Prison for Women (Kingston, Ontario)

From 1835 until 1934 maximum security female offenders in Canada were housed in the “Female Department” of the men’s Kingston Penitentiary. On May 8, 2000, the last female inmate was transferred away from P4W. The institution, and several women who were incarcerated there, were profiled in Janis Cole and Holly Dale's 1981 documentary film P4W: Prison for Women. Since the prison’s closure in 2000, the P4W building functioned for many years as an administrative building for Kinston Penitentiary. The transformation of the property included the demolition of three of the four stone security walls. In June 2018 Queens University sold the site to ABNA Investments Ltd. In 2021 Signature Retirement Living announced plans to turn the property into a seniors community. In February 2023 it was announced that this plan had been cancelled and that the property would instead be developed into a mixed-use neighbourhood. As of October 2024, the property is owned by Siderius Developments and is slated for redevelopment, with plans to turn the former cell block building into a boutique condominium complex. Structure and architectural significance Designed by architect and specialist in prison design Henry H. Horsey, P4W is the last remaining building designed by Horsey still standing on the property, which encompasses the P4W, the former Kingston Penitentiary and a variety of other smaller prison facilities. It is also notable in the history of Canadian penology and the “evolution of thought” concerning the gendered separation of prisoners in the Country. == Inmate experience ==

Government investigations as early as 1938 highlighted lack of adequate facilities and poor treatment of inmates, with a 1977 report describing the prison as “unfit for bears, much less women”. and incidents of self-harm and suicide among inmates was rampant. The 1995-1996 Arbour Investigation revealed that mental health crises were regularly dealt with by putting the inmates in involuntary segregation for extended periods of time—sometimes for months or even years— leading to what Justice Louise Arbour described as “deleterious” effects on the women’s mental health. Indigenous inmates constituted a considerable proportion of the inmate population and reported particularly violent treatment by prison staff. Suicide rates were also considerably higher among Indigenous inmates than their counterparts; between 1988-1991 seven Indigenous women died by suicide. ==Controversies==

LSD experiments Between the 1950s and early 1970s, Canadian correctional facilities, including Kingston's Prison for Women, conducted experimental research involving inmates, primarily under government-sanctioned programs. This period marked a controversial chapter in Canadian penal and medical history, reflecting broader institutional practices in North America regarding the use of inmates and psychiatric patients for scientific research. At P4W, experimental projects included sensory deprivation, electroshock therapy (ECT), and the administration of hallucinogens such as Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). Correctional researchers, including prison psychiatrists, viewed LSD as a potential therapeutic tool capable of dismantling mental barriers in psychological treatment. The women, frustrated with perceived racial discrimination and systemic neglect, barricaded themselves, started fires, and attacked a guard with a syringe before taking another one hostage. raised concerns of excessive and dehumanizing force, as male guards were seen cutting away female inmates' clothing during searches.) it remains a landmark document advocating for the rule of law and accountability within Canadian prisons, influencing ongoing debates about human rights and prison reform in Canada. == Legacy ==

Tightwire From 1970-1995 P4W inmates self-published a quarterly prison newspaper entitled Tightwire. Although heavily censored by prison management, contributors to the zine submitted original art and poetry and wrote on a wide variety of topics including politics, health, prison reform, harm reduction, race, feminism, and spirituality. Former inmates have described the positive impact Tightwire had on the social environment of the prison, noting how it encouraged mutual respect and understanding among the women, while also giving them a creative and intellectual outlet. Run by professor Munn, the ongoing project aims to provide free primary source access to “prison history from within”, focusing on current and past publications from Canadian (as well as other English-language) prison publications. Aside from their annual Prisoners’ Justice Day Ceremony on August 10th, the collective’s main focus is the construction of a memorial garden in front of the former cell block, in which they plan to feature a monument inscribed with the names of women who died while incarcerated in Canada. ==Directors==

• 1934–1944 Edith A. Robinson, Supervising Matron • 1944–1950 Amelia May Gibson, Supervising Matron • 1950–1960 Lorraine L. Burke, Supervising Matron • 1960–1966 Isabel J. McNeill, Superintendent • 1966–1970 Donald Clarke, Warden • 1970–1972 C.A.M. Edwards, Warden • 1972–1980 Doug Chinnery, Warden • 1980–1987 George Caron, Warden • 1987–1994 Mary Cassidy, Warden • 1994–2000 Thérèse LeBlanc, Warden ==Notable prisoners==

• Evelyn Dick - Convicted of manslaughter in the death of her infant son • Karla Homolka – Transferred to Joliette Institution after P4W closed. • Ann Hansen – Canadian anarchist and former member of Squamish Five. == See also ==