10th January 2007
The importation of illegal drugs into jails has increased over the past five years despite several new to curb the flow, an internal government audit shows. While there were about 850 drug seizures in federal institutions during the 2001-02 fiscal year, that number climbed to 1,100 in 2003 and dropped to approximately 1,050 in 2004. This despite the introduction of Ion Mobility Spectrometry devices (which can detect if people have been handling drugs) at all institutions, detector dogs and the renewal of the federal government's National Drug Strategy in 2003. While the audit notes "general compliance" with strategies, it adds "given the National Drug Strategy indicated that [The Correctional Service of Canada] will not tolerate drug or alcohol use or the trafficking of drugs, there is a need for improvement."
© National Post 2007
Respect for rights in the penal system with prison as a last resort.