Regulations Amending the Corrections and Conditional Release Regulations (Body Scanner Searches)

Enabling Act

Corrections and Conditional Release Act (CCRA)

Description

These regulatory amendments will provide details as to when and how the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) will use body scanners. These amendments will assist CSC in further reducing drugs and contraband from entering institutions, thereby increasing the safety and security of institutions for staff, offenders, and visitors, as well as the community. They will also provide an alternative to and less invasive means of conducting searches.

Potential impacts on Canadians, including businesses

Body scanners would positively impact CSC's ability to detect and seize contraband, therefore assist in reducing the number of overdoses, deaths by overdose, and security incidents linked to contraband. They may also limit the negative impact of trafficking of contraband coming into the institution.

The use of body scanners would expedite the search process. It would also reduce the need for strip searches, which require persons to undress, as body scanners present a less intrusive means of searching people while respecting their dignity, gender considerations, and cultural and religious practices.

There are no expected impacts on Canadian businesses.

Regulatory cooperation efforts (domestic and international)

As the regulatory changes stem from an amendment to the CCRA, which only applies to CSC, there is no anticipated impact on the mandate of other ministers.

However, the regulatory proposal does provide an opportunity to cooperate and align approaches with other international and provincial/territorial jurisdictions.

Consultations

CSC has engaged with international correctional service organizations, provincial corrections, and other federal agencies, as these organizations have introduced body scanners and associated policies into their operations. These conversations provided CSC with additional knowledge around safety and security impacts, installation, use and training on the use of body scanners.

Additional consultation with other stakeholders and partners will continue to take place.

Further information

N/A

Departmental contact information

Alex Bartraw
Portfolio Manager
613-796-2980
Alex.Bartraw@csc-scc.gc.ca

Date the regulatory initiative was first included in the Forward Regulatory Plan

April 2022.

For more information

Date modified:

2022-04-25