Invested in Prisons: Prison Expansion and Community Development in Canada

Promises Broken or Promises Kept? An Analysis of the Vision and Current Operation of the Toronto South Detention Centre

“…Conclusions from this thesis will add to existing literature on carceral expansion (e.g. Blankenship & Yanarella, 2004;Hooks et al, 2004;Jewkes & Moran, 2015;McElligott, 2017;Piché, 2014;Piché et al, 2017;Schept, 2015), by revisiting why the former Toronto Don Jail was closed and will trace the subsequent transformation of the TSDC through its announcement, construction, opening, and current operation. Specifically, this thesis analyzes the situation prior to the construction of the TSDC, including the Ontario government's vision and justifications for the facility as chronicled by various sources.…”

“…Second, this thesis aims to contribute to the literature on carceral expansion (e.g. Blankenship & Yanarella, 2004;Hooks et al, 2004;Jewkes & Moran, 2015;McElligott, 2017;Piché, 2014;Piché et al, 2017;Schept, 2015), by adding to the ongoing debate on the justifications and contentions for the expansion of carceral facilities, the gulf between the vision for carceral expansion compared to reality, and whether public funds should instead be diverted to alternative evidence-based practices. For instance, as opposed to constructing larger carceral facilities, public tax dollars could be diverted and invested into community health and support services, including the creation of more affordable housing, education initiatives, and drug treatment initiatives.…”

“…To continue, another common theme in the literature regarding carceral expansion revolves around the purported economic benefits associated with carceral expansion, construction, and operation (Modoc-Jones, 2009;Piché et al, 2017). This justification has its roots in the United States during the 1980s and 1990s, where it was commonly used to justify new carceral facilities and neutralize criticisms (McElligott, 2017;Piché et al, 2017;Schept, 2015). This proposed economic benefit was especially emphasized as economic 'miracle making' for small towns and communities that were economically depressed (Blankenship & Yanarella, 2004).…”

“…This proposed economic benefit was especially emphasized as economic 'miracle making' for small towns and communities that were economically depressed (Blankenship & Yanarella, 2004). For instance, new prisons are thought to lead to job creation in order to construct the facility, in addition to offer employment opportunities to local residents once the facility opens (Hooks et al, 2004, McElligott, 2017Piché, 2015b;Christie, 1993;Schichor, 1992). Once the new facility is opened, it is claimed that further economic benefit will be awarded to local citizens and businesses from tenders for maintenance, services, and goods related to the carceral facility (Hooks et al, 2004;McElligott, 2017;Schichor, 1992;Blankenship & Yanarella, 2004).…”

“…Nonetheless, existing research has shown that these purported long-term economic benefits associated with prison construction and facility employment often fail to materialize (Piché, 2015b;McElligott, 2017;Hooks et al, 2004;Modoc-Jones, 2009;Glasmeier & Farrigan, 2007). In fact, as Piché and colleagues (2017) note, few documents exist to substantiate these claims of economic benefit in the Canadian context.…”