Thank you very much for your comments. They are very much appreciated. Mr. Chair, I would really like to thank you for this unique opportunity. It is an honour and a privilege to share my experiences with you.
My name is Darcy Thompson. I am a security intelligence officer in the Drumheller Institution in the prairie region. We are a medium security institution, housing approximately 600 inmates. Surrounding our institution is a 15-foot double fence equipped with a fence detection system, as well as a motion detection system between the fences. We also have a minimum security unit located outside the perimeter fence, which currently has a capacity of 72 beds.
I've been working for the Correctional Service of Canada for just over 17 years. I have been a security intelligence officer for 9 of those 17 years. Prior to assuming this role in 2002, I was a correctional officer and was also involved with the institutional emergency response team, first as a member, then as team leader at Drumheller.
As an intelligence officer, one of my main responsibilities is to gather information, process that information into intelligence, and provide that intelligence to our decision-makers. Our overall goal, of course, is to maintain a safe and secure environment inside the institution for both staff and inmates, as well as the community as a whole. We gather information from a variety of different sources, including electronic means and image sources, but most of all, from our staff who work with offenders on a daily basis. The more information I share with the staff, the more information I receive back, which is essential for us to do an effective job.
It goes without saying that information-sharing goes beyond CSC. We have established positive relationships with our law enforcement partners, such as the RCMP, municipal police departments, Criminal Intelligence Service Canada, and the Canada Border Services Agency, to name a few. Our ability to share information is crucial in the fight against criminal activity within our institutions and in the community, especially when it comes to drugs, gangs, and violence.
Mr. Chair, we know that gangs and drugs go hand-in-hand. When members of a gang are incarcerated, it does not mean they cease their efforts to continue their criminal activity. As my commissioner said during his recent appearance, a significant amount of violence that occurs within the institution can somehow be tied back to drugs, debt, and gangs. Therefore, we need to continuously adapt and keep up with the most current information and new technologies to be able to put a stop to their activities.
For instance, when a new inmate is scheduled for placement at Drumheller, my department is consulted to see if he has a gang affiliation and whether he can safely exist in our population. Here communication within CSC and our partners becomes crucial. An incident could happen on the street, or in another institution, or in a remand centre that could drastically affect relationships between two groups in our population.
We also have effective tools in place to help stop the introduction of drugs into our institution. For example, our drug detector dog program is an excellent and effective means of identifying those who may try to bring drugs inside. Inmate visitors are a well-known means of introducing drugs. We have had numerous seizures as a result of our drug dogs. I have witnessed drivers of vehicles coming for a visit turn away as soon as they see the dog handler's vehicle parked at our entrance. I have listened to phone calls to inmates who are asked if they think the drug dog will be there. This program has proven itself not only effective in interdiction but also at deterrence.
Visitors aren't the only means to get drugs inside an institution. Inmates themselves may try to smuggle drugs back inside when returning from temporary absences. We have also seen offenders purposefully seek suspension and return from remand after they were able to acquire drugs on the street. Of course, we also see drugs introduced by throw-overs and hidden in the vehicles that come on our grounds. We have also seen contraband stashed in produce entering our kitchen. Inmates are very innovative, but it is my job, and that of every member of Drumheller's staff, to stay on top of the problem and use all of the resources at our disposal to keep drugs out.
Mr. Chair, over the years I have seen a dramatic change in how CSC is meeting this challenge head-on. I have provided you with just a few examples here. In my area, the increase in our security intelligence capacity, as well as the introduction of new technology and the establishment of positive working relationships within the intelligence community, have all proven that we are definitely moving in the right direction.
I would be happy to take any questions from the committee at this time.