Echoes of the Kingston Penitentiary

"Genesis" quotes a document preserved from 1833 report detailing the design and construction of the Kingston Penitentiary. [Length: 2:32]

The location was chosen for the property's abundance of resources for construction as well as its access to the water and its proximity to the Town of Kingston.

The inmates were expected​ to perform hard labour which would create profits for the penitentiary. Labour occurred​ in various shops with trades such as tailoring and shoe-making.

The cells that the inmates lived in were slightly smaller than​ what was dictated in the original plan, and there was an "invisible watch" who would observe the inmates through small holes in the back of the cells.

The prison was planned to open with only 310 cells in the South Wing and Rotunda​, but upon its completion, it would hold up to 810 male convicts​ excluding​ the female department.

For much of the prison's history, the rehabilitation of the inmates was solely based on religion. The penitentiary has a chapel on-sight, and inmates would not work in shops on Sundays. [Length: 3:07]

"Penitence" reflects this religious aspect of a convicts life with two biblical quotes relating to sin and redemption.

Romans 3:23-24 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."

1 John 1:8-9 “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

"Riot" details some of the events from the 1971 riot as it was described in the "1972 Report of the Commissioners". [Length: 4:11]

Nothing out of the ordinary occurred​ during the recreational periods that preceded​ the riot.

The keys to the Recreational Hall barrier was forcibly taken from an officer in the East-West Corridor, and the attempt to lock Range 2H was not successful which lead to officers taken as hostages​ in the Dome area. The officers in the Recreational Hall, however, successfully controlled the 64 inmates in that area.

None of the officers who were taken hostage were severely attacked.

"Getaway" quotes events detailed in the 1897 "Report of the Commissioners" about the controversies involving the officers, inmates, and the penitentiary's finances. [Length: 3:08]

The staff were reportedly divided amongst​ themselves and did not respect the authority of the warden or deputy​ warden who's discipline​ within the prison was "utterly lax and weak".