Mitchell, A/Regional Director
    • Correctional Services Oversight and Investigations – K. West, Acting Director
  • The following are shared services between Community Safety and Correctional Services:
    • Strategic Policy, Research and Innovation – D. Conrad, Assistant Deputy Minister
      • Community Safety and Intergovernmental Policy – R. Ramsarran, Director
      • Research, Analytics and Innovation – E. Khan, Director
      • Community Safety and Corrections Policy - A. Ibarguchi, Director
    • Justice Technology Services (shared with Ministry of the Attorney General) – R. Thompson, Assistant Deputy Minister/Chief Information Officer
      • MAG Solutions – C. Emile, Head
      • MCSCS Solutions – K. Prouch, Acting Head
      • Service Management – D. Thompson, Acting Head
      • Common Cluster Solutions – S. Fournier, Head
      • Business Services – E. Cohen, Acting Director
      • Government Mobile Communications - K. Scott, Head
    • Corporate Services - A. Veshkini, Acting Assistant Deputy Minister/Chief Administrative Officer
      • Strategic Business Unit – B. Nowak, Acting Director
      • Facilities and Capital Planning – R. Greene, Acting Director
      • Business and Financial Planning – J. Stevenson, Director
      • Procurement and Business Improvement – P. Amodeo, Acting Director
      • Freedom of Information – E. Ragone, Coordinator
      • French Language Services – S. Derbier, Coordinator
      • Audit Services – D. Horie, Director
  • The following report directly to the Deputy Minister’s offices:
    • Communications Branch – S. McGetrick, Director
    • Legal Services, B. Loewen, Director
    • Anti-Racism Directorate – A. Khenti, Assistant Deputy Minister
      • Public Engagement Ed. and Communication – R. Hong, Director
      • Policy, Research and Strategic Initiavies – A. Collymore, A/Director

Agencies, boards and commissions (ABCs)

Advisory and Adjudicative ABCs make communities safer by providing independent oversight and adjudicative services that protect the interest of the public.

Ontario Police Arbitration Commission (OPAC) - Adjudicative 
The Commission provides conciliation and mediation-arbitration services under the Labour Relations Part VIII of the Police Services Act to assist police associations and police services boards in the resolution of disputes arising out of contract negotiations and the administration of their collective agreements.

Death Investigation Oversight Council (DIOC) - Advisory
DIOC is an independent oversight council committed to serving Ontarians by ensuring that death investigation services are provided in an effective and accountable manner. As an advisory agency, DIOC provides oversight of coroners and forensic pathologists in Ontario, supports quality death investigations, and, through its complaints committee, administers a public complaints process. In addition, DIOC provides advice and makes recommendations to the Chief Coroner regarding subsection 26(2) reviews, including whether or not a discretionary inquest should be called.

Constable Joe MacDonald Public Safety Officers’ Survivors Scholarship Fund Committee - Advisory
The Committee reviews applications submitted to the Constable Joe MacDonald Public Safety Officers' Survivors Scholarship Fund and makes funding recommendations to the Solicitor General. The Committee also advises on the administration of the scholarship fund. The scholarship is available to spouses and children of public safety officers who have died in the line of duty. The scholarship pays for the cost of post-secondary education, up to five years, including tuition, textbooks and eligible living expenses.

Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council - Advisory
Established in 1993, the Council promotes fire prevention and public education through sponsorships and partnerships with various groups and individuals interested in public safety. The Council is a corporation without share capital under the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, and is comprised of representatives from fire services, industry and the public. The Council forms partnerships, raises and distributes funds, and endorses programs and products necessary to further the development of Ontario as a fire-safe community.

Community Advisory Boards (CABs) - Advisory
Established under the Ministry of Correctional Services Act, Section 14.1, CABs provide a greater degree of transparency and enhance the accountability of Ontario correctional institutions. CABs provide oversight and independent observations of correctional facilities’ operations with a focus on community issues and stakeholder engagement.

*Funding for the Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council and Constable Joe MacDonald Public Safety Officers' Survivors Scholarship Fund is provided through the appropriations of the Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management and the Public Safety Division, respectively.

** Expenditures for 2018-19 were minimal and managed from within Correctional Services appropriation.

Ministry financial information

Table 1: Ministry Planned Expenditures 2019-20 ($M)

Operating: $2,772.2
Captial: $192.8

Total: $2,965.1

Note: Ministry Planned Expenditures include Statutory Appropriations and Consolidations.
Numbers may not add due to rounding.

Ministry Budget 2019-20, Operating and Capital

Note: ministry budget excludes capital assets and operating assets.
Numbers may not add due to rounding.

Detailed financial information

The Ministry of the Solicitor General (the ministry) is committed to ensuring that all of Ontario’s communities are supported and protected by law enforcement and that public safety and correctional systems are safe, effective, efficient and accountable. To carry out this mandate, the ministry has a wide range of responsibilities including the safety and security of the people of Ontario through effective crime prevention, police oversight and establishing province-wide police standards, as well as maintaining the physical and economic security of Ontario by coordinating public safety initiatives among municipal fire and emergency service organizations. In addition, the ministry is charged with providing care, custody and supervision for those in remand, or who are serving a custodial or community sentence. The ministry is directly responsible for a number of organizations that contribute to community safety including the Ontario Provincial Police, the Office of the Chief Coroner, the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service and Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management. The ministry is also accountable for the enforcement of animal welfare in Ontario, as well as governing and licensing of private security.

*Note that some figures for 2017-18 and 2018-19 have been restated to reflect transfers to/from other ministries and internal ministry realignments. Interim Actuals reflect the numbers presented in the 2019 Ontario Budget.

Historic Trends

The Ministry of the Solicitor General is the largest direct-delivery service provider in the Ontario Public Service, providing essential front-line community safety services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year to maintain the safety and security of all Ontarians. Actual ministry expenses increased year over year through 2018-19 due to staffing and commodity increases as well as investments to support corrections reform, the legalization of cannabis and policing. The ministry takes the province’s fiscal challenges seriously and is actively working with its justice sector partners to modernize service delivery to restrain expenditures while maintaining critical service delivery.

Appendix: Annual report 2018-19

2018-19 Results

The Ministry of the Solicitor General is committed to ensuring that Ontario’s communities are supported and protected by law enforcement, a modern correctional system and public safety mechanisms that are safe, secure, effective, efficient and accountable.

Community Safety

Restoring respect for police officers with a new community safety and policing act

The Comprehensive Ontario Police Services Act, 2019, will strengthen trust between police and the public, enhance oversight, and improve training and transparency.

Effective law enforcement is rooted in trust and respect for the police. The ministry’s Comprehensive Ontario Police Services Act, 2019, received Royal Assent on March 26, 2019. It creates the Community Safety and Policing Act, 2019 (CSPA), which will come into force on a date yet to be determined. The CSPA sets out core policing functions that must be provided by a member of a police service, reforms police oversight and introduces a framework to strengthen diversity training for police officers and police service board members.

Diversity training in areas such as systemic racism, human rights and cultures of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples must be successfully completed by police officers, special constables, police service board members, Ontario Provincial Police advisory council members, inspectors and public complaint investigators. Diversity training is an early response to the training recommendations presented by The Honourable Justice Michael Tulloch in his Independent Street Checks Review.

Other highlights of the Comprehensive Ontario Police Services Act, 2019, include:

• Defining what policing functions must be provided by a member of a police service, and may not be contracted to a non-police entity.
• Replacing disciplinary provisions that were overly punitive with an investigative process based on a standard of proof known as “clear and convincing evidence.”
• Maintaining community safety and well-being planning provisions, which came into force on January 1, 2019, with a new provision requiring the participation of the local police in the development of the community safety and well-being plan.
• Maintaining a new role of Inspector General of Policing to monitor, inspect and ensure compliance of the act and its regulations.

Taking tougher action against gun and gang violence

A balanced anti-guns and gangs strategy gives police the tools they need to end gun violence while ensuring preventative programs are in place to provide meaningful alternatives to criminal activity.

Addressing gun and gang violence was a key priority for the ministry in 2018-19. The Ministry of the Solicitor General has partnered with the Ministry of the Attorney General (MAG) and other government ministries to boost local efforts to fight gun and gang violence, and keep violent offenders behind bars.

The ministry is establishing a new Gun and Gang Specialized Investigations Fund to support joint forces operations that target the organized crime areas that fuel gang operations, drug, gun and human trafficking.

In August 2018, the ministry announced new funding to support the City of Toronto and Toronto Police Service to fight guns and gangs, including support for additional digital, investigative and analytical resources.

Implementing new rules and standards to govern police record checks

Setting out new standards to ensure police record checks are conducted and disclosed consistently across the province.

The Police Record Checks Reform Act came into force on November 1, 2018. A police record check is a search of police database records about an individual. These checks are often used as part of a screening process for employment, volunteering, education, professional licensing, adoption, child custody, foster care and other purposes.

The act standardizes the process and defines three types of police record checks where information can be released:

• Criminal record checks.
• Criminal record and judicial matters checks.
• Vulnerable sector checks, including for those working with children, the elderly and those with disabilities.

Consent must be granted by an individual before a police record check can be conducted. That individual will receive the results of their police record check before they consent to disclosure to a third party, such as an employer, unless there is an exemption.

Helping police save lives

Allowing police officers to provide life-saving interventions when drug overdoses occur, unencumbered by overly restrictive regulations.

The ministry amended a policing regulation that helps police officers save lives by enabling them to administer naloxone, without having to worry about being the subject of a criminal investigation. Naloxone is a medication that can temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

Previously, a police officer would be subject to investigation by the Special Investigations Unit if a civilian died after naloxone was administered. The amendment puts police officers on par with other emergency first responders, such as paramedics and firefighters, who may carry and administer naloxone but are not subject to the same oversight.

Changes to the Mandatory Blood Testing Act

Amendments to the Mandatory Blood Testing Act will provide better support and peace of mind to victims of crime, first responders, good Samaritans and others.

The Mandatory Blood Testing Act allows eligible individuals who have come in contact with the bodily substances of another person to determine their HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis A and/or Hepatitis B status. First responder organizations are concerned that the timeline in which an order can be made to require a respondent to provide a blood sample is too long, and penalties for non-compliance are not commensurate with the seriousness of the offence.

Once in force, amendments to the MBTA made by the ministry in 2018-19 will:

• Shorten the timelines from application to order from 10 days to five business days.
• Shorten the timeline to comply with a Consent and Capacity Board order from seven days to two business days.
• Lengthened the timeline from exposure to application from seven days to 30 calendar days, to allow for the fact that exposure to another’s bodily substances can be traumatic, and victims of crime may require more time to submit an application.
• Allow applicants to withdraw their application.
• Increase fines for non-compliance from up to $5,000 a day to up to $10,000 per day, and/or a possible term of imprisonment of up to six months.
• Provide explicit authority for Superior Court orders to include police assistance in taking a blood sample e.g., police may be present when blood is being taken) as the Court deems appropriate.

Offering support for police personnel and their families dealing with mental health issues

A partnership with the Ontario Provincial Police Association (OPPA) to help Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) personnel cope with occupational stress injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder.

As a result of frequent exposure to traumatic situations, first responders are twice as likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other occupational stress injuries than the general population. In 2018-19, the ministry partnered with the OPPA to launch a new integrated mental health support program for OPP personnel and their families.

The multi-faceted program provides employee and family assistance programs, children and seniors-focused support services, tele-health support, crisis intervention specialists and mental health treatment facilities. Supports and services are accessed through a ‘one door’ approach to ensure individuals can be connected to the most appropriate care as easily and quickly as possible.

It is estimated that over a 30-year career, a frontline police officer is exposed to upward of 900 potentially traumatic events.

Supporting First Nations Policing

It is essential that First Nations communities are provided with greater choice in how their policing services are delivered.

The Community Safety and Policing Act, 2019, introduces provisions that would allow First Nations to provide policing under a legislative framework for the first time. Under the act, First Nation communities have the option to:

• Request the Solicitor General to constitute a First Nation police services board that would be responsible for delivering their own policing.
• Request the Solicitor General to constitute a First Nation OPP board to provide governance for policing provided by the OPP pursuant to a written agreement.
• Rely on policing services delivered by First Nation officers.
• Enter into agreements with municipalities (or the minister responsible) for policing provided by a municipal police service or the OPP without creating a board.

Correctional Services

Reforming Ontario’s adult correctional system

Reforming Ontario’s adult correctional system will achieve better outcomes for individuals in custody, and for those being released back into the community.

The ministry took significant steps to modernize Ontario’s adult corrections system in 2018-19, including the development of a clear definition of segregation and improved data collection and tracking under its Data Collection, Analytics and Management Reform (DCAMR) initiative. The ministry now defines segregation not as a physical location, but as any type of custody where an inmate is highly restricted in movement and from association with others for 22 hours or more a day.

Under DCAMR, paper-based processes are being reduced or eliminated, where possible, to improve data quality and support reporting and analysis capabilities required to make effective decisions in a timely manner. Care in Placement, for example, is a new tool that tracks segregation-related information to improve segregation data quality and increase transparency and oversight.

An eCapacity Management tool is enabling institutions to digitally view capacity-related information, eliminating manual, paper-based reporting and ensuring up-to-date and accurate capacity information.

Technologies are also enabling more inmates to conference remotely with their counsel via video, and access health care services remotely via telemedicine. More than 300 video consultations between inmates and counsel have taken place at the Toronto South Detention Centre since a Remote Defence Access initiative was introduced. Increased use of telemedicine is improving access to care for inmates while reducing transfers from institution to community for medical appointments, avoiding unnecessary costs associated with transport.

Supporting Ontario’s Guns, Gangs and Violence Reductions Strategy

Cracking down on the problem of street gang members in correctional institutions and their power to orchestrate street-level criminal activities on the outside.

Correctional staff are important partners in Ontario’s criminal justice system and must be part of the solution to end gun and gang violence. The ministry added new resources and capacity to support the government’s strategy, including a robust, intelligence-led framework to address security threats and guns and gangs issues in collaboration with justice partners.

• Correctional Services Oversight and Investigations (CSOI) is supporting corrections’ ability to identify and monitor gang activity from within, and to share this intelligence with justice partners.
• CSOI is also supporting the acquisition and implementation of technologies to enable frontline corrections staff to disrupt ongoing criminal activities between inmates and gang members in the community.

Making Kenora Jail safer for correctional staff

Taking immediate action to address long-standing issues at the Kenora Jail, and to improve overall conditions for staff and inmates.

There is no greater priority in Ontario’s adult correctional system than safety. In 2018-19, the ministry began work on a plan to increase security and improve infrastructure at the Kenora Jail.

The Kenora Jail was built in 1926 and is one of the oldest correctional facilities in the province. Improvements include:

• Upgrading jail infrastructure including improved lighting, cameras, doors and locks.
• Strengthening partnerships between corrections staff and police services including counterparts in the northwest and Winnipeg, to share information about gangs and potential threats within the jail.
• Building new training and crisis ready rooms, and increasing security for correctional staff by providing specialized equipment for the jail’s Institutional Crisis Intervention Team.

Improving safety at Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre

A new plan to enhance security and improve safety at the Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre includes hiring additional staff, enhancing security processes and adding a dedicated canine unit.

The ministry announced a new plan to improve safety at the Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre (EMDC) and stop contraband, including illegal drugs, from entering the institution. This is to reduce the risk of drug overdoses and deaths related to addictions at EMDC.

The plan includes:

• Additional correctional staff to enhance security, particularly at admission.
• Deploying a dedicated canine unit at the institution to detect contraband.
• Increasing the number of random cell searches.
• Enhanced body scanner training for staff and new drug detection kits to quickly identify whether a substance is contraband.
• Piloting a dedicated hospital escort team for inmate healthcare needs.

Ensuring the health and well-being of correctional workers

Frontline correctional staff are regularly exposed to traumatic events which, over time, can lead to added stress at work and post-traumatic stress disorder.

In 2018-19, the ministry partnered with the Ontario Public Service Employees Union on a Mindfulness Based Wellness and Resilience (MBWR) program as part of correctional services support to advance mental health awareness among institutional staff. MBWR programs are widely used in correctional jurisdictions outside of Ontario, and have shown promising results. The program teaches correctional staff to build resiliency at work, manage stress and enhance personal health to try to reduce injuries related to occupational stress and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Honouring Ontario’s correctional workers

A new monument honours Ontario’s correctional workers and the contributions they have made, and continue to make, to keep communities safe.

The ministry officially unveiled a monument recognizing the contributions correctional services staff make to Ontario’s justice system, and to keeping our communities safe. The monument, entitled "Hours of the Day", is a sculpture anchored between two granite benches. It signifies the passage of time, capturing the hours that correctional services staff work in the service of others, both inside institutions and within communities.

The unveiling took place during the seventh annual Ceremony of Remembrance to honour the 19 correctional services staff who have died in the line of duty. A time capsule is included in the monument with messages and artifacts from corrections today. The capsule will be opened in 2067 on Ontario’s 200^th birthday.

Rebuilding Ontario's Community Safety Infrastructure

Replacing Ontario’s obsolete Public Safety Radio Network

A province-wide modernization of Ontario’s ageing Public Safety Radio Network will provide over 38,000 frontline and emergency responders with the radio communications technology and resources to keep Ontarians safe.

The ministry is replacing Ontario’s 750,000 square kilometer Public Safety Radio Network (PSRN) with new state-of-the-art emergency response infrastructure. The network is the arterial lifeblood of frontline and emergency response in Ontario, including communication between OPP frontline officers and dispatchers, emergency medical responses and, forest fire suppression and water-bombing efforts. PSRN is a generation out-of-date and incompatible with the latest standards of public safety radio used by most municipalities and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

The PSRN will be completely rebuilt to:

• Modernize telecommunications towers, antennae and technology that provide essential public safety radio coverage across the province.
• Replace obsolete radios and consoles used by frontline staff and dispatchers.
• Ensure the system is encrypted to fully protect patient and victim privacy.

The state-of-the-art network will be fully operational by 2022-23, and be under a 15-year service agreement to remain up-to-date and in good repair.

Investing in policing infrastructure

New state-of-the-art detachments will provide a healthier and safer workplace for OPP personnel and enable the OPP to respond to increased demands for modern police operations.

The ministry is investing over $182 million to replace OPP infrastructure at the end of their useful lifespan with nine new detachments so communities can continue to receive modern, cost-efficient and high-quality police services. The new detachments will be located in Fort Frances, Hawkesbury, Huron County, Manitoulin Island, Marathon, Mississauga, Moosonee, Orillia and West Parry Sound.

Renewing multiple detachments under one major infrastructure project drives design and builds efficiencies such as standardizing the design for common building components and securing bulk pricing of construction materials. There is a fixed price guarantee for the construction of the nine detachments.

Investing in correctional services’ infrastructure

Committing to build a new, modern correctional complex in Thunder Bay.

The ministry has reconfirmed Ontario’s commitment to build a new, modern correctional complex in Thunder Bay. The new 325-bed facility will provide multiple housing options to ensure inmates receive supports responsive to their needs, rehabilitative programming and healthcare services as well as improved management and services of female inmates in custody. In addition, there will be improved inmate tracking, classification and placement, as well as better levels of security within the new facility to allow correctional officers to manage the inmate population appropriately and minimize risk to staff.

Coroner's Investigations

Strengthening Ontario’s Coroners Act

Ontario has embarked on one of the largest investments in public infrastructure in the province’s history, creating a dynamic, innovative environment where business thrives.

Changes to the Coroners Act enhance public safety and improve service delivery.

The ministry made significant changes to the Coroners Act in 2018-19, related to the safekeeping of seized items, historical death reviews, residency requirements for regional coroners and the introduction of an investigative screening provision.

• All items seized as part of a coroner’s death investigation will be offered to a member of a police service for safekeeping to ensure that seized items are stored in the most secure location available.
• The updated act clarifies the authority of the Chief Coroner to conduct historical death reviews that can include data and findings from ‘closed’ coroner’s investigations. Retrospective analysis of deaths over time can identify commonalities and trends that may prevent further deaths.
• Removing the requirement for regional coroners to reside in the area named in their appointment. This change will help the Office of the Chief Coroners recruit suitable candidates and ensure effective services across the province.
• Creating a new investigative screening provision that allows coroners access to information, including medical records, to help ensure that decisions to investigate deaths are based on a complete picture of the deceased’s health history.

Table 3: Ministry interim actual expenditures 2018-19 ($M)

Operating: $2,780.8

Capital: $126.4

Staff Strength (as of February 29, 2016): 18,040.29 (Ontario Public Service Full-time Equivalent positions)

Note: Interim actuals reflect the numbers presented in the 2019 Ontario Budget.