THE DON OF A NEW JAIL PT.2
Written by Shazia Islam
What was supposed to be a fantastic tour of the Don Jail this summer, turned out to be a series of calls to the tour information line in order to determine just when the tours might actually start. All tours have been cancelled until further notice. Since the old Don is considered a heritage site, the cancellation might be due to the ongoing city strike that has put a damper on some of our summer plans. The 145 year-old structure will be undergoing some renovations as Bridgepoint Health, the present owner of the Old Don, will be expanding its medical facilities in the area.
The new Don jail opened in 1958 and is primarily used as a remand centre for prisoners awaiting further trial. Like the Old Don, the new Don has also had its share of infamy. In the spring of 2003 when the city of Toronto was struggling to contain the SARS outbreak, Opposition critic for the Ministry of Public Safety and Security, David Levac, decided to pay the jail a visit. He was urged to inspect the facilities after hearing about the living conditions of the prisoners. He was accompanied by two other members of his team, but little did the staff at the jail know that one of them happened to be Toronto Star columnist, Linda Diebel. She apparently did not identify herself as a member of the media. One can only guess what happened next.
The Diebel article appeared in the Toronto Star shortly after the visit and it certainly raised some questions about the legitimacy of the facility. However, Diebel was not the only one who exposed the Don's shortcomings. Her voice joined many others in protest against the jail's apparent disregard for the basic human rights of its prisoners. The facility has not been upgraded since it was first built as an adjunct to the Old Don. It has a maximum capacity of 272 with each prisoner getting their own cell. Today, there are more than 600 prisoners crammed 3 to a cell that only measures 2 by 3 metres! There is only one bed to a cell, so any additional prisoners have to sleep on the floor, sometimes right next to the toilet. We also have to remember that many of the prisoners being kept here have yet to be convicted of a crime.
Toronto judge, Mr. Justice Richard Schneider, calls the jail "an embarrassment to the Canadian criminal justice system" and stated that the jail did not meet the minimum requirements for the housing of prisoners under the UN charter. Prisoners need a clean place to sleep, telephone access, visitor facilities, and some privacy. The Don Jail falls short of all of the above requirements, yet it remains open. In 2008, guards at the Don staged a walk-out and the jail was completely locked down. Tensions between the guards and the prisoners are often on high due to the large numbers and the overall inadequacy of the jail.
At the moment, the province is not doing much to change the situation despite strong criticism from advocacy groups and law-makers. Not much has changed for the prisoners even after articles were written and interviews conducted. They still await their sentences in questionable surroundings, which can turn an otherwise innocent detainee into a full-fledged criminal as they fight for privacy, space, and food. The Old Don was considered a real gem in its hey-day for its relatively decent treatment of prisoners. Society is supposed to become more civilized and humane in its treatment of all living things with progress. The Don Jail however is a shocking reminder of just how far we still have to go in ensuring that the dignity and rights of all people are respected. True, the ghosts of the past may haunt the corridors and cells of the Old Don, but the real horrors play themselves out within the confined spaces of the present-day jail.
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