Image: The Canadian Press / Matsqui Institution in Abbotsford is pictured. Correctional authorities say stabbing weapons have been found at two Fraser Valley prisons following a lockdown at one and the due diligence of prison guards at another.

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Stabbing weapons found at two prisons

Stabbing weapons found at two Fraser Valley prisons

Jan 19, 2024 | 11:05 AM

ABBOTSFORD/AGASSIZ — Correctional authorities say stabbing weapons have been found at two Fraser Valley prisons following a lockdown at one and the due diligence of prison guards at another.

Correctional Service Canada says a lockdown and exceptional search put in place at Matsqui Institution in Abbotsford on Thursday, January 11 ended on this past Monday, Jan. 15. The institution has since resumed normal operations and visits were reinstated. During the exceptional search, contraband and unauthorized items were found, including various stabbing weapons.

Earlier this month, by virtue of the vigilance of staff members, contraband and unauthorized items were seized at Kent Institution, a maximum-security federal institution, in Agassiz on Friday, January 5. The contraband and unauthorized items seized at Kent included three cell phones and chargers, cannabis concentrates, and various stabbing weapons. The total estimated institutional value of this seizure is $17,800.

Local police have been notified, CSC said, and the institution is investigating the circumstances around the unauthorized contraband.

The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) employs multiple tools and strategies to prevent drugs from entering its prisons. These tools include ion scanners and drug-detector dogs to search buildings, personal property, inmates, and visitors.

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CSC states it is increasing measures to prevent contraband from entering its institutions in order to help ensure a safe and secure environment for everyone. CSC also works in partnership with the police to take action against those who attempt to introduce contraband into correctional institutions.