McNuggets, booze smuggled by drone into Canada's most secure prison: union
Union says it's at 'breaking point' for illegal goods entering Quebec facility
The union representing correctional officers is raising the alarm after it says an inmate had a drone drop off a McDonald's meal and alcohol to what's supposed to be Canada's most secure prison earlier this week.
asserted
what → smuggle → meal
The union said the drone delivered McDonald's chicken nuggets and fries complete with sauce and some alcohol straight to the inmate's cell window in the special handling unit at the Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines, Que., facility at around 3 a.m. on Thursday.
asserted
drone → say → Thursday
"The inmate found that really funny in the morning when the guards did their rounds," said Mike Bolduc, regional president of the UCCO-SACC-CSN union, in an interview.
asserted
Bolduc → find → interview
But he's not laughing.
asserted
he → laugh → ?
The union has been growing increasingly concerned about contraband, from cellphones to knives, getting into the maximum security facility via drone.
asserted
contraband → grow → drone
"We're at the breaking point where an inmate went and delivered himself McDonald's.…
asserted
inmate → go → McDonald
Is that a loaded gun?
asserted
that → load → ?
You know, it's scaring us, it's really scaring us," he said.
asserted
he → know → us
The inmate's unit — known as the SHU — houses extremely violent and high-risk offenders.
asserted
unit → know → offenders
Some of Canada's most notorious killers, like Clifford Olson and Allan Legere, spent part of their incarceration at the Quebec prison along with convicted terrorists.
"It's supposed to be the most secure jail in Canada and he's eating McDonald's," said Bolduc.
asserted
Bolduc → spend → McDonald
The details of the story were first reported on by TVA Nouvelles.
asserted
details → report → Nouvelles
Drones are an escalating problem for Canada's penitentiary system and those who run it.
asserted
who → escalate → it
Conservative MP
Correctional Service Canada (CSC) deploys unmanned aerial vehicle detection technology at its institutions, but Bolduc said it's concerning that the radar didn't appear to detect this drone.
asserted
radar → deploy → drone
He thinks inmates probably get multiple drones sent out to find blind spots.
asserted
inmates → think → spots
"So what happened here is that they beat the technology," said Bolduc.
asserted
Bolduc → happen → technology
"The drones are incredible [with] the damage that they're causing."
asserted
they → cause → that
The union been pushing for a far more low-tech solution: physical netting
"
asserted
union → push → solution
It's not harder than that," Bolduc said.
asserted
Bolduc → say → that
"This now has to be a cry for help saying that we need that netting as fast as possible."
asserted
we → have → netting
The entrance of the Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines penitentiary is shown on July 3, 2005.
asserted
entrance → show → July
Bolduc said the McDonald's delivery should be a "wake-up call" for federal Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree, whose government cut $132 million from CSC's operational budget.
asserted
government → say → budget
"I'm scared for Canadians, for their security," he said.
asserted
he → say → security
In a social media video Conservative MP Frank Caputo, the party's public safety critic, said the minister has been too slow on the issue of drones delivering illegal goods to prisons.
asserted
minister → say → prisons
"What in the heck are we doing in Canada?" he said.
asserted
he → do → Canada
In a statement, CSC said the incident is under review but wouldn't comment on the case further, citing security considerations.
asserted
incident → say → considerations
"The introduction of contraband and unauthorized items into correctional institutions remains an important issue that CSC continues to actively address," said spokesperson Kevin Antonucci.
asserted
Antonucci → remain → that
"CSC continues to implement a multi-layered approach that includes staff vigilance, security intelligence activities, searches, detection technologies and collaboration with police and other partners."
Anandasangaree's office referred CBC News to the CSC comment.
asserted
office → continue → comment
The Aporia
