Kingston Penitentiary (KP) is a maximum-security facility with a powerful exterior, standing tall against the lapping waves of Lake Ontario. Looming over Portsmouth Harbour and the Village of Portsmouth, the residents are quite accustomed to having Canada’s home for her most notorious criminals, housed there.
After all, the Maximum-Security Women’s Prison was directly across the street for decades and the City of Kingston is known for having the largest concentration of federal correctional facilities in all of Canada. Residents didn’t worry about escape attempts because there had been none between 1958 and 1999. The escape in 1999 brought higher tech deterrents to the 32-foot, solid stone walls.
Construction began on the Kingston Penitentiary in 1833. The Rideau Canal had become operational the year before and had secured a safe supply route between Montreal and Kingston to avoid the St. Lawrence, which was vulnerable to American attacks. Kingston was located nearby with its intimidating fort and batteries post-War of 1812. The location was just outside the town of Kingston in a country setting, perfectly poised along Lake Ontario where there was access to fresh water and limestone. Local farms were a food and labour source.
Then known as the Provincial Penitentiary of the Province of Upper Canada, the structure was built by inmates using nearby Limestone quarries, quite possibly, the same ones that built the United Province of Canada Capital Building, now known as Kingston City Hall, but wouldn’t be in existence for another ten years.
Officially opened in 1835, KP housed inmates who included men, women, and children in 891 cells. In 1904 the women were moved to their own building on the grounds until 1934 when the Prison for Women opened its doors on the other side of King Street. The Netflix 6-part mini-series, Alias Grace, takes place at KP in 1859 and is based on the true story of then-inmate Grace Marks. Penned by Margaret Atwood, the Netflix series offers rich visuals of the prison and how the prison warden’s home looked back in that era. The limestone mansion still stands and is now a Penitentiary Museum for Corrections Canada.
The towers and main entrance were completed in 1845 and replaced the 12-foot wood picket fence that surrounded the location. A bell tower had been built and was rung daily at 8am and 4pm. Originally installed for communication with staff in the area (there were no phones!), if it rang at any other time of day, employees knew they had to get to the prison immediately for assistance. When telephones were installed, and then mobile phones came into effect, the tradition of the 8 am and 4pm bell continued until it rang for its final time on September 23rd at 4pm in 2013; the official prison closing date.
Canada’s version of Alcatraz now offers tours, for a fee, through the Ontario’s Parks of the St. Lawrence Commission. Since there are several recent notorious criminals, and Canada’s privacy act is in full force, do not expect inmate stories or their personal information on the tour.
Guides share a couple of older stories from times when family and friends have long passed, but there is no discussion of the cell that held Paul Bernardo or the newspapers that Clifford Olson read daily. They do discuss the three riots, general prison life and the history of the building in detail.
Even without the inmate stories, the visit to KP is well worth the ticket price and time. They’ve made the circuit even more interesting by hiring retired prison employees to share history and answer questions throughout the tour.
The following pictures were taken on an extended tour of Kingston Pen. Videos are not allowed.
These buildings were where the private family visits happened. I grew up hearing them referenced as “conjugal visits” but that term wasn’t used on the tour. If the inmate had family coming they were locked in the building for 72 hours for the visit and left only to come outside for roll calls throughout the day. The inmates were responsible for paying for the food that fed his guests during their visit. There were phones inside that guests could access for emergency situations.
The main prison is shaped like a cross with the dome in the center. The dome center, added in 1861, is the heart of the penitentiary and all inmates had to go through here to move to other areas within the prison. The control bubble was added in the 80’s for security purposes. Guards walking among the inmates were never armed but there was an armory inside the bubble should they need it.
The short-term detainment unit was built in 2002 and was used for inmates who had temporary segregation status, although some inmates would spend longer terms in this location, if they were suicidal, or it was in their best interest. A group of 3 peers, chosen by the incarcerated population, would review each case on a regular basis to help determine if ongoing segregation was required, or not.
If you’ve watched Alias Grace you’ll recognize the following picture. It’s actually the Workshop building where inmates would go to work and school.
The ceilings in this building were beautifully bricked although only one remains after the 1950’s riot that burned most of this building down and caused 2 million in damage to the structure.
These ceilings weren’t originally installed for their beauty but rather for their strength. Heavy equipment could be loaded onto the second floors with these ceilings intact.
Over the years the types of workshops adjusted what they were making but included a mattress shop, canvas shop, metal shop, and upholstery shop. At one point they made mailbags and at another time, uniforms for two world wars and the RCMP. The parliamentary staircase in Ottawa was built in the metal shop here. Manufacturers initially used inmates to make their products but the practice was stopped citing unfair labour advantages over competitors. Afterwards, the workshops only made items required for Government operations.
A school was housed within the workshop building as well. In recent years, six to eight teachers taught approximately 75 inmates. It was mandatory for them to get their Grade 12 prior to working in shops.
The recreation yard has been changed since the prison closed in 2013. The baseball diamonds, running tracks and grass were covered to make way for a dressage ring for the 2016 North American Police Equestrian Championships. It wasn’t the first time KP had horses in this area. Stables were once in this location but they were burned down during an escape attempt in 1923.
The recreation area was used for some friendly baseball games with other community teams, as well as where they’d host family events, such as Easter socials.
Regional Treatment Center
The black mats on the upper walls in this room are “ricochet mats.” If it was ever necessary for a guard to fire a warning shot, s/he’d shoot at the mat to ensure the bullet did not ricochet around the room. The raised area on the left was a weight room – no free weights allowed.
Kingston Penitentiary had major updates to the structure in 1895 and 1992, so most of the tour shows a prison that is very current in its facilities and services. Only the historical buildings and the museum images show what it may have been like a hundred years ago. I hope that they are able to use the funds to restore a cell or two or an area to what it was like when it first opened.
There were 420 inmates that needed to be relocated prior to closing in 2013. Many prisoners were relocated to prisons elsewhere in Canada and the remaining 260 were moved to Millhaven Maximum Security, 25km (15 miles) away from KP.
Take a Tour of Kingston Penitentiary
Closed in the winter, tickets are available for tours between May and October. Tours fill up fast if you are touring with others, so be sure to book your tickets well in advance of your trip to Kingston. There are lots of last minute single tickets available, at this time.
The standard tours are 1.5 hours and are open to anyone over the age of 5.
The extended tours are 2.5 hours, smaller groups, and are open to those over 12 years of age. Extended tours include more time and information in the workshop area, hospital, main gymnasium, and laundry area.
Visit www.KingstonPenTour.com for current ticket prices and availability.