Skip to main content
Back to Bills
FederalIn Progress45th Parliament, 1st Session

Bill S-205 explained in plain English

An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act

Federal Parliament bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.

At a glance

Jurisdiction
Federal Parliament
Legislature / Parliament
Parliament of Canada
Session
45th Parliament, 1st Session
Bill number
Bill S-205
Full title
An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act
Current status
In Progress
Latest event
At second reading in the House of Commons
Last updated
May 29, 2026
Sponsor

Official Parliament of Canada snapshot for 45th Parliament, 1st Session. MP vote breakdowns appear when the House of Commons publishes a recorded division export for that bill. Senate and House stage details include official debate/sitting links when LEGISinfo publishes them.

Chamber
Parliament of Canada
Current Stage
At second reading in the House of Commons
Latest Activity
May 29, 2026
Sponsor
Plain-language explanation
In plain English (our explanation)

Our plain-language take, written for civic education.

Source: By PoliticalData.ca

AI-assisted, reviewed before publishing
Short Version

Bill S-205 modifies the Corrections and Conditional Release Act to enhance mental health support, restrict solitary confinement, expand community services, and provide mechanisms for reviewing and reducing sentences based on administrative errors.

What It Means

Bill S-205 amends the Corrections and Conditional Release Act to improve mental health support for incarcerated individuals, limit the use of solitary confinement, expand access to community-based services, and allow for sentence reductions if administrative errors in sentencing are identified. The bill also introduces new procedures for transferring individuals between correctional facilities and community programs, defines obligations for informing incarcerated individuals of their rights, and establishes criteria for determining if a sentence was imposed unfairly due to administrative mistakes.

What This Bill Does
  • Amends the Corrections and Conditional Release Act to improve mental health support for incarcerated individuals.
  • Limits the use of solitary confinement in correctional facilities.
  • Expands access to community-based services for individuals under conditional release.
  • Allows for the reduction of sentences if administrative errors in sentencing are identified.
  • Introduces new procedures for transferring individuals between correctional facilities and community programs.
  • Defines obligations for informing incarcerated individuals of their rights and available services.
  • Establishes criteria for determining if a sentence was imposed unfairly due to administrative mistakes.
Who Is Affected
  • Incarcerated individuals
  • Correctional facility staff
  • Community service providers
  • Administrative personnel responsible for sentencing reviews
Uncertainties Or Limits
  • The exact sections of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act amended are not fully specified in the text provided.
  • Specific mental health programs or community services expanded by the bill are not detailed in the text.
  • The criteria for determining administrative unfairness in sentencing are not fully outlined in the text.
Laws Or Regulations Affected
Corrections and Conditional Release Act
Amended

The bill modifies provisions related to mental health support, solitary confinement limits, community services, and administrative review processes for sentences.

Mental Health Programs
Expanded Access

The bill increases access to mental health services for incarcerated individuals, though specific programs are not detailed in the text.

Community Services for Conditional Release
Expanded

The bill allows for greater access to community-based services for individuals under conditional release, though specific services are not outlined.

Generated using AI from official bill text. Not legal advice. It is written by PoliticalData.ca for civic education, automatically checked and spot-reviewed before publishing.

Official text

Parliamentary Process

Step 1
First reading
May 28, 2025
Completed

Bill S-205 completed its Senate first reading on May 28, 2025, and is now awaiting its first reading in the House of Commons as part of its legislative journey.

Introduction and first reading, May 28, 2025
End of stage activity, May 28, 2025
Chamber sittings
Introduction and first reading - May 28, 2025

The Senate debate covers the introduction of bills, questions about official languages appointments, trade disputes, and a reference to the Speech from the Throne.

Step 2
Second reading
Oct 21, 2025
Completed

Bill S-205 (Senate Second Reading) was completed on October 21, 2025, marking the end of the Senate's second reading stage. The bill, which amends the Corrections and Conditional Release Act, advanced to the House of Commons for its first reading. Key procedur

Second reading, Oct 21, 2025
Referral to committee, Oct 21, 2025
End of stage activity, Oct 21, 2025
Chamber sittings
Debate at second reading - Jun 3, 2025

The Senate debated proposals to limit the use of the 'notwithstanding' clause in the Constitution, focusing on Bill S-218 and related bills, with discussions on procedural safeguards, federal-provincial jurisdiction, and public awareness.

The Senate debated Bill S-218 on June 3, 2025, discussing its implications for the 'notwithstanding' clause and related legislative proposals, with no immediate decision on a motion to adjourn.

Debate at second reading - Sep 23, 2025

The Senate debated Indigenous reconciliation, corrections reform, technology's societal impact, and AI's role in mental health, with emphasis on equity, transparency, and Indigenous-led solutions.

Debate at second reading - Oct 8, 2025

The text includes Senate debate records on topics like postal strikes, Gaza, and carbon sequestration, along with metadata about each discussion.

The Senate debate record includes discussions on healthcare, environmental, and economic issues, with official text accessible via the provided URL.

Debate at second reading - Oct 21, 2025

The Senate debated international relations, legislative amendments, and social issues, including a nurse's testimony on healthcare worker safety and studies on Indigenous responsibilities and missing records.

Step 3
Consideration in committee
Mar 24, 2026
Completed

The Senate completed committee consideration of Bill S-205 in March 2026, advancing the bill to the House of Commons for its first reading.

Committee report presented with amendments, Mar 24, 2026
End of stage activity, Mar 24, 2026
Chamber sittings
Committee report presented with amendments - Mar 24, 2026

The Senate on March 24, 2026, advanced Bill C-15, debated financial inclusion initiatives, and addressed procedural concerns about bill accessibility during its session.

Step 4
Report stage
Apr 21, 2026
Completed

The Senate completed the Report stage for Bill S-205 on April 21, 2026, advancing it to the third reading before it proceeds to the House of Commons.

Committee report adopted, Apr 21, 2026
End of stage activity, Apr 21, 2026
Chamber sittings
Debate at consideration of committee report - Mar 26, 2026

This Senate debate transcript from June 20, 2023, discusses Bill C-210, focusing on mental health and learning disabilities support, with speeches available at the provided official text URL.

Committee report adopted - Apr 21, 2026

The Senate debate records cover discussions on climate policy, tourism, voting age reform, and legislative procedures, with references to specific bills and parliamentary processes.

Step 5
Third reading
Apr 28, 2026
Completed

The Senate completed third reading of Bill S-205 on April 28, 2026, advancing it to the House of Commons for its first reading.

Third reading, Apr 28, 2026
End of stage activity, Apr 28, 2026
Chamber sittings
Debate at third reading - Apr 28, 2026

The Senate debate covered economic, climate, foreign, social, technological, and defense policies, emphasizing the UK's strategic priorities and the role of international cooperation and workforce development.

Step 1
First reading
May 28, 2026
Completed

Bill S-205, aiming to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act, completed its First Reading in the House of Commons on May 28, 2025, and is currently at the Second Reading stage.

First reading, May 28, 2026
End of stage activity, May 28, 2026
Chamber sittings
First reading - May 28, 2026

Leah Gazan introduced Bill S-205, also known as Tona's law, in the House of Commons, aiming to reform the Corrections and Conditional Release Act to address and provide alternatives to solitary confinement in federal prisons.

Step 2
Second reading
May 29, 2026
No activity

Bill S-205 is at the second reading stage in the House of Commons, with no recorded activity on May 29, 2026, but with a history of previous procedural steps and speeches.

Placed in the Order of Precedence, May 28, 2026
Step 3
Consideration in committee
Not reached yet
Not reached

Bill S-205, concerning amendments to the Corrections and Conditional Release Act, is currently awaiting its consideration in committee stage in the House of Commons, with a history of first and second readings already completed.

Step 4
Report stage
Not reached yet
Not reached

Bill S-205 has not yet reached the report stage in the House of Commons, with its legislative journey detailed through various past procedural steps.

Step 5
Third reading
Not reached yet
Not reached

This artifact outlines the procedural progression of Bill S-205 through the House of Commons, noting stages like second reading, committee review, report stage, and third reading, while its overall status is 'At second reading'.

Debate and sitting links point to official parliamentary sources when LEGISinfo publishes them. Any plain-language discussion summaries should be generated from those official texts and reviewed before public display.

Vote Summary

No published recorded division

This bill is still active. We only show vote counts after the legislature publishes a recorded division.

Sponsor
Kim Pate
Senator | Independent Senators Group (ISG) | Ontario
Jurisdiction
Federal Parliament

No published representative vote breakdown

This bill is still moving through the process. When a recorded division is published, representative positions can be listed here.

Official sources

Status, sponsor, votes, and timeline on this page are drawn from these official legislative sources and public records. Each summary above is attributed to its own source.

How this data is sourced