MILTON, ONTARIO—On the 49th Prisoners Justice Day, community members across Ontario are coming together in Milton to amplify the voices of prisoners—including many remanded prisoners—to speak out against the torture, degradation, and human rights abuses being enacted under the watch of the Ford Government. Join us as we stand at the site of FordFest 2024 in sight of the most overcrowded prison with the most in-custody deaths in so-called Ontario. Speakers will describe the abuses, extended lockdowns, and medical neglect experienced by prisoners—including from the so-called Institutional Crisis Intervention Team (ICIT)—while highlighting the violence enacted on Disabled Prisoners in Maplehurst. This prison is not only killing people but disabling them and exacerbating existing medical issues every day and we need action now. 

In Brief:

• Who: Prisoners’ Family Members and Disability Justice Network of Ontario.
• What: A rally on Prisoners’ Justice Day to bring attention to ongoing human rights abuses and violence experienced by racialized, Disabled prisoners at Maplehurst.
• When: Saturday, August 10 at 2PM
• Where: Chris Hadfield Park, Milton (1 Chris Hadfield Way) (under 1km from Milton GO Carpool Lot)

Disability Justice Network of Ontario (DJNO) is an abolitionist disability justice organization based in Hamilton. We aim to build towards a just, accessible world and believe that everyone’s worth is inherent and tied to the liberation of all. 

Our Prison Project runs six regional prisoner support lines across the province to amplify the voices of prisoners, support prisoners, and document prison conditions. We also provide public education on prison abolition and recently launched Enabling Justice (www.enablingjustice.com), a toolkit for anyone navigating the criminal legal system, including sections on knowing your rights and learning about how to interact with police.

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Media Contact:

Pam Reaño

• Email: prisonprojectlead@djno.ca 
• Phone: 289-780-3566