Ontario is exploring the possibility of reopening the Brantford jail, which was shut down in 2017, according to CBC News Toronto. Solicitor General Michael Kerzner made the announcement in Brantford, framing it as a way to add badly needed capacity to the province's jails.
The jail was closed in 2017, a decision the province tied to rising maintenance and operating costs. Now, officials say bringing it back could help address pressures on the correctional system in the region.
By reopening the Brantford jail, the province could bring 125 spaces back online, Kerzner said. He described the move as a way to keep more dangerous offenders off the streets and to strengthen public safety across southwestern Ontario.
The announcement is part of a much larger plan. According to Kerzner, the provincial government intends to invest more than $3 billion to expand and modernize the correctional system, including the creation of more than 2,500 new beds over the next 10 years.
Previous reports had said the Brantford jail, which was originally built in the 1850s, could reopen as soon as 2028. Kerzner did not confirm that timeline, but he said a feasibility study of the site has already been completed and that next steps are underway.
Some details of the plan remain to be worked out. Officials said the eventual capacity of the reopened facility is still being calculated as the province determines exactly how the site would be brought back into service.