PRISON STAFF WORK HARD TO KEEP DRUGS OUT

Re: Zero tolerance on prison drugs just 'lip service,' April 5.

It's unfortunate that no one from Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) was
given an opportunity to respond to the allegations of Sylvain Martel,
president of the Union of Canadian Correctional Officers.

As a former correctional officer, I know that working in a prison is
challenging. I am confident that our staff are professionals and remain
devoted to protecting the public. Through the dedication of staff applying
our policies, best practices and progressive initiatives, we have been more
successful than ever before in the confiscation of weapons, illicit
alcohol, drugs and drug paraphernalia.

Unfounded and inflated comments do a great disservice, not just to our
employees but also to your readers.

There are a variety of measures in place to safeguard employees and the public.

- - CSC's national drug strategy includes supply and demand reduction
initiatives. Our interdiction initiatives include searching visitors, using
metal detectors, ion scanners and drug detection dogs, cell searches,
searches of buildings and grounds and physical searches of offenders.
Visitors found in possession of drugs are detained and police are
contacted. Offenders found in possession of drugs face institutional
sanctions and sometimes criminal charges.

- - Routine cell searches must be made every 30 days. Non-routine searches
and emergency searches are conducted at the discretion of institutional staff.

- - An inmate's security level is classified on the basis of risk and is
regularly reviewed throughout the sentence.

No prison system in the world is immune to drugs or potential violence. We
work constantly to make it a safer place, and thanks to our staff, we are
making progress.

Don Head,

Ottawa,

Senior deputy commissioner,

Correctional Service Canada