ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — Editor's note: Over the next week, we'll bring you stories of Her Majesty's Penitentiary, a Victorian-era jail still actively housing prisoners here in St. John's. Inside those walls, people live and work in conditions akin to a Charles Dickens novel. A new jail has been promised for years now, but little progress has been made. Yet inmates are living in conditions that most would consider inhumane. There are cells without running water and broken toilets. The prison's old smoke detectors can't detect smoke. There's a persistent rodent infestation and health-threatening mould, and inmates often cannot call or see family members because the facility is frequently under lockdown due to lack of staff. Lack of programming makes rehabilitation difficult, and inmates are getting credit for additional time served due to the conditions. Join us as we examine all of the problems at HMP.
HMP: Overcrowded, its replacement overdue, St. John's inmates living in cells with broken toilets and no running water for months on end
Access requests filed by SaltWire show the notoriously dilapidated Her Majesty’s Penitentiary (HMP) is more crowded than ever, with some cells going months without basic necessities such as working toilets and running water — and its long-promised replacement is long overdue.
Life on the inside: Inmate shares his experiences inside HMP in St. John's, where outdoor recreation is an urban legend and you can't clean your clothes
He speaks of mould in the shower stalls, mice droppings near the food, no visits with family, and excruciating dental pain with no possibility of seeing a dentist any time soon.
Still, Dave says he’s got it better than some of his fellow inmates at Her Majesty’s Penitentiary (HMP).
EDITORIAL: We can't wait any longer – HMP must be replaced now
It seems unbelievable that a prison built in the Victoria era is still housing inmates.
It's held up about as well as you might imagine –– documents we obtained show there are cells without working toilets.
Prisoners report they are battling with rodents to protect themselves and their food, all while they breathe in black mould and exhaust fumes on a daily basis.
‘We’re threw around a bunch of animals and told to fend for ourselves': Inmate of HMP in St. John's
“There’s nothing to cope with what we’re going through,” 26-year-old Jesse Lewis said.
“They’re not showing us this is what you can do to better your life, or this is where you’re going wrong with addictions, or this is what you do so you can go back to work when you get released. There’s nothing in place. The only thing we’re learning is how other people are doing crime.”
'There isn't the political will to see this through': Cost to replace HMP in St. John's is way over budget, government might go back to tender
The government insists it's a priority, while the Opposition says the government’s actions suggest otherwise.
“To me, the inaction from the government indicates that there isn't the political will to see this through,” said Opposition justice critic Helen Conway-Ottenheimer.
TIMELINE: A look back at the history of Her Majesty’s Penitentiary in St. John's through the years
Though it’s been 164 years since HMP opened, some would argue the current conditions at HMP, commonly described as “deplorable”, have pulled the facility back to one of an undesirable place for inmates and staff, and one that challenges any hope of offering proper programs and aids to help in rehabilitation in inmates or recruitment of staff.
‘You’re up all night chasing mice’: From fighting rodents to lack of visitation, one HMP inmate says he's dealing with the worst conditions he’s ever seen
The mouse kept coming, and Richard Driscoll kept swinging.
For some 40 minutes, the 40-year-old inmate at Her Majesty’s Penitentiary (HMP) would swing his sandal at the rodent bent on consuming the food Driscoll had stored by climbing the desk in his cell.
Keeping people out of HMP: Specialized provincial court aims to divert individuals from entering HMP by focusing on rehabilitation and reintegration
In navigating the justice system, the Provincial Court of Newfoundland and Labrador has designed a network of courts tailored to various legal needs.
This network extends beyond conventional approaches, recognizing that a singular, one-size-fits-all model isn't always effective.
Offenders credited with double jail time for HMP conditions, including rodent bite while sleeping
Disturbing. A recipe for disaster. Completely inadequate. Judges in Newfoundland and Labrador have had harsh words for Her Majesty’s Penitentiary (HMP) in their sentencing decisions in recent years.
It’s at the point, lawyers say, that the court generally accepts inmates are suffering because of the unduly severe conditions at the St. John’s prison.
A system in need of a transformation: Delivering rehabilitation programming 'crucial for creating lasting impact' but difficult to implement at HMP in St. John's
In the shadows of the correctional walls, Adam, an ex-inmate who spent 47 months inside Her Majesty's Peniteniary (HMP), sheds light on the struggles within rehabilitation programs.
“My life could have taken a whole different direction if I had gone to jail and there was better treatment. Even if there were better outward avenues to explore to help rehabilitate you,” said Adam, whose full name isn't being used as he attempts to rebuild his life.
Within the system, Adam faced hurdles that extended beyond the prison bars.
Limited programming, he says, hindered his path to rehabilitation.
Working amid carbon monoxide fumes, mould, and rodent infestations: NAPE president worried for HMP staff in St. John's
Jerry Earle, President of NAPE, turns grey every time an unrecognized number calls, and he hears the acronym HMP: Her Majesty's Penitentiary.
"What could be happening?" is the question he always has to ask.
It's never good.
COMMENTARY: HMP v Rex — Who goes to jail versus who gets out (or goes free!) in Newfoundland and Labrador
What has not been discussed as publicly, is the trauma that is housed within and forever associated with Her Majesty’s Penitentiary. Crumbling floors, collapsing walls, rodent-/insect- and mould-infested units, hold deep, dark secrets that most of us will fortunately never have to hear or live through – over and over.
'It shouldn’t even be a museum': Inmate at HMP in St. John's would rather serve his time in a federal institution
The physical conditions aren’t the worst part of HMP for Jamie Halleran. It’s the lack of programming.
He admits to having addictions, but says rehabilitation isn’t an option at HMP like it was at Parrtown Community Correctional Centre in New Brunswick.
“There’s no incentives here, there’s no rehabilitation here, there’s no ‘we’re going to help you get sober' here.”
'This can't be allowed to continue': Chaplaincy the only option for inmates, backbone of programs still running at HMP in St. John's
Gerry Phelan has been the Roman Catholic chaplain at Her Majesty's Penitentiary (HMP) for 10 years. He sees the increased demand for chaplaincy as a good thing, but also believes the prison needs to be demolished.
"I joke with the guys when they come to see me that they are visiting hell and they'll soon be out, so plan for your (spiritual) future because this is not quite as bad as (hell) might be," he said.
'The morale in there? What morale?': Staff at HMP in St. John's say they're burned out, emotionally and physically
All correctional officers who spoke with SaltWire stressed the toll that long hours, missed family time, and dealing with traumatic situations in an unfit institution has taken on them.
“I’d say you could screen us all for PTSD and probably the vast majority of us would meet the criteria,” one officer said. “We’re physically and emotionally burned out. There’s no end to it.”
'Those poor fellows are stuck': With no library access or literacy support, prisoners at HMP feel frustrated, depend on families to order books online
Jesse Lewis, who is serving time in HMP, told SaltWire inmates are supposed to have access to the library once per week, but that hasn’t been happening.
He and others have had to adapt as best they can, he said, but that hasn’t been ideal either.
Lewis said delays in getting books can be really discouraging, especially when they have no other way currently to obtain books, and most other programming has been shut down.
'We don’t have anywhere near some of the issues and challenges': N.L.'s seven other adult correctional facilities don’t have the same issues as HMP
Transportation and Infrastructure Minister John Abbott said staff from his department are in the other facilities on a regular, if not daily, basis.
“To make sure that they are up to code and meeting our building standards. Our assessment is that they’re in reasonably good shape and we’re happy with that,” he said.
Is St. John's the best spot to house HMP's replacement? Several N.L. towns would still put their hand up to be home to new prison
The conversation about HMP and its eventual replacement started in earnest with a federal announcement in the summer of 1988.
On Aug. 24, 1988, James Kelleher, then the solicitor general of Canada, and John Crosbie, then minister of international trade, announced federal funding for a new penitentiary that would be built in Harbour Grace.
“This project is long overdue. Since 1949 and the union, there has been an outstanding commitment by the federal government and promises made by various governments to build a federal penitentiary in Newfoundland,” read an excerpt from an editorial in the April 8, 2008, print edition of The Compass newspaper.
What could the land HMP sits on in St. John's eventually become when prison closes?
Tara Sparkes, a real estate agent in St. John’s, says the area around HMP is one of the city’s most sought-after spots.
Sparkes sees the area as already thriving and anticipates even more growth when the penitentiary is eventually removed.
"This area offers a lot. You're a bit off downtown, but still close enough where you can walk to that area,” she said.
“You’re close to Quidi Vidi and the pond, and there are trails and parks all around."
'Tensions at HMP are really high': Understaffing, lack of programming, and aging insfrastruture take toll on mental health of inmates and staff at HMP in St. John's
Cindy Murphy, executive director of the John Howard Society of Newfoundland and Labrador, told SaltWire they are concerned with the impacts the severe reduction of programming and other restrictions have had on the mental health of people at the prison, and what it could lead to.
“Something’s got to happen, and it has to happen soon,” she said.
United Nations should consider investigation of Canadian prisons, especially HMP: prison law expert
At what point do the conditions at Her Majesty’s Penitentiary (HMP) go beyond “unduly harsh circumstances” and become clear human rights violations?
Long before now, prison law experts say.
Newfoundland and Labrador government promises a decision on HMP replacement is ‘imminent’
SaltWire received a range of feedback this week. Most readers said correctional conditions need to improve, and a new prison needs to be built. Some readers said the poor conditions are the price people pay for breaking the law.
So, why should law-abiding citizens care about the deplorable conditions at HMP?
“Because it’s a human rights issue,” said criminal defence lawyer Rosellen Sullivan.
