A Ministry of Corrections decision to house Windsor's weekend inmates in London is again facing criticism, this time from people behind bars.

'John' (not his real name) was trying to set himself on the right path.

He'd been clear of trouble for over two years, when he learned a man was dealing drugs to his 15 year old daughter.

An altercation ensued and John found himself back in jail for 50 days.

The sentence enabled him to keep his job, but the location left him homeless, jobless and seeking social assistance.

"I'm from Windsor, why should I have to go to London? I couldn't afford to go back and forth all the time," says John.

John fears reprisals at Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre where he is forced to sleep on the floor every weekend, because the cell is too crowded.

That's compared to the newly opened South West Detention Centre (SWDC) which is operating under capacity.

"I don't think it's right that I didn't know that. When I asked for weekends, they could have told me that," says John.

"I lost my job, my home, my child can't come home, because I don't have one," says John.

He is now 36 years old and without a car or licence. He moved back home with his mother in Chatham, putting pressure on her to drive him down the 401.

"I'm really upset that whoever decided to open this multimillion dollar facility in Windsor didn't make arrangement to accommodate everyone they're supposed to take care of," says Joanne Ouellette.

SWDC opened in July but according to correctional officers, much of it isn't accessible yet, including the male intermittent area and the mental health unit.

Officers estimate the super jail is short staffed by about 40 or 50 positions.

Lawyer Kevin Egan has filed over 100 lawsuits against EMDC, including a $350 million class-action suit.

"Lack of planning by the prison authorities, I think, has backfired in this case and caused this man to suffer more punishment than he ought to have received," says Egan.

The Ministry of Corrections doesn't know how long it will be before the new SWDC can start accepting male intermittent inmates.

Meanwhile, John and his mother don't know how much longer they can complete the four-hour weekly drive.

"We don't have the money to keep going every weekend to London, this is the killer part, you know, and family-wise, it's disturbing all of us," Ouellette says.