FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 24, 2000

MEDIA ADVISORY

Private Canteen Employee Charged with Smuggling Drugs to Inmates

TORONTO – An employee of an American company that supplies canteen services to Ontario correctional facilities has been charged for attempting to smuggle drugs into the Toronto East Detention Centre.

The employee of Aramark Industries was arrested May 21 inside the Toronto East Detention Centre while delivering canteen orders to inmates. Drugs were found in cigarette packages contained in the canteen orders.

"I want to know what measures Corrections Minister Rob Samson will now take to protect our members," said OPSEU Corrections Division chair Barry Scanlon. "Drugs inside our institutions have led to assaults on our members and the minister ignored our safety concerns about hiring an American company to provide canteen services. This is a security issue for us, if it’s this easy to smuggle drugs inside what’s next?" Security is just one of the issues to be discussed at a OPSEU news conference.

Date: Thursday May 25, 2000

Time: Noon

Place: The Toronto Jail (Don Jail)

550 Gerrard St. E., Toronto

"If the government can’t privatize something as simple as canteen services without a security breech, what makes them think they can privatize a 1200 bed superjail," said Scanlon.

Scanlon will be joined by NDP Corrections Critic Peter Kormos.

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For further information 

Bill Trbovich 416-561-5613/793-0092
Barry Scanlon 416-562-725