Civil Society Organizations Call on Correctional Service Canada to Restore Access to Mental Health Medications

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Commonly used medications to treat depression, ADHD, and other conditions have been removed from or restricted in federal prisons with no consultation and with little regard for mental and physical health consequences for people in prison

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TORONTO, Sept. 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Twenty civil society organizations, including Prisoners’ Legal Services, have signed and released an open letter today expressing grave concern with a decision by Correctional Service Canada (CSC) to restrict access to medications commonly used to treat depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and other conditions for people in federal prisons.

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As of May 1, 2026, incarcerated people no longer have access to bupropion (Wellbutrin), a medication used to treat depression and facilitate smoking cessation that can also benefit other conditions such as ADHD and stimulant use disorder. Beginning October 1, 2026, immediate-release psychostimulants used to treat ADHD, including methylphenidate (Ritalin) and dextroamphetamine (Dexadrine), are also scheduled to be removed from CSC’s list of available medications. Access to other long-acting stimulant medications used to treat ADHD, including methylphenidate (Foquest) and lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse) will also be limited.

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Organizations have already received phone calls from distressed patients in prison who have had their medication discontinued without the opportunity to transition to a different medication and without any information about what side effects to expect.

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“Many of the incarcerated people we speak to already mistrust their health providers, in part because healthcare in federal prisons is not independent of corrections, contrary to the United Nations’ Mandela Rules,” says Nicole Kief, Executive Director at Prisoners’ Legal Services. “These new restrictions will only help solidify the impression that health staff are not there to support patients and are instead part of the punishment apparatus. CSC must not only halt these recent changes but disentangle healthcare from corrections entirely.”

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The latest restrictions come shortly after the controversial 2025 removal of Suboxone as a routinely available opioid agonist treatment for incarcerated patients who use opioids, criticized by many of the same organizations for disregarding the principles of patient-centred and trauma-informed care. More than 150 addictions medicine clinicians and researchers also condemned that decision, citing concerns about patient choice, bodily autonomy, and the shift away from evidence-based care. Since then, participation in CSC’s opioid agonist treatment program has fallen significantly — from 3,443 people in March 2025 to 2,420 in June 2026 — despite the ongoing toxic drug crisis.

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None of the expert organizations who signed today’s letter were consulted in advance of these new restrictions by CSC, nor are they aware of any consultations with patients or external subject-matter experts.
While CSC claims the changes were informed by reviews of clinical evidence, guidelines, and safety issues, it has not disclosed what evidence was considered, who conducted the reviews, or what they found.