Dorchester Penitentiary unit locked down for ‘exceptional search’

The Dorchester Penitentiary in New Brunswick is pictured. (Laura Brown/CTV Atlantic)

The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) has locked down the medium-security unit at the Dorchester Penitentiary in New Brunswick for an “exceptional search.”

CSC says the lockdown was put in place on Monday to allow staff to conduct the search.

“The search was ordered to ensure the safety and security of the institution, its staff, and inmates,” a news release from CSC says. “Visits have been suspended until the search is completed.

“Normal operations will resume as soon as it is considered safe to do so.”

According to the Government of Canada, the medium-security unit in Dorchester has a capacity of 397. The facility is the second oldest continuously operating corrections site in Canada.

Last Friday, CSC locked down the Springhill Institution, a medium-security federal site in Nova Scotia, for an ongoing search.

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