Your tax dollars are literally walking out the door
Good morning from the Hammer — steel town, art town, your town. Don't look away.
Listen, I'm from the Mountain, right? We've all heard stories about things going sideways at the Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre, the Barton Street Jail. But this? Global News just dropped a report that Ontario jails have accidentally released over 150 inmates in the last five years. And our Premier, Doug Ford, says he's "furious" about it. Furious? Seriously? His government has been in charge, and they’re just finding out now that people are walking out the front door who shouldn't be?
This isn't some mix-up with your order at Fortinos. These are people who are supposed to be locked up, right? And the government knew about it. The Solicitor General was briefed on this. It's not just a Hamilton issue, but think about it: the Barton Street Jail has its own long history of problems. When inmates just *leave*, it's a security risk for everyone, whether you live downtown near the jail or up on the Mountain. It makes you wonder what else they're not telling us.
### What This Means for Hamilton
* **Public Safety:** Are we sure the people who are supposed to be in jail are actually in jail? This impacts every neighbourhood, from Stoney Creek to Westdale. * **Accountability:** If the province knew about this, why wasn't it fixed sooner? This isn't just a clerical error; it's a systemic failure. * **Trust:** It erodes trust in the system. When the government can't even keep track of who's in their jails, what does that say about their competence on other issues important to us, like housing or road repairs?
It's infuriating, right? We pay our taxes, and we expect a basic level of competence from our government. This isn't just about a few mistakes; it's about a pattern that puts our community at risk. It’s a Barton Street story that spills out across the whole city.
Sonja Kovačević-Mountain, MiTL Sports Desk, Hamilton.
My cousin Dragan on the morning show is digging into this, you can catch him live at mornings.live.