Loved One Arrested in Ontario? The First 72 Hours

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When someone you love is arrested, the first three days are a blur. This free guide covers what to do when a loved one is arrested in Ontario, for families in Grey-Bruce: finding them, phone calls, money, visits, court and looking after yourself. It isn't legal advice. Take legal questions to their lawyer or to duty counsel.

First, breathe

You don't have to fix everything today. Most of what follows can wait a few hours.

• Get a notebook: Write down every name, number, date and case number you're given.
• Keep the case private: Keep the case off the phone and off social media. Anything about what happened goes to their lawyer only.
• Bail conditions: If a bail condition says no contact with you or your home, respect it, even if they ask. If you're unsure what a condition means, get your own legal advice.

Find out where they are after an arrest in Ontario

1. Call the police service that made the arrest. Ask whether your loved one was released or is being held for a bail hearing, and where. Owen Sound Police: 519-376-1234 (front desk staffed 24 hours). OPP: 1-888-310-1122.
2. Check the court lists. ontariocourtdates.ca shows today's and tomorrow's cases with times and courtrooms. Weekend and holiday lists aren't posted.
3. Call the courthouse. Owen Sound court office: 519-370-2430, weekdays 8:30 to 5.

People held in custody from this area are often sent to Central North Correctional Centre (CNCC) in Penetanguishene: 705-549-9470.

Bail court

• The 24-hour rule: A person held after an arrest must be brought before a justice within 24 hours. If no justice is available in that time, it must happen as soon as possible. There are weekend and holiday bail courts.
• Where and when: Owen Sound bail court sits at the courthouse, 611 9th Ave E. The court's schedule lists bail matters from 10 to 11 am. Weekend and holiday bail may be heard by video, so call duty counsel to confirm where.
• Duty counsel are free lawyers, in bail court every day: Anyone in custody can get their help with bail, whatever their income. Owen Sound duty counsel: 519-371-7532.
• Legal Aid Ontario: 1-800-668-8258, weekdays 8 to 5.

Phone calls

• Who can call: Only the person inside can make calls. You can't call in.
• Money: They don't need money in their account to call.
• Collect calls: Collect calls work to most numbers, but calls to cellphones don't always go through, so a landline helps.
• Limits: Calls are limited to 20 minutes, and the phones are off from 11 pm to 6 am. Three-way calls are blocked.
• Who's listening: Ontario's policy says these calls aren't routinely monitored or recorded. Police can monitor or record specific calls with a warrant, though, and other people may be listening nearby. Never talk about the case on a jail call.
• Phone provider: The phone provider is Synergy Inmate Phone Solutions. Ask CNCC whether you can open a prepaid account to receive calls.

Money and canteen

• Trust account: Cash your loved one had at admission went into a trust account. Family and friends can add money to it.
• What it's for: They use it to order canteen items once a week, up to $60 a week, and to move money to their phone account.
• How to send money: Deposit methods vary by institution. Call CNCC at 705-549-9470 to ask how to send money and whether there's a fee.
• Large deposits: Large deposits need the superintendent's permission first.

Visits at CNCC

• Book ahead: Book every visit at least 24 hours ahead by calling 705-549-9470.
• Visit times: Weekdays at 4:30 and 5:30 pm. Weekends and holidays at 10 am, 11 am, 1 pm, 2 pm, 4:30 pm and 5:30 pm.
• What to bring: Bring government ID. Leave your phone and other electronics behind. You may be asked to use a locker and to be searched.
• Refused visits: Staff can refuse a visit if a visitor seems intoxicated, refuses a search, has no ID or breaks the rules. The person inside can also decline a visit.

Clothes, property and medication

• Clothes: Everyone wears institution clothing inside. For court, they're given their own clothes. If those aren't suitable, family can bring a change of clothes; ask staff how.
• Searches: Anything brought in is searched. Bringing something that isn't allowed can end your visits and involve police.
• Medication: At admission, health care staff ask about medications, the pharmacy and the doctor, then contact them to confirm. Let the pharmacy and family doctor know they may get that call. Medication they had when admitted is kept with their property.
• At release: Property and trust money are picked up at the institution during business hours. Property left more than 90 days is disposed of.

Mail

• Address: CNCC's address: 1501 Fuller Ave, Penetanguishene, ON L9M 2H4. Call CNCC to confirm how to address a letter.
• What not to send: Letters are checked with a scanner for contraband. Don't send large packages, books, magazines, stickers, food or Polaroid photos, and don't add perfume.

Protect your own life too

• Work: You don't owe anyone details. "Our family is dealing with a legal matter" is enough.
• Social media: Say nothing about the case, the arrest or anyone involved.
• Money: Decide what you can afford before the calls start. You're allowed to say no.
• Support for you: The Canadian Families and Corrections Network supports families of people in custody: 1-888-371-2326. For local services, call or text 2-1-1, any time. If you're struggling, call or text 9-8-8, day or night.

Numbers to keep

Sources

All opened Oct 10, 2026.

• Ontario: Inmate information guide, adult correctional facilities (calls, trust account, canteen, clothing, medication, property, mail)
• Ontario: Inmate telephone communication (monitoring, 20-minute limit, phone hours; updated May 15, 2023)
• Ontario: Correctional facilities (CNCC address, phone and visit times; updated Aug 13, 2026)
• Ontario: Visiting policy, adult correctional facilities
• CRTC: Telecom Decision 2024-324 (Synergy runs Ontario's inmate phones)
• Ontario Court of Justice: Step by step through criminal court (24-hour rule, sureties, duty counsel) and Owen Sound location
• Ontario Court Dates (court lists for today and tomorrow; weekend and holiday lists aren't published)
• Legal Aid Ontario: Being a surety, contact
• Ontario court office, Owen Sound; Owen Sound Police; OPP contact
• Canadian Families and Corrections Network; 211 Ontario; 988
• CNCC as the main facility for Grey-Bruce: United Way Bruce Grey, discharge-pathways report 2025, and local news; no ministry page confirms it

Questions families ask

How do I find out where my loved one is being held?

Call the police service that made the arrest. Ask whether your loved one was released or is being held for a bail hearing, and where. Owen Sound Police: 519-376-1234 (front desk staffed 24 hours). OPP: 1-888-310-1122. People held in custody from this area are often sent to CNCC in Penetanguishene: 705-549-9470.

How soon will they see a justice for bail?

A person held after an arrest must be brought before a justice within 24 hours. If no justice is available in that time, it must happen as soon as possible. There are weekend and holiday bail courts. Duty counsel can help anyone in custody with bail, whatever their income: 519-371-7532.

How do I put money on an inmate's account in Ontario?

Family and friends can add money to their trust account. Deposit methods vary by institution, so call CNCC at 705-549-9470 to ask how to send money and whether there's a fee. They can use it to order canteen items once a week, up to $60 a week, and to move money to their phone account. Large deposits need the superintendent's permission first.

Can I call someone who is in jail?

No. Only the person inside can make calls. Collect calls work to most numbers, but calls to cellphones don't always go through, so a landline helps. Calls are limited to 20 minutes, and the phones are off from 11 pm to 6 am.

How do I visit someone at CNCC?

Book every visit at least 24 hours ahead by calling 705-549-9470. Bring government ID and leave your phone and other electronics behind. Visit times are weekdays at 4:30 and 5:30 pm, and weekends and holidays at 10 am, 11 am, 1 pm, 2 pm, 4:30 pm and 5:30 pm.

Need help with this?

The Unpolished Path's Family Survival Guide walks your family through these steps one at a time, with a weekly check-in. We don't give legal advice; we handle the logistics so you can focus on each other. Button · Book a free 15-minute call → https://calendly.com/theunpolishedpath/discovery-call

This guide is general information, not legal advice. For legal questions, talk to your lawyer.