Government Takes Action to Eliminate Drugs in Federal Prisons

August 29, 2008

AGASSIZ, B.C.— The Honourable Stockwell Day, Minister of Public Safety, today announced a new anti-drug strategy and $120 million in funding over five years to help eliminate drugs in federal prisons. 

“Our Government has a zero tolerance policy for drugs in our institutions. Illicit drugs in federal prisons compromise the safety and security of correctional staff as well as our communities,” said Minister Day in a visit to Kent Institution. “Drugs undermine the success of our rehabilitation programs and increase offender recidivism rates. The policy announced today will help better detect and eliminate drugs in federal prisons.”

This prison anti-drug policy will:

• Expand significantly the drug detector dog program at all federal prisons;
• Increase security intelligence capacity in institutions and the surrounding communities;
• Purchase new ION scanners, X-Ray machines and other security equipment for maximum and medium-security federal prisons;
• Enhance perimeter security around institutions as well as technology support;
• Implement a scheduled visits policy and better identify and control drug entry points into federal prisons;
• Introduce a new zero tolerance drug searching policy at federal prisons; and,
• Protect children from being used to traffic drugs into institutions.
  

“The presence of drugs in correctional institutions interferes directly with our efforts to rehabilitate and reintegrate inmates back into the community, as well as contributing to violence and intimidation inside and outside of our institutions,” said Don Head, Commissioner of the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC). “I am pleased that the Government is acting to improve the safety of our correctional institutions and the staff who work in them.” 

This funding will help to achieve lasting results by supporting the Government’s policy to reform the federal corrections system in Canada.  In April 2007, Minister Day appointed an independent panel to review CSC’s operational priorities, strategies and business plans as part of the Government’s commitment to tackling crime.  The Panel made 109 recommendations around five themes, including offender accountability, eliminating drugs from federal prisons, offender employability, improving physical infrastructure and moving to earned parole.

The Government of Canada officially responded to the Report in Budget 2008, committing resources to ensure CSC is on track to respond comprehensively to the Panel’s recommendations.  CSC then established a Transformation Team to lead CSC’s response to the recommendations, and work has begun that focuses on achievements with lasting results.

For more information, please visit the website www.publicsafety.gc.ca and www.tacklingcrime.gc.ca.