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.
Educational programs, as well as socialization and employment, play a significant role at the institution.
[1] June 19, 1990 – Two prisoners, Robert Lee Ford and David Thomas, escaped when a hijacked helicopter landed in the courtyard.
[2] May 1999 – Eighty-four prisoners rioted and barricaded themselves in the gym before the ERT could be called in to defuse the situation.
[9] 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.