OTTAWA — Changes to the way the federal prison system treats transgender prisoners mean offenders will now be placed in a men’s or women’s facility, based on how they self-identify. These changes come after the federal government added “gender identity and expression” to the list of prohibited grounds for discrimination in the Canadian Human Rights Act last June. The head of the human rights commission, Marie-Claude Landry, said the reforms are about respect and human dignity, which every person is entitled to, including those in the prison system. The changes also emphasize the privacy and confidentiality of an inmate’s gender identity, which will be shared only if relevant and only with those directly involved in a prisoner’s care. Individualized protocols will also be offered to transgender inmates, which include accommodations when accessing shower and toilet facilities and the choice of male or female officers to conduct frisk and strip searches, urine testing and camera surveillance.

Source: National Post January 31, 2018 20:48 UTC