The Bowden Institution in central Alberta was placed on lockdown Tuesday morning.
The medium-security facility was placed on lockdown at 8:30 a.m. to allow staff members to do an “exceptional search.”
“The search was ordered to ensure the safety and security of the institution, its staff and inmates,” reads a statement from Correctional Service Canada.
“Normal operations will resume as soon as it is considered safe to do so.”
Visits to the institution have been suspended until the search is completed.
“The Correctional Service of Canada is committed to preventing the entry of contraband into its institutions,” the institution said in a news release.
“CSC also works in partnership with the police to take action against those who attempt to introduce contraband into correctional institutions.”
CBC News has requested more details on the lockdown, but calls to corrections officials were not immediately returned.
The institution is both a a medium- and minimum-security facility, where inmates are housed in direct observation living units or residential houses.
As of November 2012, the institution had the capacity for 544 prisoners.