Kingston Penitentiary
Kingston Penitentiary (known locally as KP and Kingston Pen) is a former maximum security prison located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, between King Street West and Lake Ontario.
Location
Maximum security
564
June 1, 1835
September 30, 2013
1990
Escapes[edit]
On September 10, 1923, inmate Norman "Red" Ryan planned and carried out an escape with several other inmates. After setting fire to 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.[19]
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.[20]
In 1999, inmate Ty Conn escaped from 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.[21][22]
In popular media[edit]
Much of Alias Grace 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 was filmed at the penitentiary.[34]