Prison of Bordeaux

The prison of Bordeaux , of its official name the Establishment of detention of Montreal , is a Québécois Prison located in the north of the Île of Montreal.

History

Built of 1908 to 1912, this establishment was one of only prisons of Type Pennsylvanien in North America. The initial costs granted for its construction will be of 500.000 dollars, but in 1912 the Treasury had already spent more than two million and half.

This type of detention was in vogue in Europe XIX century. However, the name of this system is due to the first penitentiary one of this kind set up in Philadelphia in 1821 when one supported the cellular insulation of day and night. The Philosophie on which this system is based is that the meditation led to the repentance and the amendment of the culprit. This mode carries out the total separation of the prisoner, with difference of the Auburnien mode, where one applies a mode of joint work the day and cellular insulation the night.

Architecture

From the architectural point of view, detention is in the form of asterisk with a central tower towards which 6 wings converge, surmounted by a dome whose cupola is located at 150 feet above the ground. The catholic vault occupies the top of this tower. Detention is also characterized by large cells with imposing walls, full doors and large windows giving on outside.

Currently, the prison changed internal structure in the wings D and B which were demolished to give place to completely modern sectors where technology plays a crucial role. The wing D was reorganized between the years 1992 (after the general riot) and 1996, then the sector B between 1998 and 2001. For these two wings (D and B), one installed a system of surveillance cameras connected to a guérite strengthened with the tinted panes where an agent electronically controls the lights of the sector and the cells, the locking of the doors, the systems of ventilation and visualization by skews of screens connected to the cameras. What were wings of surroundings 200 nuts, they became today wings to five or six sectors (two per stage) of almost 35 people, which facilitates control and the approach personalized and human between the agent and imprisoned.

In July 2007 the sector has was closed to also be the subject of a total reorganization.

Executions

Four twenty people, including three women, were hung in the enclosure since its construction and up to 1962. The scaffold: I saw last hangings with the prison of Bordeaux. Author (S): R. Duguay

important Riots

June 29th, 1960, the prisoners cause major damage and, one week after, others turbid burst because of difficult detention conditions, but they are made repress by the anti-riot sections of the Safety of Quebec and that of the Police force of Montreal.

1992. The greatest riot of the history of the prison took place this year. Four wings, except the wing has, are burned and destroyed almost entirely. The cause are allotted to the overpopulation which had lasted for several months, especially in sector D. the agents were obliged to leave their stations and some of them had to be placed armed on the wall with the peripheral zone in order to avoid the escapes and while waiting for the arrival from special troops of the Safety of Quebec. The sector D was completely burned and destroys, which obliged the authorities to remake it. No agent, nor imprisoned, was killed, but there were several casualties and others inconvenienced by smoke.

2003. Riot in sector A. the sector which had been saved during the events of 1992 there tasted this year. A tension between agents and prisoners is the nonofficial cause of this riot. Objects, like balls of billiards, were launched towards the agents. Then, of the fires were lit in little everywhere and of material broken. The grabuges lasted all during the night. The operating teams of prison (fireman and G.I.) have took again control early the assisted morning of the tactical section of the Safety of Quebec. It is thanks to the intervention of the latter that the agents of correctional services have could take again the control of the situation.

The prison currently accommodates the held S male S condemned to sorrow S of two years minus one day of imprisonment. Y are also lodged Prévenu S on standby of Procès.

It is the most important provincial prison with the Quebec, with a maximum capacity of 1189 prisoners.

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