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The Don: The Story of Toronto's Infamous Jail
An in-depth exploration of the Don Jail from its inception through jailbreaks and overcrowding to its eventual shuttering and rebirth.
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.
Speaker's Book Award 2021 ― Shortlisted | Brass Knuckles Award for Best Nonfiction Crime Book 2022 ― Shortlisted
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.
Speaker's Book Award 2021 ― Shortlisted | Brass Knuckles Award for Best Nonfiction Crime Book 2022 ― Shortlisted
- GenresNonfictionCanada
272 pages, ebook
Published February 23, 2021
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102 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
December 28, 2023
Read this for a paper I was writing on the Don Jail, but I think it would be a good read for anyone interested in learning more about the City of Toronto. The history of the Don may surprise most readers given our contemporary impression of it as being what at least one journalist termed a "Hell Hole". Initially conceived of as being an institution that would reflect Enlightenment-era ideas about punishment and rehabilitation, the Don seemed to be a building impenetrable to change, and poor hygiene, overcrowding, and staffing issues seemed to plague the building for its entire tenure. This book reads like a fiction and while I would have liked to see reference to scholars such as Peter Oliver, it was well researched and written.
February 25, 2021
Highly readable and entertaining book that deftly captures the atmosphere of past times in our city.
March 7, 2021
You would think that reading about one building would be dry. Lorna Poplak did a good job of keeping it interesting. I kept wanting to find out what would happen next.
Why I liked it.
-The timeline starting with the settlement of York which included the politics, the landscape, the people of the area caught my interest right away.
-The personality of the populace as well as the major players are included, along with newspaper excerpts.
-Adding in the details of the crimes committed by the high profile criminals kept the material from just being a dry recitation of the building itself.
-The inclusion of the photos throughout the book, instead of in an insert in the middle added to my enjoyment of the book.
- The change in attitudes toward criminals and how they were treated
She just did a great job covering such a wide topic by focusing on the jail in Toronto.
Why I liked it.
-The timeline starting with the settlement of York which included the politics, the landscape, the people of the area caught my interest right away.
-The personality of the populace as well as the major players are included, along with newspaper excerpts.
-Adding in the details of the crimes committed by the high profile criminals kept the material from just being a dry recitation of the building itself.
-The inclusion of the photos throughout the book, instead of in an insert in the middle added to my enjoyment of the book.
- The change in attitudes toward criminals and how they were treated
She just did a great job covering such a wide topic by focusing on the jail in Toronto.
October 23, 2024
The Don -- The Story of Toronto's Infamous Jail by Lorna Poplak
Great history of Toronto's Don Jail with plenty of thrilling stories and unforgettable characters.
"The Public was absolutely entranced: murder, a charming rogue, a beautiful woman of mystery, romance in the shadow of the gallows, star-crossed lovers yearning to be reunited, daring jail escapes (not one but two, and both in the space of seven weeks!) It was a sensation."
Great history of Toronto's Don Jail with plenty of thrilling stories and unforgettable characters.
"The Public was absolutely entranced: murder, a charming rogue, a beautiful woman of mystery, romance in the shadow of the gallows, star-crossed lovers yearning to be reunited, daring jail escapes (not one but two, and both in the space of seven weeks!) It was a sensation."
February 22, 2021
Although it began as a "palace for prisoners” based on progressive Victorian prison reform ideas and architectural principles, The Don Jail quickly deteriorated into a place of infamy compared at times tot he Black Hole of Calcutta. The excellently researched and readable book looks at the buildings history and the many people - inmates, guards, governors, architects and politicians, as well as criminals - who left their mark on the institution.
September 16, 2021
"The Don" is much more than a book about a prison.
It's a book about the evolution of Toronto, its founders, and their attitudes to the people who were already here. It's the history of the Don jail in the context of the history of Toronto, including its leadership, its villains, and the issues of the day.
Interspersed throughout are poignant stories about the perpetrators and victims of crimes, with links to the jail.
Definitely worth reading!
It's a book about the evolution of Toronto, its founders, and their attitudes to the people who were already here. It's the history of the Don jail in the context of the history of Toronto, including its leadership, its villains, and the issues of the day.
Interspersed throughout are poignant stories about the perpetrators and victims of crimes, with links to the jail.
Definitely worth reading!
March 14, 2023
The Don jail was in use in Toronto from 1865-1978, although there was an extension to the jail that was added to the jail in 1958 and that was in use until 2013. And to think that a lot of short sighted politicians of both provincial and municipal wanted tear down arguably one of most important symbols of the city of Toronto and Canada as country. Enough of my venting about politicians. This book has great stories from start to finish. Right from the start we're told how the construction company got caught doing a second rate job to put more money in their pockets, and how a fire at the prison when it was almost finished being built put the project behind for about two years, and how an aldermen named Vance was giving the architect of the Don Jail such a hard time that he may have literally have shorten the architect life, than there's the prison escapes as well and stories about hanging before Canada abolished capital punishment. And that's only a very small fraction of all the great stories in this book. Even though this building was considered a state of the art building when it was built in 1865, and by 1880's the Don Jail already showing signs of out living it's usefulness. Although to Don Jail was huge for it's time Toronto as a city was simply growing to fast for the Don to keep up with all the new prisoners it was taking in. Which if you think about it makes it even more amazing the Don Jail lasted as long as it did. The author Lorna Poplak has written another book titled Drop Dead about the history of hanging in Canada. I highly recommend reading that book as well.
July 7, 2021
Review of The Don, by Lorna Poplak
The amount of research in this book is mighty impressive and you might find yourself thinking of the Don Jail as a "character." Among other things, you will read of the architects who designed the jail, the provincial and city officials involved in the project, the cop killers, the great escapes. The descriptions of the cells and food, the governors and inmates of the times and the gala hanging are vivid and entertaining. The artwork and photographs and the remarkable amount of detail in the descriptions of the Don make the book buzz with spirit. You will be delighted by Poplak’s clear, accessible writing and her subtle and dry humor, which is threaded throughout the book. You will likely also note Poplak’s compassion in her stories, even for the “bad guys.”
September 19, 2022
I was fortunate enough to be able to meet Lorna at Fan Expo this past summer for the panel about true crime in Toronto. She was so lovely. This book was well researched and provided a great time line of the jail's history. I enjoyed learning of how prisoners were able to break out of the jail quite a few times. I appreciated that she highlighted notable people throughout the book related to the jail and it's operations.
June 13, 2024
Fantastic book about the history of the infamous Don Jail, and fascinating context provided about the early history of York/Toronto.
This book has become a wonderful introduction to Toronto history, and has me yearning for more. Easy read, not dry at all. I even found a surprise appearance of one of my TMU teachers in the book - small, but fun to come across.
This book has become a wonderful introduction to Toronto history, and has me yearning for more. Easy read, not dry at all. I even found a surprise appearance of one of my TMU teachers in the book - small, but fun to come across.
January 31, 2026
I've toured the Don during the Doors Open Toronto a few years ago so was looking forward to learning more about the history & this book did not disappoint. Fascinating - politics, mishaps, sad fates of many.
August 10, 2021
Excellent history of Toronto's infamous Don Jail. Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and learning the history of the jail and incarceration in Toronto.
December 13, 2021
3.5 rounded to 4.
May 5, 2023
The last paragraph of the Author's Note made me close it and bring it straight back to the library. I wonder if the author is any wiser given all that's happening now.
January 7, 2025
Intriguing and full of great historical information. I would’ve loved footnotes but that’s just the academic in me
May 22, 2022
The Don Jail was a jail in Toronto, east of the Don River, built between 1858 and 1864, with a new wing built in the 1950s. When the original Don Jail building stopped being used for housing offenders in 1977, the east wing remained in operation as the Toronto Jail and continued to serve as a jail until 2013.
It was originally designed as a reform prison and once dubbed the "Palace for Prisoners" because of its progressive approach to the wellness and living conditions of inmates. The reputation of the Don Jail soured over the years, though, due to overcrowding and other things. The east wing was constructed to house 276 prisoners but at the end of its service its capacity was 550 (its average prisoner load was about 620). It was not designed with adequate visitor facilities, exercise areas, telephones, lawyer meeting rooms, showers or laundry facilities.
Twenty-six men were hanged on the jail’s indoor gallows and it was there that Canada's last to be hanged (in 1962) before capital punishment was abolished.
When the Bridgepoint Health demolished the Riverdale Hospital to replace it with a new facility, the Don Jail building was renovated to serve as the administrative wing for the hospital.
The author does a good job in telling the history of the Don Jail, what was going on in Toronto at various times and how it affected the Don.
I never got to visit the jail before it was demolished and converted. Doors Open had tours but it attracted a lot of people so I didn't head over ... one day I will.
Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2021/04...
It was originally designed as a reform prison and once dubbed the "Palace for Prisoners" because of its progressive approach to the wellness and living conditions of inmates. The reputation of the Don Jail soured over the years, though, due to overcrowding and other things. The east wing was constructed to house 276 prisoners but at the end of its service its capacity was 550 (its average prisoner load was about 620). It was not designed with adequate visitor facilities, exercise areas, telephones, lawyer meeting rooms, showers or laundry facilities.
Twenty-six men were hanged on the jail’s indoor gallows and it was there that Canada's last to be hanged (in 1962) before capital punishment was abolished.
When the Bridgepoint Health demolished the Riverdale Hospital to replace it with a new facility, the Don Jail building was renovated to serve as the administrative wing for the hospital.
The author does a good job in telling the history of the Don Jail, what was going on in Toronto at various times and how it affected the Don.
I never got to visit the jail before it was demolished and converted. Doors Open had tours but it attracted a lot of people so I didn't head over ... one day I will.
Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2021/04...
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews