Ontario is planning a massive expansion of jails over the next decades, The Canadian Press has learned.

The province’s jails have been significantly over capacity for years, with the situation worsening. Ontario plans to add nearly 6,000 jail beds by 2050, documents obtained by University of Ottawa researchers through freedom-of-information laws show.

The plan is broken down into three phases, with the first phase underway, says the transition binder prepared last year for Solicitor General Michael Kerzner.