Methodology

This study utilized a qualitative methodology centered mainly on the use of in-depth interviews and Focus Group Discussions with Black prisoners at three federal correctional institutions in Ontario, namely, Beaver Creek medium and minimum, Collins Bay, and Warkworth Institutions. Interviews were conducted in focus groups of approximately 10 participants per table with a note-taker at each table and a main facilitator with a microphone guiding the consultations. 87 prisoners Warkworth, 63 Beavercreek medium, 45 Beavercreek minimum, 51 Collins Bay. In addition to this, Focus Group Discussions (FGD) were also conducted targeting black male prisoners incarcerated in these three institutions. We also conducted 7 phone interviews with individuals incarcerated in Collins Bay maximum, the South Detention, East Detention, and Maplehurst. Data collection also targeted 15 young people with lived experience in the Justice System within the region and 20 professional community consultants, service providers, institutional staff, and leaders. Triangulation was, therefore, necessary to obtain information from multiple sources to develop a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon being investigated.

The consultations were conducted between August 2023 - October 2023, with a total of 280 participants. This included 20 stakeholders, 15 community members with lived experiences, and 245 federally incarcerated males.

The 245 federally incarcerated male prisoners are over the age of 18. There were 87 prisoners in Warkworth Institution. 51 prisoners in Collins Bay. 62 prisoners in Beavercreek Medium site, and 45 prisoners in Beavercreek Minimum site. The figure below gives a summary of prisoners incarcerated at different institutions.

Figure 1: No of incarcerated males in different institutions

Figure 1: No of incarcerated males in different institutions
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Figure 1 illustrates the number of incarcerated men consulted for each correctional facility:

Collins Bay Institution (51)

Beavercreek Minimum (45)

Beavercreek Medium (62)

Warkworth Institution (87)

The 20 Stakeholder participants were comprised of 5 frontline workers, 11 community partners, 2 leaders and 2 institutional staff. 18 females and 2 males.

Below is the graphic summary of the stakeholder participants

Figure: Type of stakeholder participants

Figure 1: No of incarcerated males in different institutions
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Figure 2 illustrates a summary of the stakeholder

Frontline workers (5)

Community partners (11)

Leaders (2)

Institutional Staff (2)

Figure 3: Gender of participants – Stakeholders

Figure 3: Gender of participants – Stakeholders
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Figure 3 illustrates the breakdown of stakeholders by gender.

Males (10%)

Females (90%)

15 Community members – young people with lived experiences, 3 supported family members. 7 males and 8 females.

Figure 4: Gender of community member participants

Figure 3: Gender of participants – Stakeholders
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Figure 4 illustrates the breakdown of community member participants by gender.

Males (47%)

Females (53%)

Some challenges we faced were:

It is important to note that participants (both in prison and in the community) gravitated towards were in the Corrections theme. Most of the interview time was spent on this section. This theme was of great importance and garnered a large number of feedback, shared experiences, and triggers. It was in this section that we provided trauma support. Although participants may have noticed inequality and racism throughout the different layers of the Justice system, their hardcore experiences with racism, inequality, and unjust treatment as a Black population were experienced in the correctional facilities (provincially and federally).

Prisoners were identified through prisoner leaders, Think2wice’s clientele, and outreach by the institutions. Participation was voluntary, and confidentiality was ensured – no personal information was collected; two institutions had a sign-up sheet for prisoners, and one institution had none. Prisoners were advised they could skip any questions. The semi-structured interviews and focus groups discussions lasted 3 to 8 hours per site. Questions covered experiences and recommendations with the justice system with a more in-depth look at social determinants and corrections. Prisoners answered by raising hands, yes/no, or ticking boxes. Open-ended questions allowed for in-depth responses.

Some challenges we faced were:

The consultations were emotionally heavy for some prisoners, triggering trauma. We provided support and debriefing for prisoners as well as note-takers.

All prisoners requested we return to share the report. Several measures ensured ethical conduct: confidentiality, voluntary participation, the right to skip questions, anonymized data, and secure storage. Due to institutional policies, recordings were not permitted, so notes were taken manually. The report is divided into section themes: social determinants, policing, courts, justice professionals, corrections, community reintegration, victims of crime, and immigration. The consultations provided valuable insights into the experiences and recommendations of Black prisoners in Ontario.