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Prison
#1593
Date:
July 30, 1935
Source: Jim Clawson, donor
Photographer:
Information:
Rear view of new cell block (B-7), looking southeast, at the British
Columbia Penitentiary. Cell block B-7 was the most recently built
in the pen. Its style is similar to most cells, with 3 solid walls
and one wall with bars that looks out to an outside corridor.
Each cell held one inmate. The block had 16 tiers (or ranges),
8 on top, 8 below, with 11 cells to each tier, totaling 176 cells.
Due
to an influx of inmates during the 1950s and early 1960s, some
of the corridors were used as dormitories. Newcomers and some
Doukhobors were held there. Four tiers of this block were used
as a segregation area for inmates requiring separation from the
others. Later, part of the cell block became a protective custody
unit, for inmates held in special protection because of the nature
of their crimes, sexual offenders and informers for example. Prior
to the protective custody unit, long-timers (inmates sentenced
from 8 years to life) were held here and name the area "prime
real estate".
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