QUICK FACTS

Detector Dog Program

Eliminating Drugs in institutions

Detector dog teams play an integral role in securing Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) facilities and ensuring public safety.

Illicit drugs threaten institutional safety and security and can undermine an offender’s efforts at rehabilitation and safe reintegration.

CSC uses a variety of tools and measures –including detector dogs – to keep drugs out of its institutions.

Detector dogs and their handlers provide an important line of defence and have proven to be effective in stopping the flow of illicit drugs into CSC institutions.

Detector dog teams not only help foil attempts to bring drugs into penitentiaries, they also play an important role in educating inmates, visitors and staff.

DETECTOR DOG TEAMS

CSC runs a coordinated and standardized national program that ensures all CSC institutions across Canada have access to the detector dog service.

Detector dog teams are placed at principal entrances during inmate visits, and in the admissions and discharge areas of institutions to provide enhanced searching capabilities.

Teams also provide security surveillance by regularly searching cells, yards and common areas.

All CSC dog and handler teams are trained and certified through the Canada Border Services Agency. CSC is committed to maintaining and improving the detector dog team skills, and all teams are re-certified regularly.

In 2008, CSC launched an ambitious strategy to strengthen its contributions to public safety. As part of this ongoing Transformation Agenda, CSC has invested additional resources and tools to create safe and secure environments for staff, offenders and the public.

Under this initiative, the number of detector dog teams has increased to 90 in 2011 from 46 in 2008. CSC anticipates it will have 126 teams (six of which are training teams) working at institutions across the country by 2013.

CSC currently has the most drug detector dog teams among all Government of Canada departments.

August 2011