Misplaced Pages

#936063

72-412: Portsmouth Harbour, originally known as Hatter's Bay, was constructed in the 1800s as a convenient means of providing supplies and transporting prisoners to Kingston Penitentiary . It was significantly modified and refurbished in 1974 and 1975. The Canadian Olympic-training Regatta, Kingston (CORK), a non-profit volunteer organization was a key element in bringing the 1976 Olympics to Kingston. Since then,

144-488: A 12-foot high wooden picket fence. In 1845, towers, stock walls, and the north gate house were completed. From 1859 through 1861 a dome was added connecting four cellblocks. The site was chosen for "combining the advantages of perfect salubrity, ready access to the water, and abundant quantities of fine limestone." Six inmates were accepted when the penitentiary was opened. English author Charles Dickens visited Kingston in 1842 and commented in his American Notes : "There

216-428: A bloodbath". The writer Roger Caron described Knight as "vaguely" giving his reasons for the riot. Caron wrote: "Billy Knight went on expounding his ideals from is lofty principles, foolishly blind to the negative whispers and silent maneuvers around him...One of these individuals with a mercurial temper was a handsome twenty-three old convict by the name of Brian Beaucage. Muscular and athletic, he seemed to operate on

288-493: A citizens' committee was formed. At the first meeting, Desmond Morton, an Irish immigrant and law professor at the University of Toronto asked Knight what he wanted. Knight in response stated: "We just want this whole farce exposed. We want the outside world to know that they are doing to us in this festering hellhole". Knight's demands to the citizens' committee centered around allegations of police brutality and that many of

360-513: A clear allusion to the "just society" that the Liberals under the leadership of Pierre Trudeau had promised in the 1968 election. Knight also claimed that the prison guards routinely beat the prisoners and that two prisoners had been nearly beaten to death by the guards in an incident in January 1971. Knight called the uprising a peaceful political protest, which led Jarvis who had also attended

432-451: A coward would deny them the right to rebel. By sunrise we'll have direct communication with the outside world. Either we get penal reform or else we turn this shithouse into a parking lot!". When one of the inmates suggested killing the hostages, Knight admonished him: "Brothers, brothers! Let's not give the pigs the satisfaction of finding a reason to label us as animals to the world. We need the public's support and we won't get it by creating

504-463: A decision to release the hostages early on the morning of 18 April 1971. On 22 November 1971, the Crown made a plea bargain with the charges of two counts of first-degree murder against Brian Beaucage , who had organized the murders, were dropped in exchange for Beaucage making a guilty plea to one count of assault causing bodily harm with regard to the beating he had inflicted on Ensor. The plea bargain

576-515: A guard was present. Guindon's son, Harley Davidson Guindon , was held at Kingston in 2011. Several of the Port Hope 8 such as Gary Comeau , Merv Blaker , Jeff McLeod , and Richard Sauvé were held at Kingston Penitentiary in 1979–1980. The gangster Gregory Woolley served his sentence at Kingston Penitentiary between 2005 and 2007. Howard Chard , the chief enforcer of the Papalia family,

648-530: A hospital in Sault St. Marie to be treated for his frostbite and he again escaped, but was captured within a few blocks of the hospital. Knight was convicted of escaping lawful custody, resisting arrest and automobile theft and was sentenced to 7 years in prison at Kingston Penitentiary , the toughest prison in Canada. Knight worked as the prison barber at Kingston penitentiary, which allowed him to know all of

720-458: A lack of adequate channels to deal with complaints and the lack of an adequate staff which resulted in the breakdowns of established procedures to deal with inmate requests. The polarization between inmates and custodial staff, between custodial staff and professional staff, led inevitably to the destruction of the program and deterioration in the life of the institution." This riot, together with successors in 1975, led to an official Sub-Committee on

792-400: A pardon was still possible, MacKenzie told him: "You're the only one who's saying that". Martin told Knight: "You have the choice between hanging for the capital murder of a prison guard or accepting charges of kidnapping". MacKenzie added: "We don't want your ping-pong prizes. Most of your grievances are silly. The object is to get the guys out of here". Finally, Knight accepted that a pardon

SECTION 10

#1732790288937

864-585: A parole, Knight smashed the window of a store in Kingston to steal some cigarettes. Knight's parole was revoked and he was sentenced to another 3 years in prison. In January 1970, he escaped from the Collins Bay Institution and fled into the wilderness of northern Ontario in a stolen automobile. Knight was arrested in Wawa after a lengthy chase though the snow-clad fields. Knight was sent to

936-497: A rapist, Knight had to live apart as an "undesirable" from the other prisoners, which caused him to suffer from depression. During his time in Saskatchewan, Knight attempted to commit suicide by slashing his Achilles tendon as he found living alone in his cell all the time to be psychologically stressful. The file on Knight stated: "Knight is a very demanding individual who can strongly display his rather volatile character. He

1008-475: A settlement won't be achieved". However, Goyer went on national radio to declare that the Crown would not make any deals with the prisoners. The prisoners had transistor radios and were very well aware of Goyer's speech. When Knight presented the deal he struck, he was attacked on the stage by an especially violent prisoner, Brian Beaucage . Beaucage seized the megaphone from Knight and told him: "You've had it, you're through talking". MacKenzie in turn seized

1080-435: 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. 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. In 1999, inmate Ty Conn escaped from

1152-488: A squad of Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers. The 50 ringleaders were placed in solitary confinement. On April 14, 1971, a riot led by the prison barber, Billy Knight , lasted four days and resulted in the death of two inmates and destruction of much of the prison. Security was substantially increased and prison reforms were instituted. Six correctional officers were held hostage, but all were eventually released unharmed. The prisoners issued formal grievances to

1224-464: A thief. At the age of 18 he married his girlfriend after she became pregnant with his child. However, being married and a father led Knight to steal more to support his new family. In 1966, Knight was convicted of theft after he broke into a Salvation Army store in Windsor . During his trial, he attempted to escape from the courthouse. He was sentenced to three years in prison. In 1969, while out on

1296-471: A very poor family in Don Mills , at the time a rural community outside of Toronto . Both of Knight's parents were illiterate and he was the fourth of eleven children. The Knight family were so poor that they lived in the barn of Knight's grandfather's farm. Both of his parents and his older siblings frequently beat him as a boy. He amassed a lengthy criminal record as a child as he took to shoplifting from

1368-640: A year after the Kingston riot, and was then sent to a prison in British Columbia . Knight escaped in 1975 and settled in Chatham . During his period of freedom, Knight stole an automobile, used a gun to rob a Sunoco gas station and raped a 15-year-old girl. The girl was an employee of the Sunoco gas station that Knight robbed, and he forced her at gunpoint into his stolen car. Afterwards, Knight raped

1440-529: Is a former maximum security prison located in Kingston, Ontario , Canada, between King Street West and Lake Ontario . Constructed from 1833 to 1834 and opened on June 1, 1835, as the "Provincial Penitentiary of the Province of Upper Canada", it was one of the oldest prisons in continuous use in the world at the time of its closure in 2013. Kingston Penitentiary was one of nine prisons in the Kingston area, prisons which had ranged from low-security facilities to

1512-498: Is an admirable jail here, well and wisely governed, and excellently regulated, in every respect. The men were employed as shoemakers, ropemakers, blacksmiths, tailors, carpenters, and stonecutters; and in building a new prison, which was pretty far advanced towards completion. The female prisoners were occupied in needlework." The penitentiary's western wall adjoins the Portsmouth Olympic Harbour , which hosted

SECTION 20

#1732790288937

1584-411: Is our last-ditch stand against the inhumanities the prisoners will face upon a forced transfer to Millhaven". Knight claimed that the vast majority of the prisoners were not criminals, but rather victims of an unjust society who had been forced against their wills into lives of crime by what he claimed was the oppressive nature of Canadian society. Knight's repeated references to the "unjust society" were

1656-691: 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

1728-591: The Black Donnellys , was sentenced to be hanged on September 17, 1859, for the murder of Patrick Farrell. A petition for clemency started by his wife Johannah saw his sentence reduced to seven years in Kingston Penitentiary. Other notable inmates include Lizzie Lessard , Wayne Ford , Russell Williams , Paul Bernardo , Clifford Olson , Roger Caron and Grace Marks . Wayne Boden , the Canadian "Vampire Rapist" died there in March 2006. Tim Buck , leader of

1800-422: The 1-D range from violence, which he believed would alienate Canadian public opinion. Knight stopped one child molester, James Bell, from being beaten to death by the other prisoners and prison hospital: "We have an emergency situation here. An inmate is bleeding to death". Together with MacKenzie, Knight saved the life of a child molester, Brian Ensor, whom the other prisoners were trying to throw to his death from

1872-421: The 64 prisoners in the gymnasium to go into the dome to join the uprising. The 1-D range in Kingston prison was for the "undesirables", the slang term used by both the prison guards and the prisoners to describe rapists, child molesters and child killers. Caron wrote: "Inadvertently Billy Knight ended with one very gruesome responsibility he hadn't planned on: keeping alive fourteen child molesters and rapists in

1944-686: The CKLC radio station to tell him: "We've taken hostages". Knight told Retzer he wanted to call a press conference to address the Canadian people about his demands. At 10: 45 am, Knight had his press conference which was attended by the journalists Gerry Retzer of the CKLC station, Henry Champ of CTV News, Graham Cox of the Canadian Press, and William Baird and Sheldon MacNeil of the Kingston Whig-Standard . Knight read out his demands as he stated: "We're sick of being zombies. This

2016-616: The Communist Party, was a prisoner at Kingston Penitentiary convicted under Section 98 of the Criminal Code during the early 1930s. Bernie Guindon , the president of the Satan's Choice Motorcycle Club who served part of his rape sentence at Kingston penitentiary in 1969-1970 described Kingston penitentiary as a very harsh prison where the other prisoners were not permitted to speak to one another outside of their cells unless

2088-711: The Leclerc Institution in Laval, Quebec and the Regional Treatment Centre in Kingston, Ontario . Kingston Penitentiary officially closed on September 30, 2013. The penitentiary was opened during October/November 2013 for public tours hosted by the United Way of KFL&A and Habitat for Humanity Canada . On September 10, 1923, inmate Norman "Red" Ryan planned and carried out an escape with several other inmates. After setting fire to

2160-504: The Penitentiary System in Canada, chaired by Justice Mark MacGuigan . The 1977 MacGuigan Report recommended the creation of an Independent Chairperson (ICP) to investigate prisoner complaints. From 1971 to 1981, the penitentiary served as Corrections Canada 's Ontario Region Reception Centre. Before it closed, the facility housed between 350 and 500 inmates plus another 120 at the Regional Treatment Centre contained within

2232-439: The bus. Caron wrote that Knight was "struck over the head so hard that his skull cracked like an egg". Bleeding badly, Knight was then forced to run a gauntlet of prison guards who beat him with nightsticks. When Knight collapsed, another prison guard, Bernard Evans, repeatedly punched him in the face. Knight was charged with kidnapping the six prison guards taken hostage. Of the inmates that faced charges of kidnapping, Knight

Portsmouth Olympic Harbour - Misplaced Pages Continue

2304-431: The conference to say: "You threatened to cut off their fingers if any more shots were fired". Knight replied: "We could chop off heads instead of fingers". Knight then went on a lengthy rant about the police forces of Canada, who he claimed routinely beat criminals and accused the police of framing many of the men in Kingston prison. Knight finally submitted a list of demands that called for a citizens' committee to mediate

2376-402: The criminal actions committed during the riot. Knight told Arthur Martin of the citizens' committee: "Without a promise of total immunity, we won't guarantee the safety of the hostages". The citizens' committee came to respect MacKenzie, whose cool demeanor and common sense stood in marked contrast to Knight's angry behaviour and absurdly unrealistic demands. When Knight continued to insist that

2448-487: 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 . Kingston Penitentiary had been home to many of Canada's most dangerous and notorious criminals. James Donnelly, patriarch of

2520-435: The guards being able to identify Knight, Justice Donald Graham dismissed the charges of kidnapping against Knight under the grounds that the Crown had failed to establish a case against Knight. As Knight left the courtroom, he left behind the pair of glasses he had been wearing, which he no longer needed. Knight sued the Crown and Goyer personally for the beating he had endured at Millhaven. Knight won his civil law case with

2592-491: The harbour has been a venue for annual Olympic-quality sailing events. 44°13′08″N 76°30′58″W  /  44.219°N 76.516°W  / 44.219; -76.516 This article about a sports venue in Canada is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about a Summer Olympics venue is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Kingston Penitentiary Kingston Penitentiary (known locally as KP and Kingston Pen )

2664-399: The inmates as the prison rules required that the inmates have short hair and no facial hair. Knight wore his own hair in an elaborate "1940s pompadour ", which made him stand out in the prison. The Canadian journalist Catherine Fogarty described him as: "A well-liked, mouthy type, Knight never backed down from an argument. He was a strong advocate for exposing conditions within the prison and

2736-546: The inmates had convicted of crimes they had not committed as Knight asserted: "Others will swear they were forced to talk by having their testicles nailed to a chair". Knight's other set of demands concerned the treatment of inmates at Kingston penitentiary as Knight complained about collective punishments where all inmates were punished for the actions of a few. When the soldiers of the Royal Canadian Regiment arrived at Kingston Penitentiary on 16 April 1971,

2808-405: The inmates were thrown into panic at the sight of the soldiers who they believed were going to massacre them. Knight called Jarvis to tell him: "You pull those guys out of here or you've got problems". During the talks with the citizens' committee, the members of the committee quickly grew tired of Knight, who had a tendency to grandstand and to make unrealistic demands such as a pardon for all of

2880-410: The judge ruling that Knight had been the victim of an injustice. Knight was awarded $ 3,500, of which he gave $ 1,000 to a children's charity. Knight was caught up in a lengthy custody dispute with his ex-wife over his daughters, Sherry and Kelly, whom his ex-wife wanted to be adopted by her current husband under the grounds that Knight had not seen his daughters for nearly a decade. In April 1972, Knight

2952-507: The keys from Decker. Four of Knight's other followers, Brian Dodge, Robert Adams, Leo Barrieault, and Allan Lafreniere raced into the central dome of the prison before the other guards could shut the door that linked the recreation hall to the dome. Dodge tacked the prison guard Donald Flynn in the dome. Knight shouted out "finish him off and lock him up in F-block". Three other guards, Ed Barret, Joseph Valier and Douglas Dittrich standing by

Portsmouth Olympic Harbour - Misplaced Pages Continue

3024-498: The law being struck down in Ontario. A coroner's inquest concluded Gentles's death was accidental. Mohammad and Hamed Shafia were imprisoned in the penitentiary after being convicted of killing Mohammad's three daughters and first wife. Michael Rafferty was serving a life sentence for his role in the kidnapping, rape and murder of eight-year-old Victoria Stafford of Woodstock, but has since been relocated. Much of Alias Grace

3096-501: The local A&P grocery store to feed himself, his parents and his siblings. He rarely attended school and often ran from his home to live on the streets. At the age of 14, after he was arrested for shoplifting, he was placed "in care". After his release at the age of 15, Knight stole an automobile and was sent to the Guelph Reformatory for the next year. Knight made his living as a petty criminal, who worked mostly as

3168-486: The maximum-security facilities of Kingston Penitentiary and of Millhaven Institution , which was initially built to replace Kingston Pen. The institution was built on land described as "lot number twenty, in the first concession of the Township of Kingston". The cells originally measured 73.7 cm (29.0 in) wide by244 cm (8.01 ft) deep and 200.7 centimetres (6 feet 7.0 inches) high. The area had

3240-404: The media including lack of recreational time, lack of work, and concerns about their future conditions in the newly built Millhaven Prison . During the riot, two prisoners, the child molester, Brian Ensor, and Bertrand Robert, a man who killed his five children, were murdered by the other prisoners. To put a stop to what was threatening to become a massacre, another inmate, Barrie MacKenzie , made

3312-424: The megaphone from Beaucage and gave it back to Knight. Knight told the inmates: "We've lost our civil rights and now we are on the verge of losing our human rights". Despite his brave words, it was clear that Knight's authority had collapsed and that the inmates were now led by rival factions loyal to Beaucage and MacKenzie. After the riot ended on 18 April 1971, Knight was sent to Millhaven Institution , where he

3384-474: The mouth of this gun". Knight told him: "We've got full control of the dome and six hostages. I want you to release my brothers. Let them join me in my peaceful protest". When Babcock still refused, Knight left the gymnasium. Later that night, Knight met Jarvis in the gymnasium. Jarvis asked Knight: "What exactly do you want from us?" Knight answered: "For a start, we want positive results in our desire for decent living conditions" Jarvis backed down and allowed

3456-403: The only penitentiary research service in Canada. The museum is located in "Cedarhedge", the former Warden's residence of Kingston Penitentiary that was constructed between 1870 and 1873. Billy Knight (criminal) William James "Billy" Knight (17 March 1943 – 10 December 1978) was a Canadian criminal who served as the leader of the 1971 Kingston Penitentiary riot . Knight was born into

3528-526: The phone system to call the warden, Arthur Jarvis, to tell him to order the guards to stop shooting as he threatened: "If there are any more shots fired, we'll start cutting off some fingers". Knight, who had a Messiah complex , gave another short speech to the freed prisoners where he said: "We've got hostages, men. We're not going to release them until our demands are met, and that, my brothers, will take days of hard talk. Have courage, my brothers, and remember when people have nothing to lose but themselves, only

3600-415: The preliminary hearing. The Crown Attorney, John Sampson, asked Decker if he could identify Knight as the man who punched him in the stomach on the night of 14 April. Despite the fact that Knight was sitting right opposite him, Decker testified that Knight was not in the courtroom as he could not see him. Another guard, William Babcock, likewise testified that he could not see Knight in the courtroom despite

3672-464: The principle that he either liked or disliked you according to your face. He obviously found Billy's profile entirely to his disliking and was itching for the opportunity to rearrange it". Knight then went to the gymnasium. In the gymnasium, Knight confronted the guards who had forced the inmates against the wall at gunpoint. Knight approached the guard Bill Babcock and told him "let's talk". Babcock replied: "Anything I got to say to you will come from

SECTION 50

#1732790288937

3744-433: The prison bell were assaulted. Within a few minutes, Knight had six prison guards as hostages and control of the dome. Knight used the keys he had seized to start opening up as many of the cells as possible. Knight then gave a speech, where he proclaimed: "Brothers! Our time has come to shake off the shackles. We've taken control of the dome and we've got six hostages. You will all be released from your cells". Knight used

3816-478: The prison. Knight's plan called for a group of prisoners to overpower the guards and then use the keys to release the other prisoners. On the night of 14 April 1971, Knight was watching TV in the recreation hall with the other prisoners when the prison bell rang at 10:30 pm, indicting that the prisoners were to go to bed. Knight and his followers were supposed go to separate ranges of the prison, but other prisoners agreed to swap places to allow Knight's group to join

3888-528: The prison. Every inmate was given an individual cell. In its later years, Kingston Penitentiary became known as a "dumping ground for bad guards", and after an investigation by the RCMP, eight guards were terminated. In 1990, Kingston Penitentiary was designated a National Historic Site of Canada . On April 19, 2012, the Government of Canada announced plans to close the Kingston Penitentiary, along with

3960-400: The protection unit". Knight had the keys to the 1-D range along with what Caron called the "reluctant support" of Barrie MacKenzie , an especially tough and respected prisoner, against violence being done to the men in the 1-D range. However, two prisoners were able to climb into the 1-D range via the top tiers of the building and broke into the cells. Knight tried to protect the prisoners in

4032-421: The riot a breakout was attempted, but was foiled by the guards at the gate. The trouble apparently began during a morning baseball game in the exercise yard, when a guard was attacked, followed by several inmates setting fire to various buildings in the yard, including the shops and a warehouse, causing an estimated $ 2 million in damages. The disturbance was quelled by the guards aided by 160 Canadian Army troops and

4104-432: The riot as Knight did not trust the Crown to negotiate in good faith. Knight invited the reporter Henry Champ of CTV News to tour the prison along with his camera crew, an offer that was accepted. Knight allowed Champ and his crew to interview one of the hostages, Ed Barrett, who stated that the reports in the media that the inmates were engaged in the physical and sexual abuse of the hostages were not true. In response,

4176-424: The sailing events for the 1976 Summer Olympics . Immediately across the road to the north is the now-closed Kingston Prison for Women , which functioned from January 24, 1934, to May 8, 2000, taking female prisoners who had been housed in segregated quarters in the main facility. On August 14, 1954, a two-hour riot broke out in the penitentiary—the worst in its history up to that point —involving 900 inmates. During

4248-492: The same line-up. As the prisoners were being marched to the 2-H range, the guard Terry Decker failed to notice that some of the prisoners in the line-up belonged to other ranges. However, Decker did notice that Knight's shirt was not tucked in and ordered him "tuck that shirt in!". Knight, who believed that his plan was about to exposed, punched Decker in the stomach and shouted "That's the last fucking order you're going to give!" One of Knight's followers, Charles Saunders, seized

4320-464: The third floor. When the prisoners smashed up and destroyed the Protestant and Catholic chapels, Knight ordered the prisoners to use the debris to build makeshift barricades. The next morning, Knight called Jarvis to demand food and coffee for the prisoners. Jarvis at first refused Knight's demands, but relented after Knight threatened violence against the hostages. Knight called Gerry Retzer of

4392-483: The unfortunate girl. During a trip to Windsor , Knight was arrested. Knight was convicted of escaping lawful custody, theft, armed robbery and rape. The rape conviction ended Knight's chances of having The Walking Dead published as no publisher wanted to publish a book by a convicted rapist. In October 1975, Knight was sent back to Millhaven and in November 1976 he was transferred to Saskatchewan Penitentiary . As

SECTION 60

#1732790288937

4464-436: The uprising in advance for a month and that "I anticipated seizing the entire institution". Knight was still working on his memoir, The Walking Dead , which he believed would be a bestseller if he could only find a publisher. Knight also told Haggart that he wanted out of prison so that he could see his daughters and be the father that he so far had failed to be. Knight was held in solitary confinement at Millhaven for almost

4536-447: The way that Knight was sitting right next to his lawyer Barry Swadron. Sampson complained that Knight was "hiding in plain sight" as he was sitting in the defendant's docket, but that none of the guards could recognize him with Knight wearing glasses and having long hair. Another two of the guards taken hostage, Joseph Vallier and Douglas Dale, failed to identify Knight as being in the courtroom when asked to do so by Sampson. With none of

4608-536: Was always making impassioned speeches to anyone who would listen...He was a natural leader among the inmates". A member of the National Parole Board stated: "Knight could charm you out of your teeth, gold filings and all". Knight was writing an autobiography, The Walking Dead , which he believed would be a bestseller that would force public opinion to change prison conditions. Sometime in March 1971, Knight began planning an uprising to take control of

4680-452: Was and still is very controversial. A 1971 inquiry into the riot, chaired by Justice J.W. Swackhamer, reported that they had "already noted a number of causes for Kingston's failure: the aged physical facilities, overcrowding, the shortage of professional staff, a program that had been substantially curtailed, the confinement in the institution of a number of people who did not require maximum security confinement, too much time spent in cells,

4752-474: Was beaten bloody by the Millhaven guards as soon as he arrived. Knight's skull was fractured as a result of the beating and he spent the next month in a hospital. The Millhaven prison guards especially hated Knight as the man who started the riot at Kingston Penitentiary and singled out for an especially vicious beating as he was attacked by the prison guard Grant Snider with a nightstick as soon he stepped off

4824-538: Was filmed at the penitentiary. Located directly across from Kingston Penitentiary, the Correctional Service of Canada Museum (also known as "Canada's Penitentiary Museum") explains the history of Kingston Penitentiary and other correctional centres using displays that incorporate artifacts, photographs, equipment, and replicas. The museum also houses most of the institution's historical records as well as those of other Canadian penitentiaries, and provides

4896-465: Was interviewed by the journalist Ron Haggart of The Globe & Mail newspaper. Knight told Haggart about why he had started the riot: "I had a bellyful of bitterness, frustration and disgust that was slowly eating me alive". He still insisted the riot was only an act of peaceful protest as he told Haggart: "Kingston was a living, breathing hell-hole and I chose to destroy it before it could destroy me". Knight told Haggart that he carefully planned

4968-485: Was not possible and stated: "All we ask is the Solicitor-General give his word we will not be mistreated". Knight agreed to a deal under which the guards would not beat the inmates if they surrendered and a promise that Jean-Pierre Goyer , the Solicitor-General, would agree to review prison conditions in exchange for ending the riot. Knight stated: "It won't be easy. Without a majority of the inmates agreeing,

5040-509: Was released on June 29, 1935. Robert Gentles was killed by six guards in 1993. Gentles's mother Carmeta believed that the guards were motivated by racism in their attack on her son but was unsuccessful in bringing charges against the guards independent of the Crown. Two men, Ravin Gill and Bradley Waugh, placed wanted posters for the six guards around Kingston which led to their being charged with criminal libel. The ensuing criminal case resulted in

5112-549: Was the boxing champion of Kingston Penitentiary in the 1940s. Gregory Woolley , the boss of the Hells Angels puppet gang, the Rockers, served his prison sentence at Kingston Penitentiary between 2005 and 2011. Marie-Anne Houde, formerly convicted for the murder of her stepdaughter Aurore Gagnon , was sentenced to life in Kingston Penitentiary, following the appeal to commute her sentence to death citing health reasons. She

5184-443: Was the only one who refused to make a plea bargain with the Crown. On 17 August 1971, the accused pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of forcible seizure while Knight refused, saying the taking of hostages was only an act of protest. During the preliminary hearing (the Canadian version of a grand jury ), Knight changed his appearance by growing his hair long along with a moustache and while he did not need glasses, he wore glasses at

#936063