New rules for federal prisons
S-205 Providing Alternatives to Isolation and Ensuring Oversight and Remedies in the Correctional System Act (Tona’s Law): An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act
Transfers federal prisoners with disabling mental health issues to hospitals and limits isolation without a court order to 48 hours.
What Bill S-205 would do
The bill would amend federal corrections laws to require that prisoners with disabling mental health issues be transferred to a hospital instead of staying in a penitentiary. It would restrict stays in structured intervention units beyond 48 hours unless a superior court orders it. The bill would also let community groups provide correctional services and release plans for prisoners from minority or disadvantaged groups, and allow prisoners to seek shorter sentences if their sentence was unfairly administered.
Official summary
This enactment amends the Corrections and Conditional Release Act to, among other things, (a) require that, if a person who is sentenced, transferred or committed to a penitentiary has disabling mental health issues, they will be transferred to a hospital; (b) ensure that a person may only be confined in a structured intervention unit for longer than 48 hours on an order of a superior court; (c) allow for the provision of correctional services and plans for release and reintegration into the community to persons from disadvantaged or minority populations by community groups and other similar support services; and (d) allow for persons who are sentenced to a period of incarceration or parole ineligibility to apply to the court that imposed that sentence for a reduction if there has been unfairness in the administration of their sentence.
Available on the Senate of Canada website at the following address: www.sencanada.ca/en 1st Session, 45th Parliament, 3 Charles III, 2025 SENATE OF CANADA BILL S-205 An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act
- Kind
- Senator's bill
- Sponsor
- Kim Pate, Senator
- Introduced
- in the Senate
- Last activity
Where it stands
- ProposedMay 28, 2025
- Being debatedsince May 28 Exact stageAt second reading in the House of Commons · since May 28, 2026MPs or senators are debating it in the chamber where it started.
- Almost law
- Law
Passed the Senate; now in the House, waiting for debate there
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First reading in the Senate done
Before the Senate on 1 sitting day,
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Second reading in the Senate done
Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs
Before the Senate on 4 sitting days, to
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Committee in the Senate done
Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs
Before the Senate on 1 sitting day,
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Report stage in the Senate done
Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs
Before the Senate on 2 sitting days, to
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Third reading in the Senate done
Before the Senate on 1 sitting day,
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First reading in the House done
Before the House on 1 sitting day,
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Second reading in the House now
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Committee in the House not yet
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Report stage in the House not yet
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Third reading in the House not yet
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Royal assent not yet
Exact procedural stages
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Senate
- First reading in the Senate: done, 2025-05-28
- Second reading in the Senate: done, 2025-10-21
- Committee in the Senate: done, 2026-03-24
- Report stage in the Senate: done, 2026-04-21
- Third reading in the Senate: done, 2026-04-28
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House
- First reading in the House: done, 2026-05-28
- Second reading in the House: current stage
- Committee in the House: not yet reached
- Report stage in the House: not yet reached
- Third reading in the House: not yet reached
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Royal assent
- Royal assent: not yet reached
Debates in the House 0
No debate on this bill is in the record we hold yet (Senate debates are not covered).
Also raised in 3
Question Period, members' statements and other debates where the bill came up.