Visit of the Old Prison of Trois-Rivières f2018
October 29th, 2018Students will visit the old prison of Trois-Rivières built in 1822-1823 which is now part of the musée québécois de culture populaire.
The visit 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.
Project Update
Students arrived on site at 10 am to depart at 3pm with a brief lunch of 45 minutes. As usual, the visit was very interesting. According to a survey performed in class after the visit, the activity that students appreciated the most was (again!) the ex-inmate testimony given by Réjean. Students really appreciated learning about the harsh reality of prison life and what leads an ordinary teenager who had just turned 18 at the time and was initially sentenced to 3 months to end up in a maximum security (federal) penitentiary.Our students also showed great interest in the guided visit of the old prison (built in 1823) and were able to connect the visit to our course content (the rise of the penitentiary). The prison tour was, according to all, very interesting and suited perfectly well the lectures on the transition from prisons to penitentiaries. Overall, an excellent activity appreciated by all.
