Article content

In what’s being called the most comprehensive policy of its kind in Canada, inmates in Ontario will be assessed and housed based on their gender identity — not their anatomy.

Under the new policy, inmates will be placed in facilities that take into account their own gender identity and preferences. They will also be referred to as their chosen name and pronouns (such as he, her or the gender-neutral ze), be able to retain prosthesis used for gender expression and have a choice in the gender of staff performing searches.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Ontario will now assess transgender inmates based on identity, not anatomy Back to video

Previously, transgender or otherwise non-gender conforming inmates were assessed on their “primary sexual characteristic,” which typically boiled down to their genitalia. Those who had not had sex reassignment surgery were often misgendered by staff and placed in facilities that did not match their gender.

The new policy was created after consultation with law enforcement, corrections staff and transgender advocates, a move that Susan Gapka called “groundbreaking.”