The approved settlement, worth up to $60 million, covers people placed in Separate Confinement or Segregation in a British Columbia Correctional Centre between April 18, 2005 and October 22, 2025. A Common Experience Payment is based on the length of placement, from $5,000 to $30,000, and a Serious Harms award is available where records show a mental illness, with no one receiving more than $85,000 from that fund. Claim Forms are due January 11, 2027.
Benefit Summary
Prolonged Class Members: available benefits include Up to $3,000 Common Experience Payment, Additional Serious Harms Award, up to $85,000.
Serious Mental Illness (SMI) Class Members: available benefits include Up to $6,000 Common Experience Payment, Additional Serious Harms Award, up to $85,000.
Aggregate benefits cap: $60,000,000.
Available Awards
Prolonged Class Members: Up to $3,000 Common Experience Payment + Additional Serious Harms Award, up to $85,000; Serious Mental Illness (SMI) Class Members: Up to $6,000 Common Experience Payment + Additional Serious Harms Award, up to $85,000
Who Is Included
The settlement covers people involuntarily placed in Separate Confinement and/or Segregation in a B.C. Correctional Centre from April 18, 2005 through October 22, 2025 who meet the Prolonged Class Member or SMI Class Member criteria. Special Statute-Barred Claims Process rules apply if a person’s only placements ended before November 26, 2016 or occurred from December 23, 2020 through July 30, 2022.
- Proof required: A fully completed Claim Form is required. For SMI eligibility, records must establish that B.C. Corrections knew or ought to have known the person had a qualifying Mental Illness. Serious Harms eligibility includes specific recorded harms. Class Counsel or the Administrator may ask questions, seek more information, or request further records.
Claim and Payment Information
- Claim method: Online, email, or mail
- Claim deadline: 2027-01-11
- Instructions: Complete and submit a Claim Form through the online form, by email, or by mail. A paper form is treated as submitted on its Canada Post postmark date. People currently incarcerated in a British Columbia jail can request a form and prepaid return envelope on their living unit.
Questions & Answers
Who may qualify for compensation?
A person may qualify as a Prolonged Class Member after spending at least 15 consecutive days in separate confinement or segregation, or as a Serious Mental Illness Class Member after spending at least 22 consecutive hours there when records establish that British Columbia knew or should have known of a qualifying mental illness. The placement must fall within April 18, 2005 through October 22, 2025. Special Statute-Barred Claims Process rules apply when all placements ended before November 26, 2016 or occurred from December 23, 2020 through July 30, 2022.
What payments are available?
A qualifying Prolonged Class Member may receive a Common Experience Payment of up to $3,000, while a qualifying Serious Mental Illness Class Member may receive up to $6,000 from that fund. A person in either group may also qualify for a Serious Harms Award based on lengthy or repeated placements or specified recorded harms. The Serious Harms Fund award cannot exceed $85,000 per person.
How are Serious Harms Awards calculated?
The notice lists different amounts for cumulative eligible placement days and for specified recorded harms, including a new mental-illness diagnosis or qualifying mental-health transfer, self-injurious behaviour, and a suicide attempt. It does not clearly explain whether multiple applicable chart amounts are added together, apart from stating an $85,000 per-person Serious Harms Fund cap. The Claims Administrator or a Claims Adjudicator determines eligibility.
Do I need to submit a claim and supporting records?
Yes. A fully completed Claim Form is required by January 11, 2027. Eligibility for the Serious Mental Illness group and for certain Serious Harms awards depends on records. The notice says Class Counsel or the Administrator may ask questions, seek more information, or request further records, but it does not give one universal document list for every claimant.
How can I submit the Claim Form?
You may complete the Claim Form online at bcsegregation.proactio.ca, submit a completed form by email to [email protected], or mail it to Proactio, Class Action - BC Segregation, 140 Grande Allee Est, Bureau 200, Quebec, QC G1R 5P7. For mailed forms, the Canada Post postmark is treated as the submission date. People currently incarcerated in a British Columbia jail can request a form and prepaid return envelope on their living unit.
Can I opt out of the settlement?
The notice gives a limited opt-out right only for placements from July 19 through October 22, 2025, with an Opt-Out Form deadline of February 24, 2026. It says people with earlier placements who did not use previous opt-out periods can no longer opt out for those placements. Opting out of the limited period means no settlement claim for those placements, but preserves the right to pursue an individual lawsuit subject to British Columbia's defenses.
Has the settlement already been approved?
Yes. The notice says the Court approved the settlement on October 22, 2025. The settlement provides up to $60 million, from which approved legal fees, disbursements, honorarium, administration expenses, and applicable taxes will be deducted.
Where can I get help with the claim?
The notice says Class Counsel can help complete a Claim Form. It lists 1-877-916-1122 and [email protected] for assistance and settlement documents.
Other Important Dates
- Exclusion deadline: 2026-02-24
Case Details
- Case name: North v. British Columbia
- Case number: S1812656
- Official Settlement Website: https://bcsegregation.proactio.ca
Sources
Claim form, FAQ, deadlines, administrator information
Court-approved notice describing eligibility and benefits