Early Collections and The Evolution of the Penal Press

Penal Press: Early Collections  

Canada’s first penal press publication launched in September 1950. By May 1951, the penal press had expanded across Canada to eight publications and penitentiaries.  

Cover of Telescope issue (February 1962): text reads "Perhaps the most difficult and therefore most important time in a prisoner's rehabilitation is that time of re-integration with society" Cover of Horizon issue (September 1956): illustration shows a cartoon of a man sitting by a lighthouse reading Horizon

Image Caption: Covers from Tele-scope (February 1962), and Horizon (September 1956).

 

Early issues of the Canadian penal press focused primarily on the distribution of recreational and administrative information to inmates. Topics included sports, hobbies, events, education, trades, comics and satire, and messages from administrators.  

The library holds collections for five of these founding publications:  

  • [K.P] Tele-scope: Kingston Penitentiary, Kingston, ON (launched September 1950) 
  • Pathfinder: Saskatchewan Penitentiary, St. Albert, SK (launched February 1951) 
  • [C.B] Diamond: Collins Bay Penitentiary, Kingston, ON (launched April 1951)
  • The Beacon: Dorchester Penitentiary, Dorchester, NB (launched July 1951) 
  • Pen-o-Rama: St. Vincent de Paul Penitentiary, Laval, PQ (launched May 1951) 
  • Mountain Echoes: Manitoba Penitentiary, Stony Mountain, MB (launched September 1951) 

Additionally, the library holds an early collection of the French-language periodical, Horizons (Centre Federal de Formation, St. Vincent-de-Paul, PQ) with issues dating back to 1956.  

The Evolution of the Penal Press  

In 1951, subscriptions to various penal press publications were made available to the public. Over the next ten years, as outside audiences expanded to national and international readership, the goals and content of the penal press shifted. Education of the public on the penitentiary and criminal justice system, as well as building understanding of inmates, became more important.  

In the 1960s and 1970s the penal press took on a more proactive political stance, focusing more broadly on activism and advocacy for inmate populations, and improvements to the penal system. These later issues often provide a more critical stance on the Canadian penal system and governing bodies, covering a wide range of topics such as:  

  • Correctional policies  
  • Human rights 
  • Mental health  
  • Police and policing  
  • Clemency, regency, and parole 
  • Prisoner struggles, families, relationships, and experiences 
     

Cover for the February 1975 issue of The Communicator. The cover shows the image of a baby’s face and text reading “Willie Gibbs Leaves: The new A.D. Soc.: Who is he?”. Cover for the March-April 1979 issue of The Communicator. The cover shows a cartoon drawing of a blindfolded man flushing money down a toilet, while a thermometer shows rising CPS Budgets, and dropping crime rates. Cover for the 1977 Volume 6 number 1 issue of The Communicator. The cover shows a cartoon drawing of a vulture sitting on a prison fence looking down, with text reading “Life Sentence”.

Image Caption: Covers from The Communicator (February 1975,  March-April 1979, Volume 6 no. 1 1977).

The library holds both early and later collections, contributing valuable first-hand accounts and information throughout the history of the Canadian penal press.  

For a full record of the issues the library holds pertaining to this topic, please refer to the penal press finding aid (PDF).