These allegations of sexual harassment in the Edmonton Prison and the retribution to victims puts the victims at risk.
“Two major investigations are underway and several employees have been suspended after what the federal corrections service calls “very serious” allegations of harassment, intimidation and inappropriate employee conduct by staff at Edmonton’s maximum-security prison.
Meanwhile, CBC News has uncovered new details about allegations of workplace sexual harassment at that facility, and the dangers women can face for reporting it: namely, implied or direct threats to their safety, their families and their lives.”
The fear of ones safety becomes a great concern in this workplace environment where there is always the potential for violence. Retribution for speaking out about sexual harassment is a reality for victims. I remember what happened after I spoke up about harassment. My partner refused to back me up on a serious domestic violence
call and I had to go alone.
“In that environment, it’s apparently possible to use inmates as weapons for intimidation. Sources say it’s typical for perpetrators of harassment to hint to a victim that if she doesn’t keep quiet, they may “miss” seeing her get assaulted by an inmate.
They say the practice of “double dooring” is also common. That’s when a person operating doors from one of several special control rooms purposely fails to open the next set of doors for a guard to pass through into a new prison unit. When the second set of doors is unopened, the guard is left locked between two sets of doors in a confined space, sometimes alone with one or more inmates. “Double dooring” is against protocol, yet the sources reported experiencing or witnessing it regularly.”
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