Four B.C. prisons now have body scanners, as part of a pilot project to combat contraband and drugs from being smuggled into correctional facilities
The pilot project, costing $640,000, is being tested at new Okanagan Correctional Centre, Surrey Pretrial Services Centre, North Fraser Pretrial Centre and Alouette Correctional Centre for Women.
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The four facilities were chosen partly because they see higher volumes of remanded inmates moving in and out of custody than do other centres, B.C. Corrections said in a statement.
Exactly how effective the body scanners are at drug interdiction will be evaluated in coming months, before possibly being installed in other facilities across the province.
In 2016, Ontario became the first province to install full body scanners in all of its jails. The Alberta government will also be installing a similar scanner at the Edmond Remand Centre as early as December.
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ashley.wadhwani@bpdigital.ca
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