A dead mouse placed in a mailbox is just one of the signs Canada's prison system is rife with sexual harassment, says Blacklock's Reporter..Among the employees making the allegations are a retired director general..One woman said coworkers left a dead mouse in her mailbox after she filed a complaint, according to Federal Court records..“She understood this to mean she was perceived as a ‘rat’ for reporting misconduct,” wrote Justice Simon Fothergill..“She did not report any further incidents of harassment or abuse to Correctional Service management.”.The court dismissed, for lack of jurisdiction, a petition by two women to certify a class action lawsuit on behalf of all female employees at the Correctional Service of Canada..Both detailed allegations of “discrimination by male colleagues and superiors.”.Justice Fothergill said evidence suggested some wrongdoing may have occurred..“There is some evidence before this court that toxic work environments characterized by sexual harassment and discrimination are more likely to be found in penitentiaries such as the maximum security Edmonton Institution or the multi-level Stony Mountain Institution,” wrote the court..“This is insufficient to demonstrate Correctional Service internal recourse procedures provide no meaningful redress.”.One former director general in charge of security for the entire federal prison system told the court abusive conduct was routine..“She was once advised by a Commissioner of the Correctional Service that, as a woman at the service, she was ‘expected to put up with a fair amount of abuse.’”.Other allegations included claims that male instructors at a 2016 training course “berated and humiliated female participants” and that the Correctional Service was “corrupt” in its handling of complaints. Fear of retaliation was “deeply ingrained in the culture,” the court was told..“The Plaintiffs allege the Correctional Service, through its operations and management, encouraged and condoned sexualized harassment, sexualized discrimination, sexual assault and sexual violence against female employees in the workplace. The Plaintiffs also allege the Correctional Service failed to provide a reasonable avenue of redress for women who experienced this misconduct.”.Complaints were common though most Correctional Service employees are women, the plaintiffs said. Of 55,905 employees, a total 29,222 or 52% are women, the court was told. .The number of allegations of harassment was not detailed. However the court was told since 2015, prison employees have filed 260 complaints with the Canadian Human Rights Commission. A majority, 54%, were filed by women.
