A recent prison tour in Drumheller has drawn attention to ongoing debates about drug use, organized crime, and rehabilitation inside Canadian correctional facilities.Conservative MP Blake Richards and former Peterborough–Kawartha MP Michelle Ferreri toured the Drumheller Institution this week, which houses both medium- and minimum-security inmates. In a video posted to Facebook, they described being shocked by what they saw, particularly around substance use inside the prison system.“Some of the correctional officers were saying they weren’t even drug addicts before they went in, and they’re coming out addicts,” Ferreri said..The pair criticized the existence of Overdose Prevention Sites (OPS) in federal prisons, comparing them to “drug dens” and questioning the logic of offering spaces where inmates can inject substances, despite drugs being prohibited inside facilities. They also suggested that organized crime profits from illicit drug trafficking within prison walls and argued that correctional officers face increased risks due to overdoses, addiction, and violence linked to contraband..In response, the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) issued a statement to the Western Standard disputing some of the claims. The agency said that the Deputy Warden of Drumheller Institution did not make the comments attributed to them regarding organized crime revenues.CSC emphasized that it does not provide illicit drugs to inmates and that Canadian taxpayers are not funding drug use in prisons. “Illicit drugs in prisons are considered contraband,” the statement read, adding that offenders caught with them may face disciplinary or criminal charges.On the role of Overdose Prevention Sites, CSC said the goal is to “save lives by having health care professionals available to respond immediately in the event of a medical emergency.”.According to the agency, no fatalities have occurred among inmates participating in the OPS program, and no drugs are provided to offenders as part of it. CSC also rejected claims of increased violence linked to Drumheller’s OPS, stating that data does not show a rise in such incidents.CSC said it is taking multiple measures to prevent drugs and other unauthorized items from entering facilities. These include body scanners, radiofrequency jammers, intelligence gathering, and infrastructure improvements. “Harm reduction measures are grounded in science,” the statement added, noting that such programs reduce the spread of infectious diseases and contribute to safer conditions for inmates, staff, and communities.
