News Releases

Ontario Region

News Release

Communiqué

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DRUG SEIZURES AT KINGSTON PENITENTIARY

Kingston, Ontario, October 5, 2010 – On Sunday, October 3, 2010 at approximately 11:00 a.m. Kingston Penitentiary staff searched an offender who was attempting to introduce contraband to the institution. Staff discovered 84 grams of hashish in the inmate’s possession. The estimated institutional value of the drugs is approximately $3500. Police were notified and charges are pending.

On Tuesday, October 5, 2010 at approximately 3:30 p.m., staff at Kingston Penitentiary searched a visitor who attempted to introduce contraband to the institution. The visitor surrendered 28 grams of hashish and 22 grams of tobacco. The estimated institutional value of the drugs is approximately $3000. Police were notified and charges for the visitor are pending.

Preventing drugs from entering our institutions is an ongoing challenge. The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) has a number of tools available that are consistently used in our efforts to control the flow of drugs into our institutions. These include such things as searches of offenders, visitors, ion scanners, drug dogs and searches of buildings and cells.

As part of its Transformation Agenda, CSC is strengthening measures to prevent contraband from entering institutions, in order to help ensure a safe and secure environment for everyone, and promote a rehabilitative environment for inmates. CSC also works in partnership with the police to prosecute inmates and others who attempt to have contraband brought into correctional institutions.

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For more information, media representatives may contact:

Darren Kreps
A/Assistant Warden Management Services
Kingston Penitentiary
(613) 536-6880