Kingston Penitentiary: Infamous prison to be shut down

Kingston Penitentiary, one of Canada's oldest prisons, will be shut down, the Toronto Star has confirmed.

Also confirmed for closure is the Leclerc Institution medium security facility in Laval, Que. It opened in 1961 and can accommodate 481 inmates.

In the budget three weeks ago, the Conservative government said as part of a $295.4 million cut over three years, Correctional Service Canada "will find efficiencies in its operations and will continue to use existing facilities. The government has not built a new prison since 2006 and has no intention of building any new prisons."

The maximum-security Kingston prison, which occupies valuable real estate on the city's waterfront, opened in 1835 and can house up to 421 inmates, according to the Correctional Service Canada website.