SPRINGHILL - Inmates remain confined to their cells indefinitely while staff at the Springhill Institution continue to search for a mysterious item that put the federal prison into lockdown Tuesday.
Following up on an anonymous note received through the inmate's internal mail service, inmate movement, programs and visits to the prison were suspended as staff search the premises for "an unauthorized object."
Sources have told the Amherst Daily News the object might have been a bomb.
"We're ensuring the safety and security of staff, inmates and public during the investigation," Shannon Oickle, media liaison for the Springhill Institution, said Thursday.
Work conducted by the inmate population is being completed by Corrections Canada employees, with food preparation and garbage removal being primary duties. Meals and prescribed medications are being delivered to the inmates in their cells.
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada are on site during the investigation and providing labour relations while the institution's citizens advisory committee will be made available to inmates if needed.
cgooding@springhillrecord.com
