Kingston Penitentiary
From Free net encyclopedia
Current revision
| Canadian Prisons | |
| Kingston Penitentiary | |
| Location: | Kingston, Ontario |
| Status: | Operational |
| Classification: | Maximum security |
| Capacity: | 500 |
| Opened: | June 1, 1835 |
| Closed: | |
| Managed by: | Corrections Canada |
Kingston Penitentiary is a maximum security prison located in Kingston, Ontario between King Street West and Lake Ontario. Originally constructed in 1833-34, and officially opened on June 1, 1835 as the "Provincial Penitentiary of the Province of Upper Canada," it is one of the oldest prisons in continuous use in the world. Its western wall is the eastern wall of the Portsmouth Olympic Harbour, which hosted the sailing events for the 1976 Summer Olympics. Immediately across the road is the Kingston Prison for Women (now closed and now houses offices), officially opened on January 24, 1934 to take female prisoners who had originally been housed in segregated quarters in the Kingston facility. The penitentiary's imposing grey limestone walls give it the appearance of a massive 19th century fortress.
In 1971, a riot at Kingston Penitentiary (or KP as it is locally known) lasted four days and resulted in the death of two inmates and destruction of much of the prison. Security was substantially increased and prison reforms were instituted. Today the facility houses between 350 and 500 inmates, all in individual cells.
Kingston is home to nine prisons, from low-security facilities to the maximum-security facilities, Kingston Penitentiary and Millhaven Institution.
Rare escapes
In 1999, prisoner Ty Conn escaped from within the prison, a feat that had previously been accomplished on at least 26 occasions beginning in 1836. Conn was later found in Toronto, but he died from an accidentally self-inflicted gunshot while speaking on the telephone to a producer from the CBC. The last escape over the wall prior to Conn's occurred in 1958.
Notable inmates
The Kingston Pen is home to many of Canada's most dangerous and notorious criminals. Notable inmates include Paul Bernardo, and formerly, Clifford Olson and Roger Caron.