Dorchester Penitentiary ends lockdown after handmade stabbing weapons, alcohol seized

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

The Dorchester Penitentiary in New Brunswick has ended a week-long lockdown of a unit after officials seized handmade stabbing weapons and alcohol.

The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) locked down the medium-security unit at the facility on May 18 to conduct an “exceptional search.” The search uncovered contraband and unauthorized items, including cellphone accessories, according to a CSC news release.

“The institution has resumed its normal operations and visits have been reinstated,” the release reads.

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 week, CSC ended a six-day lockdown at the Springhill Institution in Nova Scotia after finding contraband as part of a search.

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