One of Canada’s oldest, most notorious prisons to be replaced

Her Majesty's Penitentiary in St. John's, N.L. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sarah Smellie

After decades of debate, there are finally signs of a replacement to the notorious Her Majesty’s Penitentiary in St. John’s, N.L., one of Canada’s oldest operating prisons.

Correctional officers have complained about heat, mold, strong toxic smells and “serious rodent issues” at the prison, according to documents revealed under Access to Information legislation.

Conditions have become so bad that multiple inmates have received extra credit towards their sentences — known as “Duncan” credit — in recognition of the particularly harsh circumstances inside the prison.

Newfoundland and Labrador’s Provincial Government announced Monday that an “early works agreement” has been signed with a contractor that will allow some preliminary site work to begin.

The provincial government and contractor New Avalon Corrections Partners is also working towards concluding an agreement to build a new prison, which is estimated to cost almost $700 million.

“Despite the inflated price tag and challenge, as I call it, we remain steadfast in our commitment to getting the project done,” said Transportation and Works Minister Elvis Loveless.

Price estimates for the project have soared, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic. Loveless and other provincial government officials have blamed inflation for the change in budget, which was once about $400 million.

The ceremonial groundbreaking on Monday is the closest the provincial government has stepped in years to replacing the decrepit, 166-year-old penitentiary.

The notorious prison is often excruciatingly hot and odorous and tensions among prisoners are at an almost permanent boil, according to St. John’s defence lawyer Erin Breen.

“When you walk in, in the summertime in particular, it’s a wall of heat and stench that hits you,” she said.

Staffing issues, according to Breen, have frequently led to lockdowns inside the prison where inmates must be kept inside their cells in order to maintain safety.

“They’re not getting access at all to fresh air or outdoor air. Very rarely do they get recreation at all,” she said. “You’re subjecting people to things that you would think that in 2025, in Canada, just could not happen.”

Previous replacement attempts

This week’s groundbreaking ceremony marks the latest — but not the only — attempt to replace the ailing prison in recent years. An attempt in 2019 stalled over concerns with rising costs.

“It has always been a difficult priority politically,” John Haggie, Newfoundland and Labrador’s Minister of Justice, said Monday. “It is a hard sell for a lot of people. And quite frankly, that doesn’t make it any the less important.”

Haggie deflected some responsibility from his own provincial Liberal party for the decades of delay by alleging the provincial government was in such bad shape when they were first elected that officials were more concerned about making payroll than replacing infrastructure.

Monday’s announcement still came without definitive timelines on when the new facility will be built, or when prisoners could be moved over.

The early work agreement allows for the installation of site fencing and some soil and groundwork.

Breen says she’s still skeptical that a new prison will be built.

“I’m sure everyone has the best of intentions, but, you know, will things change? Will suddenly costs skyrocket and the thing gets called off again?” she asked.

“It’s difficult after so many years to trust…particularly in light of the fiscal situation that we’re in.”