Collins Bay Institution, Federal prison in Kingston, Canada
Collins Bay Institution is a federal prison in Kingston, Canada, combining medium, minimum, and maximum security levels under one administrative roof. The main limestone buildings stand amid fencing and include separate living areas for inmates of different classifications.
The facility opened in 1930 under the name Preferred Class Penitentiary Ontario to house prisoners with better conduct records. Inmates from nearby Kingston Penitentiary helped construct the first buildings.
The name comes from the nearby bay on Lake Ontario, once named by settler families after a pioneer. Visitors notice the tall stone facades and deliberate symmetry that give the complex an almost stately appearance.
The complex sits outside the city center in an area not designed for pedestrians and best reached by vehicle. Vocational and rehabilitation programs operate inside, but tours are not available.
Locals call the prison Disneyland North because of its castle-like silhouette, a nickname firmly rooted among Kingston residents. The steep roofs and turrets look less severe from a distance than other correctional facilities.
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