HD: Wandering Tour Inside Toronto's Don Jail

[blackmetalbozeman666]

looks like a good place to put the police

[Linescrew1]

In the movie "Cocktail" (Tom Cruise) the "jail themed bar" scenes were actually filmed in the rotunda of the old Don Jail. Weird but true.

[Algonquin81]

I wanna go paintballing in there.

[couragio235]

What a nasty shit hole...!!!

[ferdin12]

I lost my virginity in there

[afghi420]

The Innocent Until Proven Guilty thing is true for most people, depends on the crime and your history. The average person who sells dope, breaks into a house, or assaults someone here in Canada will be released after spending a night, or the weekend in jail when they see the Judge within a few days usually. As for me, i have done Pen time,breached Probation,House Arrest, and eventually Parole, so in a case like mine i wouldf most always be Remanded, but thats what i get for breaching everything

[PAULOcbi]

@afghi420 actually Canada remands about an equal % of crooks for violent offenses as U.S.A. but we send more to detention centers for smaller offenses like theft than U.S.A by far. Sending some John Green to the bin for theft under is retarded,he should be released on his own recognizance for shit like that. Where did you do your pen bit??

[afghi420]

@PAULOcbi Well the average person in Canada who commits a small crime like theft under would be released... The olly reason a person would be remanded is if they are a flight risk. If you have been given chances before, like probation or house arrest or something and you breached it a few times then you will probably be remanded, which kind of makes sense. I was released like 5 times in a row for theft under, and finally after i believe the 6'th time they finally kept me in lockup for a weekend.

[afghi420]

@PAULOcbi So i don't know where you live in Canada that you see alot of people being locked up for first or second minor offenses, but me personally i have dealt with the court system numerous times and have a pretty good idea of how it works atleast here in New Brunswick. Before i started getting in serious trouble, i was also charged with minor weed possession 3 times, and 3 times i just received a promise to appear.. And i did my bit's in Springhill NS, Dorchestor and Westmorland farm.

[cheeriosinabowl]

Karlosun, great video, thanks for sharing it.

As a Toronto boy, I would love to wander around this place, just to have a look at it, with my camera of course. It looks depressing and drab as hell on film. One can only imagine what "life" there must have been like, years ago, for its prisoners. Alcatraz, by contrast, looks like a Best Western. (Btw, I have been inside Alcatraz prison, very interesting tour we had).

Another historic Toronto landmark getting a re-do.

[girldiesel]

the zooming in and out sound aye..



[shutey8135]

Hey, Thanks for the info.Weigh the odds. Feelin like crap for a couple mths. and having no hep C in your system.Definately a no-brainer.

My treatment can't start soon enough.

[shutey8135]

It's amazing how many people think,not so bad.Imagine so overcrowded,and noisy you cant hear yourself think,extremely abusive guards,discusting food,cells smaller than a closet,stabbings,beatings,23.5­hr. lock-up per day,Icould go on and on. Now Remember this. INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY ! ! ! ! What a wonderful justice system you have for the innocent.

[jailladyos]

Given tour, Feb 14/02. Dangerous old --1854- max-securtiy prov jail jammed amongst residences.  Foul language pours from inside & out, disturbing neighbours. Inmates loaded in open parking lot, rain/shine. Crumbling exterior walls, constant construction/contractors trying to repair/rebuild/upgrade. Ongoing visits of pest control & sniffer dogs. Property leased by province from County of Grey; City of Owen Sound refuses to enforce bylaws -City would have to purchase if jail is closed.

[1CaptainAustralia1]

@jailladyos sounds like where I used to live :D

[Haxzaw]

...You said "convicts these days are living in luxury"? Have you ever been in the Owen Sound or Walkerton jail? These jails are the same if not older than the Don and just as run down.

[nicholasperry56]

lol, 3:31. guy j-walks infront of prison

[Burrowing1Owl]

Think this is where the last hanging took place in December 1962? Not sure.

Does anyone know?

Excellent video tour - thank you - looks medieval. Would make a good tourist attraction - especially with Halloweeen coming up!

[PLOttawa]

@Burrowing1Owl Yes it is. Two were hanged then for killing police officers.

[Burrowing1Owl]

Think this is where the last hanging took place in December 1962? Not sure.

Does anyone know?

Excellent video tour - thank you - looks medieval. Would make a good tourist attraction now.

[416Toronto069]

holy fuck those cells are small ,and no shitter ......

[ontariobuds]

I know it is a weird and off topic question but were you chewing gum while filming?

[saumier1]

I did time In the Sudbury DJ. the conditions were not as bad as this but the violence was stupid. I seen a guy get his head smashed over a seating arrangement. It happened at lunch but the CO's never knew until lock up. he actually got to his feet and staggered out of his cell and saved himself. he barley survived and is fucked for life! And we had 3 to a cell, one guy on the floor, so imagine 24 full grown men in a room the size of a long living room. lots of violence!

[heatblizzard]

2:50: Heatblizzard equips AK-47 to blast any zombies to pieces. :)

This should become a mod on Doom or something.

[metaphysikz101]

i did 3 months in the don jail and it was horrible conditions.......very small 6x10 cells with 3 men to a cell....the showers are death traps where men get stabbed and killed in the morning and not found until night lockup, the guards never walk the ranges and everyday is a war. the don makes rikers look like a playground.

[Spinel79]

brings back old memories, spent 94 there 

[jalal12234]

is this jail cell still in use these days

[Rekanslemani15]

worth than saddams jail and ther r no muman rights ther

[HollanderizingInc]

Nicely Done!

[timlad5]

A friend was sentenced to 5 days at the Don back in '93. They took him into Admit, processed him and told him to go through "that door". He ended up outside. 5 Days wasn't worth it for them.

[12344321Monkey]

The bricked up door connects to the new jail

[Angryblaq]

Yea, that's one of those room that they don't wan't you to know about......

how many inmates have you locked in there....?

[ninja911again]

ninja

i woun't want to be in there for a long time

toronto jail is worest than u think this is crultey of thugs that are kids

[JUDGEification]

LOL @ silver car too! AHAHHAHAA

[TorontoHD]

Very nice video. Thanks!!

[x0x0Paul0x0x]

In another video tour is was said that the only escape from the Don Jail was by the Boyd Gang. That is untrue and the guide obviously didn't have a lot of the historical facts. He was an idiot trying to make a buck as a guide. I personally was an inmate there during the early 1970's and know for fact of one escape of an inmate who went over the back wall at the time and shattered his leg falling on the other side where he was recaptured. He later was transferred to Millbrook as was I.

[PAULOcbi]

who are you??  SHANKS EastEndT.O. RIP JohnJohnD,SouthRegent.

[x0x0Paul0x0x]

I am an ex inmate who was in the old Don Jail several times during the early 1970's. As well, I served over 2 years at Millbrook and about 9 months at Guelph. Was in and out of other less notorious city jails when being transferred from one to another and awaiting trials, etc. Anything else you'd like to know, feel free to contact me. For general interest sake, tours of the Don Jail don't give accurate details of the "real Don Jail" as it really was.

[PAULOcbi]

@x0x0Paul0x0x I was raised in the Don jail,did a coupla bits in Guelph and more than that at The`Brook,lol, I then did a 4 yr bit in CollinsBayInst.,then a 4 year bit again at the Bay,then a 7 year bit ,for bank robbery again done in CollinsBay,I finished evry day now I am goin back to school,Big Paul Shanks EastEnd T.O. SouthRegent,RiP DonnyGalley

[x0x0Paul0x0x]

@PAULOcbi ........you're still young enough to live life outside the bars. The trick is to always remember your loss of freedom on the inside and what life is like inside. You're 30, I'm 56. I've been a long haul semi driver for a lot of years and have been battling Leukemia the past year. I'm on my third chemo treatment now, with one more to go, then a stem cell transplant. No guarantees for my survival. Better to die free outside, than rotting away inside. Good luck to you in the future.

[x0x0Paul0x0x]

@PAULOcbi .........By the way, I too am originally from Toronto, born and raised. Spent some early school years in Barrie as well. Lived in Calgary now for past 23 years and raised a daughter as single father. Getting away from Toronto and turning my back on my old life was best thing I ever did to turn my life around. Just food for thought.

[PAULOcbi]

@x0x0Paul0x0x I am 42 ,born in `69,most people who live the "life" are dead or doing big numbers,in the pen,If you were in the game, we are lucky to get out b4 death ,lol, remember Mr.Laroque?? He got cancer (A.D. guy from Millbrook) I am goin back to school right now ,planning right now stages.Oh yea I am on Pegetron for HepC,I will be done in 2 months.Good Luck ,Shanks EastEndT.O. South Regent, RIP,JohnJohnDenyk

[shutey8135]

@PAULOcbi

My doctor is still doing tests ie;heart stress test ,enzyme count,etc. I will begin treatment soon. I,m wondering just how sick i,ll get off the meds. Everybody I talk to say I'll feel like crap.

[PAULOcbi]

@shutey8135 you feel like crap on Pegatron for a coupla months then you kinda get used to it ,like evrything else.My treatment only lasted 5 months now Im Hep C free. You gotta give `er buddy.

[x0x0Paul0x0x]

Guessing at was was or might have been is funny as I had my experiences there many, many years ago. One should do a tour with camera with the guidance of an ex inmate from that time period such as an old timer like myself. It was a hell hole to say the least with horrendous abuse administered by gaurds. For some reason, there were a lot of gaurds from Britain there and they all had a coomon thread which was; their demonstration of athority by way of physical abuse. ............

[x0x0Paul0x0x]

There was no mess hall at the Don. Inmates ate in their cell blocks which had long wooden tables with benches. The cells with toilets was the original death row although the gallows was in a regular cell block to the right. What was described as admin offices was sick bay/infirmary. Dormed cell blocks were on top level facing front of the jail. Chapel was a room off catwalk in the centre. Lawyer/official interviews were in main atrium in restaraunt style boots along one wall no longer there.

[BxN4]

Can you believe they had up to 3 people in each cell ..

[xboobsx9]

YAH YO, I was in there earlier this year 2009 on april, for a week, i had 2 cell mates. Don jail IS PACKED THese dayz.

[PAULOcbi]

whatta bout 1990 and 4C Rules in effect ,SHankS EastendT.O. SouthRegent O.g. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, who are you??

[TorontoPortuGz]

if this is the same shank with east end on ur back i was 18yr old seen u fight in a fight on 4c south best jail fight i seen in jail

[PAULOcbi]

@TorontoPortuGz yea,its me .PaulShanks EastendT.O. Who`s this?/Pork-chop?!? You from regent??

[PAULOcbi]

@TorontoPortuGz long hair ponytail you had back then,

[JimJamJimboMcFimbo]

Did the Prison have a Funny smell ?

[Nabster5]

ooh ooh +1 on the funny smell =)