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54-458: Opened in 1971, Millhaven was originally built to replace Ontario's other aging maximum security prison, Kingston Penitentiary in Kingston Ontario. A riot at Kingston Penitentiary forced Millhaven to open prematurely. During the period of 1977–1984, a Special Handling Unit (SHU) operated at Millhaven, alongside its general maximum-security population. A new Canada-wide Special Handling Unit

108-488: A 12-foot high wooden picket fence. In 1845, towers, stock walls, and the north gate house were completed. From 1859 through 1861 a dome was added connecting four cellblocks. The site was chosen for "combining the advantages of perfect salubrity, ready access to the water, and abundant quantities of fine limestone." Six inmates were accepted when the penitentiary was opened. English author Charles Dickens visited Kingston in 1842 and commented in his American Notes : "There

162-588: A Royal Commission under Justice J.W. Swackhammer presented its report into the causes of the Kingston Penitentiary riot. The federal government censored the parts of the Swackhammer report which stated that the allegations of the mass beatings at Millhaven on 18-19 April 1971 were true, and which recommended that Warden John D. Clark, Deputy Warden Howard S. Bell and Deputy Warden Patrick McKegeny be fired as Swackhammer accused Clark, Bell and McKegeny of ordering

216-461: A caller on a sports radio show who is not able to watch televised games while at Millhaven. Stephen Reid (bank robber of The Stopwatch Gang fame) stated that he was told by an aboriginal inmate whilst incarcerated at Millhaven in 1971 that it was built on a native burial ground. This meant the prison would be forever cursed, and a place of turmoil. Kingston Penitentiary Kingston Penitentiary (known locally as KP and Kingston Pen )

270-459: A decision to release the hostages early on the morning of 18 April 1971. On 22 November 1971, the Crown made a plea bargain with the charges of two counts of first-degree murder against Brian Beaucage , who had organized the murders, were dropped in exchange for Beaucage making a guilty plea to one count of assault causing bodily harm with regard to the beating he had inflicted on Ensor. The plea bargain

324-501: A former segregation unit, a hospital wing, and the Ontario region's Regional Treatment Centre (RTC). There are approximately 120 men per unit. Units have two levels. Ranges are double-sided and have hydraulically locking metal doors (See video in " External Links " section), housing two inmates per cell. The ranges/cells are designated by alphanumeric code (i.e. B1, H2 etc.). Main living units are designated by Alpha codes: A Unit = A Unit

378-505: A guard was present. Guindon's son, Harley Davidson Guindon , was held at Kingston in 2011. Several of the Port Hope 8 such as Gary Comeau , Merv Blaker , Jeff McLeod , and Richard Sauvé were held at Kingston Penitentiary in 1979–1980. The gangster Gregory Woolley served his sentence at Kingston Penitentiary between 2005 and 2007. Howard Chard , the chief enforcer of the Papalia family,

432-458: A lack of adequate channels to deal with complaints and the lack of an adequate staff which resulted in the breakdowns of established procedures to deal with inmate requests. The polarization between inmates and custodial staff, between custodial staff and professional staff, led inevitably to the destruction of the program and deterioration in the life of the institution." This riot, together with successors in 1975, led to an official Sub-Committee on

486-558: A new division was created to house inmates being held on security certificates . It has been dubbed "Guantanamo". Omar Khadr was transferred to Millhaven from Guantanamo Bay on September 28, 2012, and subsequently transferred to Edmonton Maximum Security Penitentiary on May 28, 2013, due to threats made on his life in Millhaven. Members of a 2006 terrorist plot to attack Canadian targets are incarcerated at Millhaven. The song " 38 Years Old " by The Tragically Hip refers to an escape from

540-552: A number of .22 rounds into the prison to aid in their escape, which ultimately failed. On July 5, 1985, the warden of Millhaven (Al Stevenson) was placed under police protection due to credible threats to his life. The threats came from unknown Millhaven inmates. He was transferring into Millhaven from Stony Mountain Institution in Manitoba, where he had a reputation for strictness. Warden Stevenson and his family were placed under guard by

594-452: A rash of weapon related attacks in the living units. In May 2009, Millhaven was the site of a riot which lasted less than 24 hours. On October 12, 2010, a correctional officer with a rifle shot a convict who refused orders to stop assaulting another prisoner in an outdoor recreation yard. On December 7, 2010, 120 inmates in the assessment unit refused to return to their cells at the end of a recreation period. They began to barricade themselves in

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648-435: A shed as a distraction, the gang used a ladder and went over the wall. They stole a car from a nearby property and fled the city. On August 17, 1947, inmates Nicholas Minelli, Ulysses Lauzon, and Donald "Mickey" Macdonald climbed over the wall behind the east cell block, after cutting through the bars on their cell. Both Minelli and Lauzon were recaptured, but Macdonald was never found. In 1999, inmate Ty Conn escaped from

702-488: A squad of Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers. The 50 ringleaders were placed in solitary confinement. On April 14, 1971, a riot led by the prison barber, Billy Knight , 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. Six correctional officers were held hostage, but all were eventually released unharmed. The prisoners issued formal grievances to

756-625: Is a former maximum security prison located in Kingston, Ontario , Canada, between King Street West and Lake Ontario . Constructed from 1833 to 1834 and opened on June 1, 1835, as the "Provincial Penitentiary of the Province of Upper Canada", it was one of the oldest prisons in continuous use in the world at the time of its closure in 2013. Kingston Penitentiary was one of nine prisons in the Kingston area, prisons which had ranged from low-security facilities to

810-487: Is an admirable jail here, well and wisely governed, and excellently regulated, in every respect. The men were employed as shoemakers, ropemakers, blacksmiths, tailors, carpenters, and stonecutters; and in building a new prison, which was pretty far advanced towards completion. The female prisoners were occupied in needlework." The penitentiary's western wall adjoins the Portsmouth Olympic Harbour , which hosted

864-603: Is set in Kingston Penitentiary where the real life Grace Marks was imprisoned. In Cataract City one of the main characters is imprisoned at Kingston Penitentiary for 20 years following a murder. In the Canadian novel In the Skin of a Lion , the Carravagio chapter begins at Kingston Penitentiary. The Lawrence Gowan song " A Criminal Mind " was inspired by a cell block at Kingston Penitentiary. Television series Mayor of Kingstown

918-575: Is used upon entry to detect drugs or other compounds on clothing or personal objects. The visiting area is equipped with CCTV , and listening devices are embedded in each table. Inmates in the MAU (intake - A and E units) are allowed only screened visits, behind glass. Over the years, the institution has seen its share of violence. J unit is considered one of the most dangerous places in Canada's prison system. The most unruly inmates are often housed there. Millhaven

972-580: The Black Donnellys , was sentenced to be hanged on September 17, 1859, for the murder of Patrick Farrell. A petition for clemency started by his wife Johannah saw his sentence reduced to seven years in Kingston Penitentiary. Other notable inmates include Lizzie Lessard , Wayne Ford , Russell Williams , Paul Bernardo , Clifford Olson , Roger Caron and Grace Marks . Wayne Boden , the Canadian "Vampire Rapist" died there in March 2006. Tim Buck , leader of

1026-598: The Communist Party, was a prisoner at Kingston Penitentiary convicted under Section 98 of the Criminal Code during the early 1930s. Bernie Guindon , the president of the Satan's Choice Motorcycle Club who served part of his rape sentence at Kingston penitentiary in 1969-1970 described Kingston penitentiary as a very harsh prison where the other prisoners were not permitted to speak to one another outside of their cells unless

1080-472: The Crown Attorney prosecuting the accused noted that it was unlikely that dozens upon dozens of prisoners had all hurt themselves by falling when entering Millhaven. Powell admitted that the victims of the beatings were criminals, but stated "even the worst criminal in a penitentiary is entitled to protection under the laws of our country". The defense counsel appealed to the emotions of the jury by saying that

1134-574: The Crown's star witness. Knight testified that he been attacked with a nightstick as soon as he stepped off the bus, and then was forced to run a gauntlet of guards who beat him as he stumbled along.. Knight's injuries which included a vertical laceration on at the back of his skull along with a severally bruised face, a hairline fracture in his skull and a fracture on his left side of his skull supported his testimony. Two Millhaven guards, Bernard Evans and Grant Snider denied beating Knight and claimed that he had simply fallen and hurt himself. Clayton Powell,

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1188-681: The Leclerc Institution in Laval, Quebec and the Regional Treatment Centre in Kingston, Ontario . Kingston Penitentiary officially closed on September 30, 2013. The penitentiary was opened during October/November 2013 for public tours hosted by the United Way of KFL&A and Habitat for Humanity Canada . On September 10, 1923, inmate Norman "Red" Ryan planned and carried out an escape with several other inmates. After setting fire to

1242-661: The Millhaven warden, who had approved a radio interview with Omar Khadr. In February 2014, an investigation was launched by the Office of the Correctional Investigator of Canada, due to complaints regarding the treatment of mentally ill inmates. These inmates had been transferred to Millhaven after the closure of RTC (Regional Treatment Centre) at Kingston Penitentiary. Photos released to the public show questionable facilities and cleanliness in that unit. Some mentally ill inmates had symptoms worsen upon arriving at Millhaven. There

1296-494: The National Parole Board for disposition. Millhaven is one of two identically designed maximum security institutions in Canada. The other is located at Archambault Institution , Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines , Quebec. Also located on same property is Bath Institution , a medium security facility located along the shores of Lake Ontario . Opened in 1972, it houses 340 inmates. Millhaven consists of three main living units,

1350-487: The OPP ( Ontario Provincial Police ). This caution was taken due to the 1978 murder of Archambault Institution ( Quebec ) warden Michel Roy. In 2004, correctional officers employed at Millhaven Maximum Security were concerned about their safety after a rash of inmate uprisings. The Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta had ruled that an inmate can conceal a weapon (when in prison) if he/she is defending themselves. This ruling sparked

1404-490: The Ontario Provincial Police into the allegations that the guards of Millhaven had staged mass beatings of the prisoners from Kingston Penitentiary. On 27 May 1971, 11 guards from Millhaven were charged with 24 counts of assault, marking the first time in Canadian history that prison guards had been charged with assaulting inmates. On 10 December 1971, the Millhaven guards were brought to trial with Knight serving as

1458-500: The Ontario region. They were assessed and placed in other prisons according to security needs. This responsibility now belongs to Joyceville Assessment Unit. MAU is classified as integrated (housing convicts serving time on all types of charges). MSU (J unit) houses habitually violent offenders. Many inmates with life sentences are also housed in MSU. It was considered a " gladiator school ", and convicts who serve time there were revered in

1512-495: The Penitentiary System in Canada, chaired by Justice Mark MacGuigan . The 1977 MacGuigan Report recommended the creation of an Independent Chairperson (ICP) to investigate prisoner complaints. From 1971 to 1981, the penitentiary served as Corrections Canada 's Ontario Region Reception Centre. Before it closed, the facility housed between 350 and 500 inmates plus another 120 at the Regional Treatment Centre contained within

1566-407: The accused were officers of the Crown charged with keeping dangerous criminals within Millhaven and that the witnesses for the Crown were "criminal scumbags". The trial ended with a jury acquitting all of the guards on 16 December 1971. Knight had more success in a civil courtroom as he won $ 3, 500 dollars in a civil suit against the federal government for the beating he had endured. On 24 April 1972,

1620-409: The area and guards fired shotguns and used chemical agents to gain control of the situation. On March 21, 2011, inmate Jordan Trudeau, 29, was killed in an altercation. The event took place in the gymnasium area during exercise for maximum security inmates. Trudeau and another inmate, David Bagshaw, 21, attacked a third inmate and were fired upon by correctional officers in an attempt to gain control of

1674-492: The criminal subculture. On September 30, 2013 Kingston Penitentiary was closed. Many maximum security inmates housed there were transferred to Millhaven. A new 96 bed facility was constructed within the Millhaven compound, to house inmates from the Kingston Pen closure. The perimeter is surrounded by a double 9.1-metre (30-foot) razor fence, and has observation towers at the corners. A 1.2-metre (4-foot) "warning fence" inside

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1728-482: The facility. Although there had been at least 26 escape attempts since 1836, Conn was the first to evade capture for weeks since 1958. Two weeks later, surrounded by police in Toronto, Conn suffered a fatal self-inflicted gunshot wound while speaking on the telephone to CBC producer Theresa Burke . Kingston Penitentiary had been home to many of Canada's most dangerous and notorious criminals. James Donnelly, patriarch of

1782-443: The law being struck down in Ontario. A coroner's inquest concluded Gentles's death was accidental. Mohammad and Hamed Shafia were imprisoned in the penitentiary after being convicted of killing Mohammad's three daughters and first wife. Michael Rafferty was serving a life sentence for his role in the kidnapping, rape and murder of eight-year-old Victoria Stafford of Woodstock, but has since been relocated. Much of Alias Grace

1836-419: The mass beatings. On July 10, 1972, fourteen inmates escaped a recreation yard by clipping the chain link fence. A subsequent manhunt was undertaken by police and Canadian Forces personnel. Three hundred police officers and soldiers from CFB Trenton created a cordon that eventually yielded the capture of most of the escapees. In 1974, a prison riot at Millhaven lasted two days and saw 166 cells destroyed by

1890-481: The maximum-security facilities of Kingston Penitentiary and of Millhaven Institution , which was initially built to replace Kingston Pen. The institution was built on land described as "lot number twenty, in the first concession of the Township of Kingston". The cells originally measured 73.7 cm (29.0 in) wide by244 cm (8.01 ft) deep and 200.7 centimetres (6 feet 7.0 inches) high. The area had

1944-404: The media including lack of recreational time, lack of work, and concerns about their future conditions in the newly built Millhaven Prison . During the riot, two prisoners, the child molester, Brian Ensor, and Bertrand Robert, a man who killed his five children, were murdered by the other prisoners. To put a stop to what was threatening to become a massacre, another inmate, Barrie MacKenzie , made

1998-402: The perimeter of the exercise yard acts as a boundary that inmates cannot cross without deadly force being used. Armed patrol vehicles with Colt Canada C8 rifles and parabolic microphones are on guard at all times. There are motion sensors in the outlying property, and multiple CCTV units throughout. Visitors are subject to personal and vehicle search once on CSC property, and an ION scanner

2052-727: The prison system. They asserted that their strike was in solidarity with a strike at the British Columbia Penitentiary , and their strike inspired sympathy hunger strikes at Collins Bay Institution and Joyceville Institution. In response to the 1976 uprising, a report presented to the House of Commons in October 1976 written by 11 MPs stated: "Millhaven's early history was marked by the use of clubs, shackles, gas and dogs often in combination. As former inmates of Kingston Penitentiary said: "Kingston of 1971 hasn't gone away, it's just moved down

2106-624: The prison. During the lockdown, a serious inmate-on-inmate assault took place. David Martin, a manager at Millhaven, was arrested in August 2010 and convicted of smuggling various narcotics into the prison, apparently in connection with the Hells Angels . He was found dead in his home on August 21, 2011. In late April 2013, the Canadian Press acquired freedom of information documents indicating that Federal Public Safety Minister, Vic Toews overruled

2160-518: The prison. Every inmate was given an individual cell. In its later years, Kingston Penitentiary became known as a "dumping ground for bad guards", and after an investigation by the RCMP, eight guards were terminated. In 1990, Kingston Penitentiary was designated a National Historic Site of Canada . On April 19, 2012, the Government of Canada announced plans to close the Kingston Penitentiary, along with

2214-413: The prison. The opening lines of the song say "12 men broke loose in '73, from Millhaven Maximum Security." There was such an escape in 1972. The lyrics of the song were changed to '73 to rhyme with "maximum security", and there were 14 escapees not 12. The remainder of the song is fiction. The track "Caller Go Ahead" on Canadian performer Bruce McCulloch 's 2002 comedy album Drunk Baby Project features

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2268-415: The prisoners. At the time of the 1974 riot, a guard told a journalist from The Toronto Star : "It is a place where you try to survive. That includes the cons, the guards and the brass who run the place". On the first anniversary of the August 10, 1975 suicide of prisoner Edward Nalon in the infamous "back hole" at Millhaven, prisoners at Millhaven refused to work and began a hunger strike for improvements to

2322-421: The riot a breakout was attempted, but was foiled by the guards at the gate. The trouble apparently began during a morning baseball game in the exercise yard, when a guard was attacked, followed by several inmates setting fire to various buildings in the yard, including the shops and a warehouse, causing an estimated $ 2 million in damages. The disturbance was quelled by the guards aided by 160 Canadian Army troops and

2376-441: The road"". The report stated that the conditions of Canadian prisons were "a national disgrace" and stated that Millhaven was one of the worst prisons in Canada. In 1977 escapees were shot whilst climbing fences at Millhaven institution. Glenn Thomas Landers was killed while fellow inmate Florant Tanguay was injured by buckshot. Prior to the escape attempt a riot had been staged. Inmates had fashioned “zip” guns, and had also smuggled

2430-424: The sailing events for the 1976 Summer Olympics . Immediately across the road to the north is the now-closed Kingston Prison for Women , which functioned from January 24, 1934, to May 8, 2000, taking female prisoners who had been housed in segregated quarters in the main facility. On August 14, 1954, a two-hour riot broke out in the penitentiary—the worst in its history up to that point —involving 900 inmates. During

2484-546: The situation. Trudeau was killed by a shot from a 9mm carbine. Bagshaw was wounded, and was charged with attempted murder in regards to the incident. The OPP Prison Squad investigated the incident, and found CSC staff acted properly. August 11, 2014, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported that Millhaven Institution was on lockdown to facilitate a major search. Containers that store cereal had gone missing, and officials were concerned enough to lock down

2538-526: Was a Federal Intake and Assessment Unit – Ontario region until 2013 (MAU) (ranges B, C, & D) E Unit = E Unit was a Federal Intake and Assessment Unit – Ontario region until 2013 (MAU) (and institutional workers) (ranges F, G, & H) I Unit = Administrative Segregation/Special Needs J Unit = Maximum Security Unit (MSU) (ranges K, L, & M) N Area = Main intersection and security control hub. MAU (Millhaven Assessment Unit) formerly housed inmates recently sentenced to federal time, in

2592-539: Was also concern by the John Howard Society of Canada that the underground " bunker-like " location was a very negative atmosphere for these inmates. Millhaven MSU inmates can gain employment in the CORCAN industries shop. Furniture for federal government offices is fabricated there. Inmates receive a small daily wage for this work, approximately $ 5 a day. Room and board fees are charged to these workers. In April 2006,

2646-452: Was and still is very controversial. A 1971 inquiry into the riot, chaired by Justice J.W. Swackhamer, reported that they had "already noted a number of causes for Kingston's failure: the aged physical facilities, overcrowding, the shortage of professional staff, a program that had been substantially curtailed, the confinement in the institution of a number of people who did not require maximum security confinement, too much time spent in cells,

2700-529: Was filmed at the penitentiary. Located directly across from Kingston Penitentiary, the Correctional Service of Canada Museum (also known as "Canada's Penitentiary Museum") explains the history of Kingston Penitentiary and other correctional centres using displays that incorporate artifacts, photographs, equipment, and replicas. The museum also houses most of the institution's historical records as well as those of other Canadian penitentiaries, and provides

2754-523: Was forced to open early as the prisoners from Kingston Penitentiary were moved there because of the 1971 Kingston Penitentiary riot . The prisoners from Kingston were beaten by the Millhaven guards as they stepped off the buses on 18-19 April 1971 with Billy Knight , the leader of the Kingston penitentiary riot, being singled out by the guards. On 30 April 1971, the Ontario Attorney General Allan Lawrence ordered an investigation by

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2808-505: Was released on June 29, 1935. Robert Gentles was killed by six guards in 1993. Gentles's mother Carmeta believed that the guards were motivated by racism in their attack on her son but was unsuccessful in bringing charges against the guards independent of the Crown. Two men, Ravin Gill and Bradley Waugh, placed wanted posters for the six guards around Kingston which led to their being charged with criminal libel. The ensuing criminal case resulted in

2862-715: Was subsequently opened in Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines Quebec, and the Millhaven SHU was closed. Millhaven also housed the federal inmate intake and assessment unit for the Ontario region, the Millhaven Assessment Unit (MAU), until 2013, when the assessment unit was moved to Joyceville Institution, now Joyceville Assessment Unit (JAU), in order to facilitate the closing of Kingston Penitentiary. Federal parole violators were returned to MAU from whichever Ontario region they were arrested in, to appear in front of

2916-538: Was the boxing champion of Kingston Penitentiary in the 1940s. Gregory Woolley , the boss of the Hells Angels puppet gang, the Rockers, served his prison sentence at Kingston Penitentiary between 2005 and 2011. Marie-Anne Houde, formerly convicted for the murder of her stepdaughter Aurore Gagnon , was sentenced to life in Kingston Penitentiary, following the appeal to commute her sentence to death citing health reasons. She

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