Lockdown at New Brunswick Dorchester penitentiary to allow for search

DORCHESTER, N.B. - A lockdown is in place at the medium security unit of New Brunswick's Dorchester Penitentiary.

In a statement, Correctional Service Canada says the lockdown began at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday to enable staff to conduct an "exceptional search."

It says Correctional Service Canada is committed to preventing the entry of contraband into its institutions.

The statement says the safety and security of the institutions is their primary concern and normal operations will resume as soon as it is considered safe to do so.

No one from Correctional Service Canada was immediately available for comment.

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  A lockdown is in place at the medium-security unit of New Brunswick's Dorchester Penitentiary, seen here in this Google Maps image, for "an exceptional search," officials say. (Google Maps)