Conceived as a “palace for prisoners,” the Don Jail never lived up to its promise. Although based on progressive nineteenth-century penal reform and architectural principles, the institution quickly deteriorated into a place of infamy where both inmates and staff were in constant danger of violence and death. Its mid-twentieth-century replacement, the New Don, soon became equally tainted.

Along with investigating the origins and evolution of Toronto’s infamous jail, The Don presents a kaleidoscope of memorable characters — inmates, guards, governors, murderous gangs, meddlesome politicians, harried architects, and even a pair of star-crossed lovers whose doomed romance unfolded in the shadow of the gallows.

This is the story of the Don’s tumultuous descent from palace to hellhole, its shuttering and lapse into decay, and its astonishing modern-day metamorphosis.

Lorna heard performer, composer and spoken word artist Kelsi James give this powerful land acknowledgement at a performance of Kiss of The Spider Woman, staged at The Don Jail in 2019.

Kelsi joined us in February 2021 at Lorna’s book launch, to welcome our attendees and pay tribute to the peoples on whose ancestral lands we live and work.

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