News Releases

Pacific Region

News Release

Communiqué

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ABBOTSFORD, BC, April 19, 2005 - Inmates at Matsqui Institution are locked in their cells while a search is conducted for drugs and contraband.

The lockdown was initiated at 4:00 p.m. yesterday, after an incident in which an inmate physically assaulted two correctional officers during an institutional count. The two officers that were assaulted were examined by Matsqui Institutional Health Care and released. Two other correctional officers were examined by health care after receiving minor cuts during the response to the incident. The inmate has been transferred to a maximum security institution. Police have been notified. An exceptional search is being conducted based on information that the inmate was under the influence of drugs.

Regularly scheduled visits to the institution have been suspended for the duration of the lockdown.

Matsqui Institution is a medium security facility operated by the Correctional Service of Canada. It is located in Abbotsford and has a capacity of 353 male offenders.

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For more information, media representatives may contact:

Wayne Marston
Assistant Warden, Management Services
(604) 850-8240