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"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.
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