Kingston Penitentiary

Kingston Penitentiary is an ultra-maximum security prison located in Kingston, Ontario between Front Road and Lake Ontario. Originally constructed in 1835 as the "Provincial Penitentiary of the Province of Upper Canada," it is one of the oldest prisons in continuous use in the world. Its western wall is the eastern wall of the Portsmouth Olympic Harbour, which hosted the sailing events for the 1976 Summer Olympics. Immediately across the road is the Kingston Prison for Women, opened in 1934 to take female prisoners who had originally been housed in segregated quarters in the Kingston facility. The Kingston Pen's imposing grey limestone walls give it the appearance of a massive 19th century fortress. It is the only prison in Canada on a waterfront.

In 1971, a riot at Kingston Pen (as it is locally known) lasted several days and resulted in the death of two inmates and destruction of much of the prison. Security was substantially increased and prison reforms instituted. Today the facility houses between 350 and 400 inmates, all in individual cells.

The Kingston Pen is home to many of Canada's most dangerous and notorious criminals. Kingston is home to seven prisons, from low-security facilities to super-maximum-security facilities like Kingston and Millhaven Penitentiary.

In 1999, prisoner Ty Conn escaped from the prison, a feat that had previously been believed to be impossible. He was later found in Toronto, but committed suicide rather than being captured.

Official Site: http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/text/facilit/institutprofiles/kingston_e.shtml