In June 2023 the CPLA provided submissions to the federal government urging strong regulatory limits on dry cells and strip searches.
Dry celling, an extreme form of solitary confinement, is a cruel and degrading practice. As has been noted by the Correctional Investigator, “[t]he conditions of dry cell confinement are, by far, the most degrading, austere and restrictive imaginable in federal corrections.” Strip searches are also inherently humiliating and degrading, and are particularly traumatic for individuals who have been sexually abused.
The submissions, which were also signed by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, urged the government to pass regulations limiting the use of dry cells, and mandating that body scanning technology be used in lieu of dry cells and strip searches whenever possible. Ultimately, both organizations support the abolition of dry cells.
You can read the full submissions here.
canadian prison law association