Mimico Correctional Centre
Encyclopedia
The Mimico Correctional Centre is a provincial medium-security correctional facility
for adult male inmates serving a sentence of 2-years-less-a-day or less in Ontario, Canada. Its history can be traced back to 1887. The Mimico Correctional Centre is one of several facilities operated by the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services (Ontario)
and is located at 130 Horner Avenue in the district of Etobicoke which is now a part of Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
.
Currently, construction is underway on new buildings and once complete (projected for 2012) the site will be renamed the Toronto South Detention Centre. The facility will consist of both a maximum security building, housing up to 1,650 remand
ed offenders awaiting trial, and a medium security building - to be known as the Toronto Intermittent Centre (TIC) - to accommodate up to 320 inmates serving primarily weekend sentences. The maximum security building is the first in Ontario to be constructed from prefabricated concrete cells that can be stacked with minimal support structure.
1887
The Mimico Correctional Centre began its history as the Victoria Industrial School for Boys, which opened on May 16 in the town of Mimico, Ontario (just west of Toronto). Headed by Superintendent W.J. Hendrie. The school (essentially a juvenile
reformatory) emphasized child rescue, reform through character development, moral and academic education, and vocation
al training.
The opening ceremonies were officiated by Lord Lansdowne, the Governor General of Canada
. The first boy was registered at the school on June 14.
At its peak, the school consisted of the following:
The school received 'students', aged from under 10 through 14 years, through the Toronto School Board Truancy
Department. Funding was provided by the province, municipality, and parental-fees (contributed "in proportion to their means"). The daily routine at the school consisted of 4.5 hours of work and 3.5 hours of school/drill.
The typical daily routine was as follows:
The school was based on 'the family plan' where boys lived in 'cottages' with a matron
, who acted as mother, and a guard, who acted as father. The guards were actually skilled tradesmen who also supervised the boys at work. Some of the trades taught to the boys included carpentry
, tailoring, printing
, mechanics
, and husbandry. The boys also performed work in the kitchen, laundry, and assisted the matrons with the housekeeping
. The following is an excerpt from Superintendent
Hendrie's first annual report:
1913
The Ontario Government found clay
and shale
deposits on land it owned in Mimico providing a natural source of building materials for the Government's own needs, it was quickly exploited, and the Toronto Brick and Tile Company was built. This brickyard was a satellite camp run by the Toronto Central Prison
(built in 1874), an adult-male institution located at King Street and Strachan Avenue in Parkdale, a section of Toronto. The plant could produce over two million brick
s a year for government use.
1915
The Toronto Central Prison closed and the newly built Ontario Reformatory-Guelph - known today as the Guelph Correctional Centre - assumed responsibility for the brickyard.
1927
The Victoria Industrial School became known as the Mimico Reform School.
1928
The site of the Toronto Central Prison brickyard became a reformatory
.
1935
The Mimico Reform School was closed. Following the closing of Penetang (another reform school), the school had become a dumping ground for more "hardened boys", and with the increase in population, the rehabilitative success decreased sharply. In December 1934, the Ontario public secretary
ordered it closed amid sensational public accusations that the school was a "barbarous and antiquated" institution. Remaining students were transferred to the Bowmanville Training School.
The Reform School and adjacent property were merged with the Mimico out-camp for the Ontario Reformatory-Guelph. The Toronto Brick & Tile Company became known as the Ontario Brick & Tile Company and redesignated as the Ontario Reformatory-Mimico.
1936
The Ontario Reformatory-Mimico became autonomous from the Guelph
reformatory.
World War II
The site was used as a POW camp (known as Camp 22) for German
prisoners, many of whom were Merchant-marines and U-boat
crewmen. Mimico was just one of many such camps spread across Ontario and Canada. The prisoners at Mimico were housed in huts
and fed in the main dormitory building.
1946
The Province of Ontario formed the Department of Reform Institutions overseeing about 10 institutions.
1951
The Alex G. Brown Memorial Clinic opened on site in the old 'Beverly Jones Cottage' (left over from the Victoria Industrial School). The clinic provided treatment for drug and alcohol addiction
.
Ontario Reformatory-Mimico occupied 200 acre (0.809372 km²). On the property were 51 dairy cows, 362 pigs and poultry.
1952
Buildings 1, 2, 3, and 4 were built (construction began 1948).
The buildings were connected with canopied walkways that extended south to the dining-hall/old administration building. Steam-pipes ran under the walkways from the boiler
-house to heat the four new buildings and as a result, the walkways were almost always clear of ice and snow in the winter.
Building 2, as an annex of the Alex G. Brown Clinic, was used to house sexual deviates
, screened at the Ontario Reformatory-Millbrook.
1961
New boiler-house built (now used by maintenance as workshops).
1962
New administration building added.
1967
160 acre (0.6474976 km²) was sold to the Borough of Etobicoke and rezoned
for industrial use.
1968
(January) The Department of Reform Institutions became known as the Department of Correctional Services and the provincial government took over control of the more than 50 county and district jails.
The treatment of sex offenders was moved from the Alex G. Brown Clinic to the Ontario Hospital.
Industry at Mimico showed an annual output of 275,000 bricks; 12 tons of tile; 4829 slippers; 700 boot/shoe repairs; 662 picnic tables; 449 rolls of snow fence
; as well as a number of fireplace grills and flag-poles.
The inmate capacity was 350 in the reformatory, 108 in the Alex G. Brown Clinic and 30 at Camp Hillsdale (a minimum-security forestry
camp).
1969
Ontario Brick and Tile Company was closed following pressure from outside labour unions
that argued that the plant was taking jobs from their members.
1972
Department of Correctional Services became known as the Ministry of Correctional Services.
For the first time, females were allowed to work as Correctional Officers; They had previously been known as Matrons and restricted to working with female inmates or juvenile offenders.
Ontario Reformatory-Mimico became the Mimico Correctional Centre.
1973
The Alex G. Brown Clinic was moved to the Ontario Correctional Institute.
The part of the property that was formally the Victoria Industrial School for Boys was sold to the Borough of Etobicoke (currently the site of former Toronto Police 21 Division and Ourland Park).
1975
Mimico Correctional Centre was 'closed' with plans to move all staff and inmates to the Maplehurst Correctional Centre. The institution was cleared of inmates and only a handful of staff remained when it was decided that Mimico should be 're-opened'.
The following is an excerpt from an article in the Correctional Update, an internal periodical. The article, written in February 1975, reported on the impending closure of Mimico:
The dining hall (formerly the main dormitory building prior to 1948) behind the administration building was torn down and replaced with a dining hall in the basement of Building 2.
1976
Buildings 5 and 6 were built but remained closed.
1981
Buildings 5 and 6 were opened and used to house Intermittent Temporary Absence (day-pass
) and intermittent (sentence served on weekends) inmates.
1982
Mimico Correctional Centre was reclassified from minimum-security to medium-security and the perimeter fencing increased from ten feet to twenty-one feet.
1986
Payphones were installed in the inmate dormitories, allowing inmates to place collect-calls.
1988
Building 2 was converted to a 136-bed, medium-security remand
unit.
1989
Segregation cells
(4) in the basement of Building 1 were closed and replaced with a ten-cell unit at the rear of the building.
1991
The inmate dining hall and kitchen in the basement of Building 2 were closed and replaced with the newly completed 320-seat dining hall.
I.T.A. program was moved completely out of the institution to Community Resource Centres (Halfway-houses
).
1993
Ministry of Correctional Services became the Ministry of the Solicitor General and Correctional Services.
Five new cells were opened in the basement of Building 1 in place of the Immigration
Dorm (formerly used as a medical isolation dorm when AIDS
began to show up in the inmate population).
1994
Mimico Detention Centre was opened for maximum-security remand inmates and Building 2 was closed for renovations. Mimico Correctional Centre became the Mimico Correctional Complex.
1996
The I.T.A. program was moved back into Mimico after the Ministry closed all C.R.C.'s.
(February) Correctional Officers and support staff went on strike
for 5 weeks in a bid to improve job security and increase wages that had not kept pace with inflation in over 12 years.
1997
Renovations and staff training began for the conversion of the detention centre (Buildings 2 and 7) into the Toronto Youth Assessment Centre (TYAC).
1998
(January) The Toronto Youth Assessment Centre opened as a separate institution. Mimico Correctional Complex was once again the Mimico Correctional Centre.
1999
(June) The Ministry of the Solicitor General and Correctional Services was divided again into two separate ministries; The Ministry of the Solicitor General and the Ministry of Correctional Services.
2002
The Ministry of the Solicitor General and the Ministry of Correctional Services merged again to become the Ministry of Public Safety and Security.
2003
(January) All but a few regular inmates were transferred out to other correctional centres and Mimico became an Intermittent Inmate facility. Intermittent inmates serve their sentences in instalments, typically on weekends and remain at large in the community the remainder of the time. Initially, the facility was to become a branch of the Toronto Jail
and renamed the Toronto Jail Intermittent Facility, but the staff at Mimico rallied successfully to maintain autonomy.
(November) The Ministry of Public Safety and Security was renamed to the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services.
2004
The Toronto Youth Assessment Centre was shut down amidst controversy surrounding the conditions of the facility.
The Ontario Government issued this press release:
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
for adult male inmates serving a sentence of 2-years-less-a-day or less in Ontario, Canada. Its history can be traced back to 1887. The Mimico Correctional Centre is one of several facilities operated by the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services (Ontario)
Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services (Ontario)
The Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services is responsible for law enforcement services in the Canadian province of Ontario, including the Ontario Provincial Police, correctional centres, detention centres/jails The Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services (French:...
and is located at 130 Horner Avenue in the district of Etobicoke which is now a part of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Toronto South Detention Centre
Remand
The term remand may be used to describe an action by an appellate court in which it remands, or sends back, a case to the trial court or lower appellate court for action....
ed offenders awaiting trial, and a medium security building - to be known as the Toronto Intermittent Centre (TIC) - to accommodate up to 320 inmates serving primarily weekend sentences. The maximum security building is the first in Ontario to be constructed from prefabricated concrete cells that can be stacked with minimal support structure.
History
The Mimico Correctional Centre began its history as the Victoria Industrial School for Boys, which opened on May 16 in the town of Mimico, Ontario (just west of Toronto). Headed by Superintendent W.J. Hendrie. The school (essentially a juvenile
Minor (law)
In law, a minor is a person under a certain age — the age of majority — which legally demarcates childhood from adulthood; the age depends upon jurisdiction and application, but is typically 18...
reformatory) emphasized child rescue, reform through character development, moral and academic education, and vocation
Vocation
A vocation , is a term for an occupation to which a person is specially drawn or for which they are suited, trained or qualified. Though now often used in non-religious contexts, the meanings of the term originated in Christianity.-Senses:...
al training.
The opening ceremonies were officiated by Lord Lansdowne, the Governor General of Canada
Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
. The first boy was registered at the school on June 14.
At its peak, the school consisted of the following:
- Six 'Cottages' (3 or 4 story Victorian
Victorian architectureThe term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
houses)- Hospita]
- Skating rink
- Farm with greenhouses
- School with assembly hall
- Gymnasium with indoor swimming poo]
- Workshops
- Administration building
The school received 'students', aged from under 10 through 14 years, through the Toronto School Board Truancy
Truancy
Truancy is any intentional unauthorized absence from compulsory schooling. The term typically describes absences caused by students of their own free will, and usually does not refer to legitimate "excused" absences, such as ones related to medical conditions...
Department. Funding was provided by the province, municipality, and parental-fees (contributed "in proportion to their means"). The daily routine at the school consisted of 4.5 hours of work and 3.5 hours of school/drill.
The typical daily routine was as follows:
06:30 Rise and Wash
07:00 Morning Prayers
07:30 Breakfast
08:00 Playground
08:30 Work
10:30 Playground
11:00 Work
12:00 Cottage
12:30 Dinner
13:00 Playground
13:30 Work
15:00 Playground
15:30 School
18:30 TeaTea (meal)Tea can refer to any of several different meals or mealtimes, depending on a country's customs and its history of drinking tea. However, in those countries where the term's use is common, the influences are generally those of the former British Empire...
19:00 Cottage (Winter)
20:45 Bed (Winter)
19:00 Playground (Summer)
20:00 Cottage (Summer)
21:00 Bed (Summer)
The school was based on 'the family plan' where boys lived in 'cottages' with a matron
Matron
Matron is the job title of a very senior nurse in several countries, including the United Kingdom, its former colonies, including the Republic of Ireland, although the title Clinical Nurse Manager has become acceptable as an alternative.-History:...
, who acted as mother, and a guard, who acted as father. The guards were actually skilled tradesmen who also supervised the boys at work. Some of the trades taught to the boys included carpentry
Carpentry
A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
, tailoring, printing
Printing
Printing is a process for reproducing text and image, typically with ink on paper using a printing press. It is often carried out as a large-scale industrial process, and is an essential part of publishing and transaction printing....
, mechanics
Mechanics
Mechanics is the branch of physics concerned with the behavior of physical bodies when subjected to forces or displacements, and the subsequent effects of the bodies on their environment....
, and husbandry. The boys also performed work in the kitchen, laundry, and assisted the matrons with the housekeeping
Housekeeping
Housekeeping is the act of cleaning the rooms and furnishings of a home. It is one of the many chores included in the term housework. Housecleaning includes activities such as disposing of rubbish, cleaning dirty surfaces, dusting and vacuuming. It may also involve some outdoor chores, such as...
. The following is an excerpt from Superintendent
Superintendent (police)
Superintendent , often shortened to "super", is a rank in British police services and in most English-speaking Commonwealth nations. In many Commonwealth countries the full version is superintendent of police...
Hendrie's first annual report:
It seemed a curious undertaking to erect a school for these waifs without bar or cell or hardly a whip, but the lads appear to have dropped into the groove at once, there having been but three attempts to escape. This school differs from a reformatory in that it is in no sense a prison, and the boys are not sent down as criminals, neither are they turned loose upon the world at the expiration of a fixed term, but are apprenticed to some trusty farmer or mechanic... Poor 'bags of bones', found in a deplorable state, have acquired the home feeling and habits of industry and obedience in the kindly atmosphere of the School.
1913
The Ontario Government found clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
and shale
Shale
Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock composed of mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals and tiny fragments of other minerals, especially quartz and calcite. The ratio of clay to other minerals is variable. Shale is characterized by breaks along thin laminae or parallel layering...
deposits on land it owned in Mimico providing a natural source of building materials for the Government's own needs, it was quickly exploited, and the Toronto Brick and Tile Company was built. This brickyard was a satellite camp run by the Toronto Central Prison
Toronto Central Prison
The Toronto Central Prison, also known as the Central Prison, Central Prison for Men, and more colloquially as The Toronto Jail , was a 336-bed facility located near the intersection of King Street and Strachan Avenue in Toronto, Ontario, Canada...
(built in 1874), an adult-male institution located at King Street and Strachan Avenue in Parkdale, a section of Toronto. The plant could produce over two million brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
s a year for government use.
1915
The Toronto Central Prison closed and the newly built Ontario Reformatory-Guelph - known today as the Guelph Correctional Centre - assumed responsibility for the brickyard.
1927
The Victoria Industrial School became known as the Mimico Reform School.
1928
The site of the Toronto Central Prison brickyard became a reformatory
Reformatory
Reformatory is a term that has had varied meanings within the penal system, depending on the jurisdiction and the era. It may refer to a youth detention center, or an adult correctional facility. The term is still in popular use for adult facilities throughout the United States, although most...
.
1935
The Mimico Reform School was closed. Following the closing of Penetang (another reform school), the school had become a dumping ground for more "hardened boys", and with the increase in population, the rehabilitative success decreased sharply. In December 1934, the Ontario public secretary
Company secretary
A company secretary is a senior position in a private company or public organisation, normally in the form of a managerial position or above. In the United States it is known as a corporate secretary....
ordered it closed amid sensational public accusations that the school was a "barbarous and antiquated" institution. Remaining students were transferred to the Bowmanville Training School.
The Reform School and adjacent property were merged with the Mimico out-camp for the Ontario Reformatory-Guelph. The Toronto Brick & Tile Company became known as the Ontario Brick & Tile Company and redesignated as the Ontario Reformatory-Mimico.
1936
The Ontario Reformatory-Mimico became autonomous from the Guelph
Guelph
Guelph is a city in Ontario, Canada.Guelph may also refer to:* Guelph , consisting of the City of Guelph, Ontario* Guelph , as the above* University of Guelph, in the same city...
reformatory.
World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
The site was used as a POW camp (known as Camp 22) for German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
prisoners, many of whom were Merchant-marines and U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
crewmen. Mimico was just one of many such camps spread across Ontario and Canada. The prisoners at Mimico were housed in huts
Hut (dwelling)
A hut is a small and crude shelter, usually used for dwelling. Its design favors local techniques and materials to allow for swift and inexpensive construction.-Modern use:...
and fed in the main dormitory building.
1946
The Province of Ontario formed the Department of Reform Institutions overseeing about 10 institutions.
1951
The Alex G. Brown Memorial Clinic opened on site in the old 'Beverly Jones Cottage' (left over from the Victoria Industrial School). The clinic provided treatment for drug and alcohol addiction
Substance dependence
The section about substance dependence in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders does not use the word addiction at all. It explains:...
.
Ontario Reformatory-Mimico occupied 200 acre (0.809372 km²). On the property were 51 dairy cows, 362 pigs and poultry.
1952
Buildings 1, 2, 3, and 4 were built (construction began 1948).
The buildings were connected with canopied walkways that extended south to the dining-hall/old administration building. Steam-pipes ran under the walkways from the boiler
Boiler
A boiler is a closed vessel in which water or other fluid is heated. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications.-Materials:...
-house to heat the four new buildings and as a result, the walkways were almost always clear of ice and snow in the winter.
Building 2, as an annex of the Alex G. Brown Clinic, was used to house sexual deviates
Sex offender
A sex offender is a person who has committed a sex crime. What constitutes a sex crime differs by culture and by legal jurisdiction. Most jurisdictions compile their laws into sections such as traffic, assault, sexual, etc. The majority of convicted sex offenders have convictions for crimes of a...
, screened at the Ontario Reformatory-Millbrook.
1961
New boiler-house built (now used by maintenance as workshops).
1962
New administration building added.
1967
160 acre (0.6474976 km²) was sold to the Borough of Etobicoke and rezoned
Zoning
Zoning is a device of land use planning used by local governments in most developed countries. The word is derived from the practice of designating permitted uses of land based on mapped zones which separate one set of land uses from another...
for industrial use.
1968
(January) The Department of Reform Institutions became known as the Department of Correctional Services and the provincial government took over control of the more than 50 county and district jails.
The treatment of sex offenders was moved from the Alex G. Brown Clinic to the Ontario Hospital.
Industry at Mimico showed an annual output of 275,000 bricks; 12 tons of tile; 4829 slippers; 700 boot/shoe repairs; 662 picnic tables; 449 rolls of snow fence
Snow fence
A snow fence is a structure, similar to a sand fence, that forces drifting snow to accumulate in a desired place. They are primarily employed to minimize the amount of snowdrift on roadways and railways. Farmers and ranchers may use temporary snow fences to create large drifts in basins for a...
; as well as a number of fireplace grills and flag-poles.
The inmate capacity was 350 in the reformatory, 108 in the Alex G. Brown Clinic and 30 at Camp Hillsdale (a minimum-security forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
camp).
1969
Ontario Brick and Tile Company was closed following pressure from outside labour unions
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
that argued that the plant was taking jobs from their members.
1972
Department of Correctional Services became known as the Ministry of Correctional Services.
For the first time, females were allowed to work as Correctional Officers; They had previously been known as Matrons and restricted to working with female inmates or juvenile offenders.
Ontario Reformatory-Mimico became the Mimico Correctional Centre.
1973
The Alex G. Brown Clinic was moved to the Ontario Correctional Institute.
The part of the property that was formally the Victoria Industrial School for Boys was sold to the Borough of Etobicoke (currently the site of former Toronto Police 21 Division and Ourland Park).
1975
Mimico Correctional Centre was 'closed' with plans to move all staff and inmates to the Maplehurst Correctional Centre. The institution was cleared of inmates and only a handful of staff remained when it was decided that Mimico should be 're-opened'.
The following is an excerpt from an article in the Correctional Update, an internal periodical. The article, written in February 1975, reported on the impending closure of Mimico:
One man who remembers some of the by-gone days at Mimico is Harry Woollcombe who, at 78, works as a delivery man for a flower shop. He has also been a taxiTaxicabA taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
driver since leaving the Ministry in 1956 after 35 years service, 29 of them at Mimico. The first six years he worked at BurwashBurwash, OntarioBurwash was the name of a community in Ontario, Canada, located approximately south of Sudbury. The community was built to house the staff working at the Burwash Industrial Farm , a provincial jail that housed anywhere from 180 to 820 inmates during its history. The prison opened in 1914 and...
where his annual salary was $1,125 for an 11-hour day shift and 13 hours on night duty, with no overtime.
In 1927, he went to Mimico in response to an urgent request from Superintendent Jim Elliott, a friend who needed a records clerk and wanted Harry for the job. He was delighted with his starting salary of $1,400 at Mimico. "I thought it was great to be making that much money," he recalls.
Even though he didn't particularly like the job - "I wasn't cut out to be a clerk" - Harry stuck with it for several years before transferring to the custodial staff.
When the Second World WarWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
began, Harry joined a Toronto militiaMilitiaThe term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
unit so he could stay at Mimico, which was being turned into an internment camp for GermanGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
prisoners. He was assigned to a special train unit that travelled around the country and picked up prisoners for Mimico.
"The German prisoners would question us extensively about the towns we passed and our destination. They recorded everything in notebooks, I suspect, so they could later make maps."
After the war, Harry was promoted to SergeantSergeantSergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
at Mimico and was paid $1,800. One of his most vivid memories is of a dramatic and fatal escape attempt. Two inmates overpowered several staff members and got possession of a set of keys.
The Day Sergeant, who lived in a nearby room where guns were also stored, heard the scuffle and entered the hall carrying a pistol. He ordered the men to stop, but when he was attacked, he fired, killing one of them.
Harry also recalls being involved in a riot at the institution one Christmas Eve when some inmate horseplay resulted in chairs and tables being thrown.
"Being the senior officer on duty, I went into the rest area, pulled out a pad and began to record the names of all inmates I recognized. Soon the fighting stopped and the inmates turned to watch me. I simply turned and left; there was no more trouble."
The death knell for Mimico as a large farming operation was sounded in 1967 when 160 acre (0.6474976 km²) were sold to the Borough of Etobicoke for an industrial park. And the rest of the property is expected to go for similar use when the Ministry moves out this summer.
The dining hall (formerly the main dormitory building prior to 1948) behind the administration building was torn down and replaced with a dining hall in the basement of Building 2.
1976
Buildings 5 and 6 were built but remained closed.
1981
Buildings 5 and 6 were opened and used to house Intermittent Temporary Absence (day-pass
Furlough
In the United States a furlough is a temporary unpaid leave of some employees due to special needs of a company, which may be due to economic conditions at the specific employer or in the economy as a whole...
) and intermittent (sentence served on weekends) inmates.
1982
Mimico Correctional Centre was reclassified from minimum-security to medium-security and the perimeter fencing increased from ten feet to twenty-one feet.
1986
Payphones were installed in the inmate dormitories, allowing inmates to place collect-calls.
1988
Building 2 was converted to a 136-bed, medium-security remand
Detention of suspects
The detention of suspects is the process of keeping a person who has been arrested in a police-cell, remand prison or other detention centre before trial or sentencing. One criticism of pretrial detention is that eventual acquittal can be a somewhat hollow victory, in that there is no way to...
unit.
1989
Segregation cells
Solitary confinement
Solitary confinement is a special form of imprisonment in which a prisoner is isolated from any human contact, though often with the exception of members of prison staff. It is sometimes employed as a form of punishment beyond incarceration for a prisoner, and has been cited as an additional...
(4) in the basement of Building 1 were closed and replaced with a ten-cell unit at the rear of the building.
1991
The inmate dining hall and kitchen in the basement of Building 2 were closed and replaced with the newly completed 320-seat dining hall.
I.T.A. program was moved completely out of the institution to Community Resource Centres (Halfway-houses
Halfway house
The purpose of a halfway house, also called a recovery house or sober house, is generally to allow people to begin the process of reintegration with society, while still providing monitoring and support; this is generally believed to reduce the risk of recidivism or relapse when compared to a...
).
1993
Ministry of Correctional Services became the Ministry of the Solicitor General and Correctional Services.
Five new cells were opened in the basement of Building 1 in place of the Immigration
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
Dorm (formerly used as a medical isolation dorm when AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
began to show up in the inmate population).
1994
Mimico Detention Centre was opened for maximum-security remand inmates and Building 2 was closed for renovations. Mimico Correctional Centre became the Mimico Correctional Complex.
1996
The I.T.A. program was moved back into Mimico after the Ministry closed all C.R.C.'s.
(February) Correctional Officers and support staff went on strike
Strike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
for 5 weeks in a bid to improve job security and increase wages that had not kept pace with inflation in over 12 years.
1997
Renovations and staff training began for the conversion of the detention centre (Buildings 2 and 7) into the Toronto Youth Assessment Centre (TYAC).
1998
(January) The Toronto Youth Assessment Centre opened as a separate institution. Mimico Correctional Complex was once again the Mimico Correctional Centre.
1999
(June) The Ministry of the Solicitor General and Correctional Services was divided again into two separate ministries; The Ministry of the Solicitor General and the Ministry of Correctional Services.
2002
The Ministry of the Solicitor General and the Ministry of Correctional Services merged again to become the Ministry of Public Safety and Security.
2003
(January) All but a few regular inmates were transferred out to other correctional centres and Mimico became an Intermittent Inmate facility. Intermittent inmates serve their sentences in instalments, typically on weekends and remain at large in the community the remainder of the time. Initially, the facility was to become a branch of the Toronto Jail
Don Jail
The Toronto Jail is a provincial jail for remanded offenders in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the Riverdale neighbourhood on Gerrard Street East near its intersection with Broadview Avenue. It gets its nickname from the nearby Don River...
and renamed the Toronto Jail Intermittent Facility, but the staff at Mimico rallied successfully to maintain autonomy.
(November) The Ministry of Public Safety and Security was renamed to the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services.
2004
The Toronto Youth Assessment Centre was shut down amidst controversy surrounding the conditions of the facility.
The Ontario Government issued this press release:
March 8, 2004
McGuintyDalton McGuintyDalton James Patrick McGuinty, Jr., MPP is a Canadian lawyer, politician and, since October 23, 2003, the 24th and current Premier of the Canadian province of Ontario....
Government Closing Toronto Youth Assessment Centre
Queen's Park — The McGuinty government today announced plans to close the Toronto Youth Assessment Centre by a target date of June 30.
"I've visited the facility and it is totally unsuitable for youth in conflict with the law," said Monte KwinterMonte KwinterMonte Kwinter is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He has been a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1985, was a cabinet minister in the government of David Peterson from 1985 to 1990, and was re-appointed to a cabinet position when the Liberals returned to power under Dalton...
, Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services. "Since then, I have made it a priority to close the centre. We are now following through on that commitment."
During the past few months, the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services has taken a number of steps to reduce the number of youth at the facility, as part of its commitment to closing the centre. Approximately 50 youth are currently at the secure-detention centre. They will be relocated to other youth facilities that are appropriate to their program needs, as an interim measure.
"This government will continue to work to ensure that youth in the province's custody are treated in a humane, safe and secure way," Kwinter added. "By making the decision to close the centre, we are bringing real, positive change to Ontario's youth."
"Youth in conflict with the law must be held accountable for their actions and be dealt with firmly, with a rehabilitative focus," said Dr. Marie Bountrogianni, Minister of Children's Services.
Since 1998, the centre, which is located at the Mimico Correctional Centre in Etobicoke, has been used as a temporary location to hold youth, age 16 or 17 at the time of their offence, either in detention or serving custodial sentences. The McGuinty government is committed to meaningful rehabilitation for youth in conflict with the law, to help build strong, safe and vital communities in Ontario.
Movies and television
The Mimico Correctional Centre has provided the location for numerous movies and television shows including:- Woman on the Run: The Lawrencia BembenekLawrencia BembenekLawrencia "Bambi" Bembenek , known as Laurie Bembenek, was convicted of murdering her husband's ex-wife, Christine Schultz, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on May 28, 1981...
Story (1993) (TV) - The Third Twin (1997) (TV)
- Forever MineForever MineForever Mine is a 1999 film written and directed by Paul Schrader. It stars Joseph Fiennes, Gretchen Mol and Ray Liotta.-Plot:Alan Riply , a young cabana boy working at an opulent beach hotel, falls in love with Ellen Brice , the wife of business mogul Mark Brice . Ellen returns his love, but when...
(1999) - Guilt by Association (2002) (TV)
- Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2005)
- Rebirth (2006)
- PSI Factor: Chronicles of the ParanormalPsi Factor: Chronicles of the ParanormalPsi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal is a Canadian science fiction drama television series which was filmed in and around Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and aired 88 episodes over four seasons from 1996 to 2000...
- Television Series - Exhibit A: Secrets of Forensic Science, Stopwatch GangThe Stopwatch GangThe Stopwatch Gang consisted of three transplanted Canadians who made a living robbing banks in the United States and Canada—an estimated 100 banks and $15 million CDN. Consisting of Paddy Mitchell, Lionel Wright and Stephen Reid. The gang's greatest heist took place at a Bank of America branch in...
segment (1999) - Television Series