McDonald's and alcohol delivered by drone to Special Handling Unit inmate

An inmate at the Regional Reception Centre in Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines on Montreal's North Shore received McDonald's and alcohol delivered by drone overnight between Wednesday and Thursday, according to an anonymous correctional worker.

The facility's Special Handling Unit houses inmates considered too dangerous for maximum-security prisons. A correctional officer on rounds discovered the inmate under the influence of alcohol and found McDonald's leftovers in the cell. The breach represents a significant security failure at Canada's highest-security correctional unit.

Correctional Service Canada confirmed that a delivery of unauthorized items took place and said the incident is being investigated. The agency issued a statement: "Any attempt to introduce prohibited or unauthorized items into a correctional institution, including through the use of drones, poses a risk to the safety of institutions, staff, inmates and the public." Federal prisoners are prohibited from receiving external commercial food deliveries—UberEats, SkipTheDishes, restaurant takeout—and can only purchase authorized items through the internal canteen system.

The anonymous correctional worker told reporters that drone deliveries happen regularly at federal penitentiaries and that the facility's drone detection system has known weaknesses, as do security cameras. The source said concerns about these vulnerabilities have been raised with Correctional Service Canada.

Inmates caught with prohibited items or trafficking can face administrative measures, disciplinary sanctions, or criminal charges. It remains unclear what consequences the inmate is facing or how the drone bypassed the facility's security systems.