Feds taking harder stance on prison drugs

Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day speaks at Kent Institution in Agassiz, B.C., Friday, August 29, 2008. (Public Safety Canada / MARKETWIRE PHOTO)

The federal government is taking a hard stance to try to keep drugs out of Canadian prisons.

Speaking at Kent prison in Agassiz, B.C., Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day says $120 million in new funding will be used to provide more high-tech scanners, x-ray machines and drug-detection dogs.

Day said drugs in prisons endanger the safety of guards, undermine rehabilitation programs and lead convicts to become repeat offenders.

The funding announcement comes on the heels of criticism about the amount of drugs in Canadian prisons.

In January, the union representing B.C. Corrections officers said drugs were running rampant in the prison system -- and the concerns of employees were being ignored.

Union president Gord Robertson told CTV News that children were being used to smuggle drugs into jails, but the vast majority of cases were never reported.

Day answered this critcism, saying there will be a zero-tolerance drug-searching policy at prisons, a visit schedule will be implemented and children will be protected from being used to smuggle drugs into the facilities.

He says security around prisons will be improved and justice agencies will boost intelligence gathering capability both inside the jails and in surrounding communities.

The improvements will be made at all federal maximum and medium-security prisons.

With files from The Canadian Press