Trip to Old Prison of Trois-Rivières 2017
April 13th, 2017Students will visit the Old Prison of Trois-Rivières which was built in 1822-1823 and is now part of the musée québécois de culture populaire. The visit also includes a group session with an ex-convict who will describe the harsh reality of prison life in the 1970s and 1980s, just before the prison closed its doors. The visit also integrates a special activity where the students play the role of jurors in a mock murder trial. This experience will help them understand some crucial facets of our judicial system.
Project Update
History students spent a full day at the Old Prison of Trois-Rivières. The visit was extremely interesting. The ex-inmate testimony was greatly appreciated by the students. They really enjoyed hearing stories and anecdotes on prison life conditions. Thanks to the guide (ex-convict himself), students were able to really understand inmates’ harsh reality. This visit suits perfectly well with the History course (Crime and Society in Canadian History) where students spend a few classes presenting the transition from prisons to penitentiaries. Students not only examine the architecture of the first Canadian penitentiaries but they also assess their main (rehabilitation) mission and the problems the carceral system still faces today.
