William Head Institution is a Canadian minimum-security federal correctional institution for men located in Metchosin, British Columbia, about 25 kilometres (16 mi) southwest of Victoria on the southernmost tip of Vancouver Island. The Institution opened in 1959 and can house 200 inmates. The institution is based on a residential design, composed of five neighborhoods of clustered duplexes; each neighborhood of four duplexes is designed to function as a community. William Head provides variety of Educations, Correctional Programs and Vocational Trainings.[1][2]
  | |
| Coordinates | 48°20′24″N 123°32′09″W / 48.3399°N 123.5358°W |
|---|---|
| Status | Active |
| Security class | minimum-security |
| Capacity | 200 |
| Population | 125 (as of 2023) |
| Opened | 1959 |
| Former name | William Head Prison |
| Managed by | Correctional Service of Canada |
| Street address | 6000 William Head Road |
| City | Metchosin, British Columbia |
| Postal code | V9C 0B5 |
| Country | Canada |
Facility characteristics
editFederal Institution for male offenders.
Statistics as of March 2023:
- Security level: minimum security.
- Date opened: 1959.
- Number of inmates: 125.
- Average length of sentences:
- Less than 36 months: 17 per cent of inmates.
- 36 months and over: 28 per cent of inmates.
- Life sentence: 55 per cent of inmates.
- Number of employees: 101.
William Head Quarantine Station
edit| William Head Quarantine Station | |
|---|---|
| Built | 1883 (closed in 1958) |
| Built for | Dominion of Canada |
| Owner | Department of Interior (Canada) |
Before becoming a jail, the site was used as an immigration control quarantine station from 1883 to 1958 to handle arrivals on the west coast[3] and from 1917 to about 1918 as a training (drill) depot for the Chinese Labour Corps (CLC) during World War I. It is also final resting place for 21 members of the CLC, who died en route to or from the war in Europe.[4] William Head was named for explorer Sir William E. Parry and was built to replace Albert Head Quarantine Station. The quarantine station was closed in 1958 and converted to use as a prison.[2]
See also
editOther quarantine stations in Canada:
References
edit- ^ "Institutional profiles". 11 February 2013.
- ^ a b "William Head Institution". www.canada.ca. Correctional Service Canada. 12 September 2017. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
- ^ "Quarantine Station | Metchosin Museum SocietyMetchosin Museum Society".
- ^ "The forgotten Canadian history of the Chinese Labour Corps | CBC Radio".