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Community reaction to federal prison closures

by Community Team Posted: April 20, 2012 3:00 PM Last Updated: April 20, 2012 3:08 PM

Categories: Canada, Community

The government plans to close Kingston Penitentiary. (Lars Hagberg/Canadian Press)
The federal government says it plans to close three federal prison facilities, including the maximum-security penitentiary in Kingston, Ont., home to more than 400 prisoners. 

The Regional Treatment Centre, a psychiatric institution on the grounds of the penitentiary, and the medium-security Leclerc institution in Laval, Que., will also be closed, Public Safety Minister Vic Toews said Thursday. 

The closures mean about 1,000 inmates will need to be moved to other federal institutions across the country.

The union representing prison guards is concerned the closures will lead to double-bunking in existing prison facilities. 

Many in the CBC community had a negative reaction to the move, given that the Conservative government recently introduced tough-on-crime policies that could put more people behind bars. 

  • "They want to SLASH several hundreds of millions of dollars from the corrections budget to help with the deficit, but they just passed their omnibus crime bill ... that will see more people jailed and cost us hundred of millions more?" - Volcanogrrl
  • "Look at the other institutions, they are over crowded and already double bunking... This sounds like a recipe for riots and people getting hurt and killed." - PaulPeterson
  • "This is the biggest mistake. Thanks for closing an IMPORTANT building that employees 500 people in my city." - JustinBurrows
  • "No new prisons means more crowding at existing facilities. Which will lead to more double bunking and increased tensions within the prison populations within those prisons which will ultimately put more pressure on parole boards to release convicts early. Which to me is a public safety issue." - Mike2010
  • "Since the new prisons aren't in Kingston, this means we'll not only pay to build the new prison, but we'll also pay to train all new staff, we'll pay to transport all these prisoners to the 'new' prison, we'll pay severance for all the staff at Kingston who are losing their jobs, and probably pay their relocation fees or retraining expenses too. How does this save money? ... Oh, wait - IT DOESN'T."- starrydays17

Many commenters worried that the move would open the doors to private prisons in Canada.

  • "Close the public prisons, increase sentences for criminals, and all of a sudden we will have an extreme shortage of space in prison. They are just setting us up for private prisons. Worst idea ever. - jonnny
  • "By closing down aging, inefficient and costly government-run prisons, they're creating a vacuum and incentive for private industry to move in and say, 'We can do it cheaper, give us the contract.' And do you think that, once that's happened, they'll do things that are in the public good (e.g. rehabilitation, social programs and services for inmates, accountability) or private interest (e.g. profitability)?"- Future Farmer
  • "I can tell you how this story ends. The existing staff are terminated. If they want to continue in that line of work, they can apply to work at a new, private facility where there is no union and low pay. We have already seen this done where public-funded care facilities for Alzheimers and elderly were being looked after by trained nursing staff. Those facilities were torn down and all patients were moved to large new buildings privately owned by offshore money! This is just government offloading their responsibility and most likely finding a way to profit in the process, and it makes me very angry!" -Basspost

Others worried the federal prison closures would lead to the provinces shouldering the costs.

  • "How do they expect to cut $295 million from corrections services while at the same time accommodating the large influx of prisoners generated by their new 'tough on crime bill'? Download the costs to the provinces, that's how." - DanielSlick

At least one commenter hailed the decision.  

  • "It opened in 1835. It's older than Canada. It probably costs truckloads of money to maintain. Besides, this could easily be turned into a revenue generator as a museum or some kind of historic landmark. It might not break even, but it would cost only a fraction of what this likely costs to maintain year-to-year. Surprising move, no doubt, but rational with new prisons opening. - Skillz

On that theme, some in the community wondered what would happen to the historic Kingston penitentiary building.

  • "Such a shame. But it DOES sit on some prime real estate, right on the water in downtown Kingtson practically. I used to joke that it would make a lovely 'gated community.' It is also a designated heritage site/building. How do they handle THAT now?" - selenius
  • "For Sale: Newly renovated condo units in a deluxe gated community in the Kingston area. Mostly bachelor units, which are rather small but come with unbeatable security measures. High-end stainless steel toilets. Available now!"- eds111
Thank you, as always, for following our coverage. Please feel free to comment on or challenge any of these points and continue the conversation below.

Tags: Ontario, Politics