Historic Edmonton prison switching from men to women as Canada's female inmate population doubles

Canada’s prison service is converting a historic heritage building in downtown Edmonton from a prison for men into one for women to help accommodate a national doubling of female inmates.

Grierson Institution has a storied history in law and order, dating back to the era of frontier policing. Its original barracks was built in 1912 as the headquarters for the Northwest Mounted Police, the forerunner of the RCMP.

While the planned conversion was pitched by Correctional Service...