Hundreds of pages of documents written by experts for two class-action lawsuits paint a picture of Ontario’s corrections system as inhumane and poorly managed.

The two class actions against the province take aim at the use of lockdowns in Ontario correctional facilities as a way to deal with staffing shortages from 2009 to 2017. One lawsuit seeks damages for inmates during that time, while the other asks for damages for immigration detainees, who are sometimes held in such facilities. The attorney general of Canada is also named as a defendant in that lawsuit.

Data obtained by CBC Toronto through a freedom of information request reveals there were an average of 440 full facility staffing-related lockdowns reported across the province each year between 2010 and 2017. That’s on top of hundreds more “partial” lockdowns, where only certain sections of a facility were affected. The reporting requirements were different for 2009.

The lawsuits are seeking a combined $1.5 billion in damages for negligence.