The Quebec government is implementing fresh measures to prevent contraband from infiltrating its detention centers. A 12-month trial project will soon commence at the Roberval Detention Centre, located 350 kilometers northeast of Montreal, mandating inmates to don uniforms starting in September.
By abolishing personal clothing, the search process will be streamlined, inmates will be easily distinguished from staff and visitors, and any signs of affiliation with criminal groups that could incite violence will be eliminated, as per a Public Security Ministry release on Thursday. Presently, detainees at Quebec detention centers wear their own attire.
Isabelle Mailloux, the director of the Réseau correctionnel de Montréal, highlighted recent challenges stemming from inmates using their clothes to smuggle illicit items like drugs. Mailloux mentioned that drugs are often concealed in clothing seams or shoes, although some smuggling methods are more intricate and harder to detect.
The pilot initiative at Roberval is part of broader security enhancement efforts within Quebec’s detention centers, with the government having invested $35 million in 2023. The uniform will include basic and comfortable clothing such as cotton-polyester T-shirts, long-sleeved sweatshirts, sweatpants, sweat shorts, shoes, socks, and underwear.
The selection of the Roberval facility for the pilot project was influenced by its sewing workshop, where inmates can produce their own pants. Quebec’s Minister of Domestic Security, Ian Lafrenière, emphasized that the initiative promotes “social reintegration through employment.”
Apart from the uniform mandate, the government is implementing stricter disciplinary measures, including amendments to the Règlement d’application de la Loi sur le système correctionnel du Québec, effective from September 28. These amendments will broaden the range of situations for which staff can file misconduct reports, encompassing issues like prohibited substances and drone-delivered items.
Mailloux expressed concerns over drones being a persistent challenge that authorities have been combating. 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 this year.
Disciplinary committees will be empowered to levy harsher penalties for serious infractions like cellphone smuggling or infrastructure damage, potentially including community service, canteen purchase suspensions, or extended isolation periods. The government assures that these proposed sanctions will consider the inmates’ physical and psychological well-being.