The Don Jail Part I

THE ‘DON’ OF A NEW JAIL
PART I

Written by Shazia Islam

In 1864, three years before Canada became a nation, the newly-constructed Don Jail opened its doors to the rough and tumble lawbreakers of the land. Construction had almost been completed a few years earlier when, in 1862, fire destroyed the building. The architect, William Thomas‘s original blueprint for the jail was implemented in the re-construction project. However, Thomas passed away in 1860 and was not able to see the completion of his gothic-inspired masterpiece that would awaken the imagination of Torontonians and visitors to the Old Don over a century later.

Although the Don Jail signalled a breakthrough in prison reform, it was no less notorious for meting out severe punishment to its prisoners. There were thirty-four hangings, some of them public, and some of them back to back. The Don was the site of the last hanging in 1962 before Canada abolished the death penalty in 1976. The men were kept in tiny cells measuring a mere 36 inches in width, without a bed or proper plumbing. In the first few years of its opening, the prisoners were given a cell of their own, but as the prison population grew, each cell held up to three men. The prisoners were not allowed to talk and were permitted a short time to exercise each day. It was believed that prisons gave lawbreakers a chance to think about their crimes through a ‘healthy’ dose of isolation, silence, and physical labour. Men of faith would often visit each cell to persuade the inmates to adopt religious practices and beliefs as a means to save them from perdition and give them further guidance in their spiritual quest for redemption, whether the inmates liked it or not.

For all the constraints, the Don was considered a degree above its counterparts in its main aim to reform prisoners by implementing the methods above. The architecture of the facility also had an impact on the overall outlook of its inhabitants. The prison was constructed to allow for an ample amount of natural light with an advanced ventilation system. Furthermore, its regal façade added a hint of charm to the exterior, quite possibly to give prisoners some modicum of comfort as they approached the place of their incarceration. Thomas’s architectural gem was often referred to as “a palace for prisoners”.

Charm aside, the Don was still a place where prisoners went to spend the rest of their lives or a significant portion thereof in caged penitence or to die. Countless stories of violence, abuse, murder, and escape echo in its halls and cells. The old part of the Don was officially closed in 1977, and a new facility that was constructed in 1958 still operates today. The Old Don is now open to the public for tours until November 2009. These guided tours offer visitors a look into the past lives of the men and women who did time there, information about architectural features of the structure, and a host of other crime and punishment trivia. Ironically enough, it is now owned by a far more life-affirming institution, Bridgepoint Health, who will be building a hospital close to the Old Don site.

Stay tuned for the second part in this two-part series of articles about the history, architecture, and legacy of the Don Jail. In next month’s article, join Futureale on a more detailed tour of the Old Don and thought-provoking insight on contemporary prison reform from advocacy groups to correctional institute staff and officials.