Kingston Prison for Women (P4W)

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The Kingston Prison For Women was a maximum security prison in Kingston that opened its doors in 1934 and closed down in 2000. Before its inception, women convicts were housed in the female department of Kingston Penitentiary

The prison's closure came amidst high controversy. Many female convicts were administered LSD as part of an experiment that has since been deemed highly unethical. Also, in 1994 a riot on the prison prompted then warden Mary Cassidy to call in an all-male riot squad. News documenting the supression of the riot outlines cruel and barbaric treatment of the prisoners, which inevitably led to the prison's closure. 

Today, the building is owned by Queen's University and used primarily for archival purposes. The outer security walls have since been torn down and though the building permanently closed, its grounds area accessible. 

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