#ygkChallenge: Save Kingston Pen and the Regional Treatment Centre
Welcome to Kingstonist’s weekly challenge, dare, resolution or whatever you prefer to call it. Each week we establish a new and ambitious community goal, encouraging our readers, followers, friends and families to step out of their comfort zones and do something great, and hopefully a little out of the ordinary. Consider this your official and personal invitation to join us in completing a small but meaningful achievement. By taking part in this community-wide initiative, we hope to make Kingston a slightly better place to live, work and play. And of course, we also hope that you will feel proud of your contribution and achievement.
This week’s challenge encourages you to:
Sign the petition to save Kingston Penitentiary and the Regional Treatment Centre If the ‘Save the Prison Farm’ campaign taught us anything, it’s that petitioning the federal (Conservative) government doesn’t always yield the desired outcome. Sure the powers that be don’t always listen, but you still have the right to let Ottawa know that you don’t support the closures of Kingston Pen nor the associated workforce reduction (nor today’s announced closure of our Citizenship and Immagration Office). Both KP and the Regional Treatment Centre could upgraded to accommodate relevant safety concerns. Sign this petition, spread the word, and don’t let Kingston Pen close without a fight!
Sign up and commit to completing this week’s challenge by commenting below with an “I’m in“, “challenge accepted“, “en garde” or something along those lines. Further, help us spread the word via Twitter and Facebook by using the hashtag: #ygkchallenge. As you work towards completing this week’s task, please feel free to lend others a helping hand by providing tips on how you achieved success.
Thanks and credit to L*Ali for supplying the photo associated with this week’s ygkchallenge.
On what basis would people claim the 185 year old building "could be upgraded to accommodate relevant safety concern", being short of those motivated to take shots at the Conservative government (over anything…), there seems to be widespread sentiment that closing it is decades overdue.
Governments of all stripes have been pumping money into KP for decades to address safety concerns, maintenance etc… And KP isn't unique in that respect. Look to any other correctional institution and the same sort of investments are being made to keep the facilities safe, in good repair and otherwise up to do date. The logic to close the facility because of mounting safety concerns might be legitimate, but I for one doubt it, and join the chorus of others (including frontline workers) who've asked the government to justify the move by showing their numbers. This week's challenge is not meant as a personal shot at the Tories, but hey, the Conservatives made the decision after all, so shouldn't they be held accountable to explain their decisions? As for the widespread sentiment supporting the closure that you've referenced, the results of this week's poll show support in a completely different direction.