Pubdate: Tue, 10 Jun 2014
Source: Toronto Sun (CN ON)
Copyright: 2014 Canoe Limited Partnership
Contact: http://www.torontosun.com/letter-to-editor
Website: http://torontosun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/457
Author: Joe Warmington
Page: 9
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/prison.htm (Incarceration)

DRUGS FOUND NEAR WARDEN'S OFFICE

OPP Called in to Probe Breach in Federal Prison

Campbellford's Warkworth Institution is under probe after a large 
amount of narcotics was discovered in the most unusual of places.

It's not that the drugs were found inside a federal prison that was 
the shocker. It's where they were found that has staff and inmates 
alike scratching their heads.

And Ontario Provincial Police are investigating.

The probe, sources say, began Thursday when contractors found a 
"paper-towel sized" package under a couch "in the boardroom which is 
adjacent to the warden's office."

The insider said it was a stunning find in the medium security 
prison, located about halfway between Toronto and Ottawa, which holds 
about 600 prisoners.

"We have heard of such a thing inside the institution before but 
never in (the vicinity of ) the warden's office," said the witness. 
"Everybody was surprised - especially since it was located in a 
building that is separate from the ranges."

One jail guard said the "institutional value" of such contraband 
could be in the tens of thousands.

"If the drugs can get into (the area) where the warden works," said 
one guard. "There is no stopping where they can get into."

A call to Warkworth warden Ryan Beattie's office was referred to a 
media spokesman.

"We are not ready to comment on that yet," said Chris Stafford, 
adding the incident is "under investigation."

OPP Const. Steve Bates confirmed that a "package was found" and that 
"staff had turned it over to OPP."

There have been no charges yet in the case.

Last week, an inmate spit in a corrections officer face after the 
guard seized a contraband cellphone, a source says.

"The officers heard the cellphone ringing," said a guard. "There are 
many cellphones inside the cells when there shouldn't be."

The cellphones are sensitive to guards, said the insider, since they 
allow for outside contact and the movement of contraband.

Stafford said he was not aware of the incident.

As Sun Media has previously reported, the OPP is still investigating 
last December's theft at Warkworth of a large amount of ammunition, 
apparently pilfered from a storage container. Also in December, an 
inmate allegedly attempted to smuggle in $11,000 worth of marijuana 
when arriving to serve his sentence.

In April, Correctional Services of Canada staff located 33.3 grams of 
marijuana, 73.9 grams of tobacco and two cell phones which was 
estimated to be worth about $17,000 at the institution.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom