Canada's Big House: The Dark History of the Kingston Penitentiary

Leslie H. Morley is a practising lawyer with a special interest in
immigration and family law.

It is difficult to be objective about a maximum-security correctional
institution like Kingston Penitentiary (KP), where the guards, inmates,
and administration are locked in conflict with each other, with rules of
engagement subject to political interference and harsh public comment.
It is no surprise that the existing literature about KP is generally
skewed one way or the other.

As chairperson of KP’s Citizen’s Advisory Committee, Peter Hennessy
is in a unique position to pen an objective account of its history. His
lucidly written book begins with a review of the history of KP, from its
construction in 1835, through a series of administrations, policy
reappraisals, royal commissions, and riots, to the present day. Hennessy
recounts some of the cruelty, corruption, and nepotism there, and
specifically, the methods of punishment, most of which would be
considered torture by present-day standards. However, documents cited
also reveal a surprisingly high level of attention to the inmates’
well-being, at least in theory: from the outset, the warden was required
by statute to see every prisoner every day.

The last third of the book is a critical review of recent events, with
a focus on system-wide policy issues. There is particular attention to
health care, human rights, and obsolescence at KP and elsewhere. Another
focus is the death of inmate Robert Gentles, which was the subject of an
epic inquest. An inmate’s account of the death of Gentles is appended,
along with a selection of recommendations from the inquest. Hennessy
concludes that there is a decided lack of compassion at KP, and that it
has become obsolete despite the expenditure of large sums. The key to
its future, he suggests, may be effective civilian supervision.