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The old 'hacksaw baked inside a cake trick' won't cut it under new security at Ontario jails

Drone detectors aim to prevent the delivery of contraband onto institution property
jail, north bay turl 2016
North Bay and District Jail. Photo by Jeff Turl.

The Ontario government says it is implementing a series of new measures to prevent harmful items and substances such as drugs, alcohol, weapons, and cell phones from entering the province’s adult correctional facilities.

The measures are part of Ontario’s Contraband Strategy and Action Plan which includes providing more tools and technology to increase detection, enhance security measures, and improve the collection, analysis, and sharing of data with justice sector partners.

“Our corrections staff manage a complex set of safety challenges that include the risks surrounding contraband,” said Solicitor General Sylvia Jones. “Our new strategy and action plan will enhance contraband detection and prevention as well as reinforce our government’s commitment to protecting the safety and well-being of our staff as well as those in our custody.”

Currently, a number of methods are used to prevent, detect, confiscate, and reduce contraband within Ontario’s institutions such as body scanners, hand-held and walk-through metal detectors, searches, and canine units.

New initiatives include:

  • Enhanced screening and searches of everyone entering the secure area of the institution where inmates are located;
  • Installing ion scanners at 10 additional adult correctional facilities to detect and identify trace elements of drugs;
  • Introducing cell phone detectors at all provincial adult correctional facilities to detect and locate contraband cell phones;
  • Piloting drone detectors later this year to prevent the delivery of contraband onto institution property;

Contraband is any item in an inmate’s possession that is not issued, in an area of the institution that is not permitted, or that has been modified from its intended purpose and can be in the form of drugs, alcohol, weapons, and other items such as cell phones.


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