Saskatchewan Penitentiary adapts to drone-related contraband smuggling

WATCH: The Sask. Penitentiary has seen some large-scale contraband seizures over the last few months, according to the Union of Canadian Correctional Officers.

The Saskatchewan Penitentiary has seen some large-scale contraband seizures over the last few months, according to the Union of Canadian Correctional Officers (UCCO).

“When there’s contraband in prison, especially drugs, inmates are in a condition other than normal,” said Chase Mayer, UCCO vice president for the Prairie region.

“They’re intoxicated, and they do respond differently than a person who is sober and not under the influence. So, there’s increased violence among the inmate population, but also violence toward our officers.”

Mayer said just under $1 million worth of contraband was seized at the penitentiary in 2024. By the end of July 2025, over $969,000 worth of contraband had already been seized.

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“When I looked at the information, a lot of it did come from packages that were seized in places like exercise yards,” said Mayer.

“There are only two ways that a package is really going to get there, it’s either being thrown over the fence or a drone is flying over and dropping it.”

He says correctional officers are seeing more instances of contraband entering federal prisons by drone.

“A lot of these facilities, penitentiaries, and institutions were built a long time ago. Perimeter fences and walls can only do so much.”

In a statement to CTV, the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) said it’s adopting infrastructure enhancements and new technologies to combat the threat of drones, including intrusion detection systems.

The statement goes on to say that in Oct. 2024, regulations governing the use of body scanners came into force, and CSC is working on deploying these systems.

In March, it was announced that CSC will have an exemption to use radiofrequency jammers in institutions to prevent unauthorized communications and contraband deliveries.