A former prisoner said that in the two years of GTA prison, she was often forced to wear a bra against her will and imprison her alone, but eventually triggered a revised dress --
Code rules for women\'s correctional institutions throughout the province.
The 40-year-old Jeannette Tossounian has come forward against what she believes was a \"arbitrary\" violation of her rights at the Milton Vanier women\'s center three years ago.
\"I was told that the breasts I had no breasts would actually cause confusion,\" she said . \".
\"If your nipples go through your shirt, you can get the attention of male guards,\" she said . \"
Prior to 2014, Vanier\'s dress code required prisoners to wear bras and underwear at all times, in addition to their pajamas.
According to Leslie Robertson, Tossounian\'s former lawyer, this constitutes \"gender-based differential treatment \".
Diana Marjorie, president of the Canadian Association of the Elizabeth Fry Association, said the problem boils down to physical integrity.
\"This is a violation of her human rights.
It shocked me.
I can\'t figure out why someone needs to wear a bra in addition to trying to control her . \"
On October 2013, Tossounian launched a hunger strike after being held in solitary confinement for \"friend bra --
Resist the band-
\"In terms of policy,\" she said.
She said that after 10 days of her \"hole\" with toilet paper and the Bible, Vanier gave in and changed the dress code.
\"This violation is a real traumatic experience that will affect the rest of my life,\" said Tossounian, released on December 2013 . \".
\"At one point, the idea of suicide has actually run through my mind.
\"In April 2014, the Ministry of Community Safety and Corrections formally abolished Vanier\'s mandatory bra rules.
The Correctional Services Department said that all provincial correctional institutions had canceled their demands on women that year.
Spokesman Andrew Morrison will not comment on the allegations that Tossounian was held in solitary confinement for protesting the forced wearing of a bra on the grounds of privacy concerns.
\"The overall Ministry policy of the Ontario Correctional Facility provides that women prisoners have the option to wear bras.
\"In the past, some correctional institutions had internal policies that required female prisoners to wear bras,\" Morrison said in an email . \".
\"To align with the department\'s policies, the rules of these correctional institutions were modernized in spring 2014.
\"Four provinces and one area still require bras to be worn during the day, although they will not be worn after lights are turned off.
Faisal Bhabha, associate professor at Osgoode Hall at New York University, said he specializes in the constitution and human rights
Code rules often tend to pick out women who \"condemn and control more often than men.
He cited the dress code of former public schools and expectations for the \"trendy dress\" in the hospitality industry.
\"I think in all the rare cases, under current legal testing, it is difficult to justify the rule that requires bras to have no exceptions or flexibility,\" Bhabha said . \".
He added, \"a good evidence --
Require bra no exception for hygiene or safety reasons \"may justify the strapin policy.
\"I doubt whether such a record of evidence can be established.
\"In the five jurisdictions where bras are mandatory, most spokespersons do not justify this policy.
\"The staff provide these items to ensure that prisoners are dressed properly and not exposed to physical parts that are considered inappropriate in public,\" said Luke Joyce, a Justice spokesman for Newfoundland . \".
Some jurisdictions allow exceptions for medical reasons, such as mastectomy.
Women prisoners are not required to wear bras in federal prisons.
Ontario 1996 a decision of the Court of Appeal granted women in the province the right to bare upper body in public, confirming equal treatment in the field of public etiquette.
\"The prison environment is unique because, by definition, prisoners do not enjoy the same freedom as other Canadians,\" Bhabha said . \" He noted that rights could be denied, but in a fair manner
Tossounian was sentenced to two years in prison for arson in July 2012 after she was accused of burning herself in St. Louis. Catharines.
It is now the owner of a bookstore in Ont Rockland.
Tossounian claimed that she was innocent and appealed the verdict.
Tossounian said the bra at the provincial prison \"does not provide any support.
\"This sports bra is really thin.
Someone else used it yesterday.
There are stains under the arm.
She said: \"But it doesn\'t matter why she refuses to wear one.
\"This is my personal space. it should be my choice.
Tossounian\'s first months in prison were relatively a problem. free.
When several guards began to ask her to wear a mandatory prison, the trouble began.
Sports bra, one year-
Long struggle with clothingCode constraints.
On November 2012, Tossounian filed a formal complaint with the ministry alleging that the correctional officer, citing gender-based discrimination, had put her in an isolated cell because she refused to wear a bra.
She claims that she has been charged with internal misconduct since November and has been restricted to isolation cells. 1 to Nov. 15 —
By a three
Day on the festival
Blocked in her usual cell.
\"A few days later, I was charged with another misconduct for saying that I did not want to wear a bra and was given an additional five days of imprisonment from the date of my early release on December 2012, as a further punishment, \"she said.
The Elizabeth Fry Association confirmed that Tossounian had filed a formal complaint about the incident. On Oct.
On 2013, 10 days after Tossounian launched a hunger strike protest, a prison official told her that the prison was picking a bra from the list of compulsory clothing.
That night, when she returned from the hole to her normal cell, she wrote in the diary self: \"Everyone starts shouting \'tossounian\' and cheers for me
Published as a book called human kennel.
\"I yelled at me for winning and the prison was changing their policy so we couldn\'t wear a bra --
Most girls do, though.
Someone shouted, \"everyone!
Take off your bra!