The Canadian government has approved the installation of full body scanners in federal prisons, a move aimed at improving the detection of contraband hidden in body cavities. Blacklock's Reporter says the technology has been used at airports since 2008, but its introduction to correctional facilities has been delayed for years.“Adding body scanner technology to the Correctional Service’s toolkit gives them a fast and efficient way to detect contraband,” said Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc. He did not explain why the implementation took so long.The use of full body scanners in prisons was authorized in 2019 under Bill C-83, which amended the Corrections and Conditional Release Act. The legislation allowed for body scans of inmates, visitors, and staff in an effort to curb smuggling. Despite this, it wasn’t until yesterday that Cabinet officially approved the installation of 33 scanners across federal penitentiaries at a cost of $9 million."Body scanners can detect contraband in the digestive tract and contraband that is hidden in body cavities with an increased level of certainty compared to the Correctional Service’s other search methods,” noted a Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement. The technology has been tested at Bath Institution in Ontario and the Edmonton Institution for Women since 2022.Previously, prison staff relied on frisk searches, handheld X-ray scanners, and metal detectors to intercept contraband. However, these methods were often ineffective in detecting items hidden inside a person’s body. According to the Correctional Service, body scanners will offer a more reliable solution to this problem.Visitors to prisons may also be required to undergo body scans if staff suspect they are carrying contraband. If a visitor refuses, they may be prohibited from having contact visits with inmates.While body scanners represent a significant upgrade, the Correctional Service has noted that other smuggling methods, such as using drones or launching contraband into prison yards with arrows, will continue to pose challenges. Don Head, former Commissioner of the Correctional Service, testified in 2015 about creative smuggling techniques, including the use of hollowed-out tennis balls and even dead birds to deliver drugs into prison yards.The scanners are expected to be gradually installed across the country’s prisons, providing a long-overdue tool in the fight against contraband.
