Inmates try to bribe, smuggle drugs into N.S. jail
Inmates at the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility in Dartmouth have tried to bribe guards and insert objects into their bodies in an attempt to smuggle drugs into the jail, according to documents obtained by CBC News.
The documents — which detail incidents dating back a year and a half — say an inmate asked a correctional officer to smuggle a package of contraband into the jail in exchange for $5,000.
The names of the inmate and guard have been redacted. The documents do not specify what the contraband was.
"I've heard terms like $2,500, $5,000 to make a drop," said Greg McCamon, a former deputy superintendent at the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility.
"I've never actually seen the monetary figures myself and I've heard for as little as $300."
In 16 other incidents, staff searched inmates and found contraband items on them such as tobacco and drugs, including meth, heroine and cocaine. In some cases, the drugs were stuffed in plastic bags, condoms and cigar tubes that had to be extracted from inmates' bodies at a local hospital.
"An offender had two cigar cases in his rectum that contained a needle and marijuana. He was transported to Dartmouth General Hospital to have them removed," say the documents.
According to the documents, which were obtained by CBC News through the Access to Information Act, another search revealed three guards were carrying banned items includes cigarettes, a cellphone and a pocket knife.
There was no indication anything was passed onto inmates and the guards received letters of discipline.
'Human nature is human nature'
At the time, management said rules and regulations were not being followed and cautions and coaching session were not helping.
"I know in the past it has risen but whether it's a continual issue I'm not so sure of that," said Ross Landry, the Minister of Justice.
"I'm very confident in the quality of staff that we have there but I'm not so naive not to think if you don't have standards if you don't have expectations and if you're not monitoring, human nature is human nature and it needs to be reinforced."
In the past four years, three members of the justice system have been charged with or convicted of bringing drugs to jail.
Most recently, a 49-year-old corrections officer from Bedford was charged with two counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking as part of an ongoing drug investigation.
Malcolm Stephen Beaton allegedly had tobacco, marijuana, hydromorphone, drug paraphernalia and cash on him when he was arrested in October. He's due back in court Tuesday.
In October 2009, a sheriff’s deputy was charged after Halifax Regional Police said they caught him in a drug deal with a 22-year-old woman.
Tyrone David has since pleaded guilty to one count of breach of trust and nine drug-related charges. He will be sentenced in January.
In July 2009, lawyer Anne Calder was charged after she was caught on video handing Dilaudid to an inmate at the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Centre. She was convicted of smuggling drugs last year and was sentenced to two and a half years behind bars.