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The Old Don Jail was built between 1862 and 1865, completed two years before Canada even became a country. Seen from Gerrard Ave. Just on the right of the image you can see a bit of the new jail, built in the mid-century modern style was completed in 1958.
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The distinctive face above the door, almost an icon for the Jail.
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The front of the jail was designed by William Thomas in 1852 in the Italianate Style.
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The Grim rear section of the Jail.
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Upon entry through the massive twin wood studded doors you'd pass through this first set of bars and be placed into an office for processing.
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This second set of bars will lead into the atrium, the sound of the rest of the inmates will be getting louder.
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The Atrium, or the Tower as I liked to call it, three storeys of cell blocks, the loud din of the inmates filling the high ceiling.
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A lone wheel chair in one of the first floor cell blocks.
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A typical cell block.
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Another cell block.
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A cell within the jail, barely enough room for a grown man to lay down in, no bed, no sink, no toilet.
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Another block.
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Final Stop. This was death row, that's right, Canada, at least up until 1976 when the death penalty was abolished. The first execution at the Don Jail was in 1908.
The Old Don Jail was shut down in 1977 after being cited for inhumane conditions, the new Don or "Toronto" jail still operates as a temporary holding facility while people await trials, sentencing, and transport to one of the super jails within the Provence.
How did I get in, simple, I paid. The Jail currently owned by Bridgeport Health Centre they opened the doors to photographers for a contest, I of course jumped at the chance, woke up early Saturday, left my house at 6:15 in the morning arrived at the jail at 7:45...I was in the first wave in (10 at a time, you had one hour inside), I was number 7. Cost to me, $25.00 towards the restoration and rebuilding of the old jail as a research building.
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