The Conservative government is about to announce an expansive review of the inner workings of the federal prison system.

The focus will be on reviewing various prisoner programs as well as giving more voice to victim’s rights groups.

They are also talking of increasing security with a focus on protection for prison guards and dealing with the issue of drugs on the inside through an increase in the law and order approach.

What this will look like will be revealed in more detail later this month by Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day.

The Conservatives have already cancelled a pilot project of the former Liberal government to set up safer tattooing sites in prisons in an effort to cut down on the spread of HIV and Hepatitis C.

Prison guards are hoping for more weapons, more powers to search prisoners and other ways to control prisoners, including more isolation of prisoners.

The Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime is pushing for more access to information about prisoners, including more about their behaviour in prison. They also want a reduction in prisoner’s access to parole.

The federal government oversees more than 50 prisons in which 12,500 people are serving sentences of two years or more.