Kent Institution

Story

Kent Institution is a Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) facility located in Agassiz, British Columbia. Opened in 1979, Kent is the only maximum security federal penitentiary in the CSC's Pacific region, which includes the province of British Columbia and the Yukon territory. The majority of prisoners at the facility are sentenced in other provinces. Educational programs, as well as socialization and employment, play a significant role at the institution. The facility employs over 300 people. The capacity (number of inmates) is 298.Major IncidentsJune 19, 1990 – Two prisoners, Robert Lee Ford and David Thomas, escape when a hijacked helicopter lands in the courtyard. Correctional Officer R. KIRBY was shot during the incident and survived.May 1999 – Eighty-four prisoners rioted and barricaded themselves in the gym before the ERT could be called in to defuse the situation.June 2003 – One prisoner was stabbed to death while prisoners in three units rioted, setting fires and barricading doors until the ERT responded and locked down the institution.January 5, 2004 - A 19-year-old prisoner was stabbed twice in the abdomen.April 6, 2004 - A prisoner was stabbed.May 9, 2004 - A prisoner was stabbed while inside his cell.May 18, 2004 - A prisoner was stabbed numerous times.August 20, 2004 - A prisoner was stabbed.November 2008 – One prisoner, Andrew Robert Craig, was stabbed to death in the institution's gymnasium. Four prisoners have since been charged with first degree murder, which indicates the police have evidence that the crime was premeditated.