In an attempt to combat one of its biggest safety concerns, the Regina Correctional Centre will soon be getting a body scanner aiming to deter drug smuggling inside the prison.
Unable to conduct a cavity search due to federal regulation protecting victims of sexual abuse, the scanner is viewed as a less-invasive way to search for any contraband held within the rectum to be brought inside. Other provinces have already implemented the technology, and Drew Wilby with the Ministry of Justice says he believes it will be effective in keeping drugs out of the hands of inmates and improve health and safety.
“It’s not safe to put something in to your rectum and bring it in to the facility,” Wilby said. “It could potentially explode or open up inside, we have had incidents of individuals needing it surgically removed, and that’s not safe.”
While the machine has not been purchased yet, Wilby says it’s expected to cost between $100,000 and $200,000. He says the cost will save the province money in the long run, while improving health and safety standards for inmates. The Regina Correctional Centre will be the first in the province to have a body scanner as a pilot, with the intention of having at least on machine in each of the province’s correctional centres. The scanner is expected to be installed in the spring.
