The Quebec government is implementing new strategies to prevent contraband from entering its detention facilities. A 12-month pilot project will be initiated at the Roberval Detention Centre, located 350 kilometers northeast of Montreal, where inmates will be required to wear uniforms starting in September.
The decision to introduce uniforms aims to streamline the search process, differentiate inmates from staff and visitors, and eliminate any indications of ties to criminal organizations that could incite violence, as stated by the Public Security Ministry. Currently, individuals incarcerated in Quebec detention centers wear their own clothing.
Isabelle Mailloux, the director of the Réseau correctionnel de Montréal, highlighted the challenges posed by inmates using their personal clothing for smuggling illicit items like drugs in recent years. She mentioned that drugs are often concealed in clothing seams or shoes, but inmates have also resorted to more innovative methods, such as soaking clothes in illicit substances.
The pilot project is part of a broader initiative to enhance security in Quebec’s detention facilities, which received a $35 million investment in 2023. The uniforms will comprise basic and comfortable clothing items like cotton-polyester T-shirts, long-sleeved sweatshirts, sweatpants, sweat shorts, shoes, socks, and underwear. The Roberval facility was selected for the pilot due to its sewing workshop where inmates can manufacture their pants.
Quebec’s Domestic Security Minister Ian Lafrenière emphasized that the initiative promotes “social reintegration through employment.” Currently, nine provinces, one territory, and Correctional Service Canada already mandate inmate uniforms. The government plans to expand the uniform requirement across Quebec based on the pilot project outcomes.
In addition to the uniform policy, the government will implement stricter disciplinary measures. Amendments to the Règlement d’application de la Loi sur le système correctionnel du Québec, effective from Sept. 28, will allow staff at Quebec’s detention centers to report misconduct for a wider range of infractions, including the delivery of prohibited substances and items via drones.
Mailloux described drones as a persistent issue that authorities have been combatting. Data from Quebec’s correctional services network revealed 1,521 drone sightings at detention centers between April 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026, with 234 additional sightings from April to June of the current year. The evolving technology necessitates ongoing efforts to counter the tactics employed by incarcerated individuals.
Under the revised regulations, disciplinary committees will have the authority to impose harsher penalties for serious misconduct, such as smuggling cellphones or causing infrastructure damage. These sanctions may involve community service, suspension of canteen privileges, or extended periods of isolation, with a focus on considering the physical and mental well-being of inmates.
