Sample letter to to Minister of Children & Family Development to demand an immediate stop to breast and gynecological examinations during court-ordered psychiatric assessment of incarcerated teenage girls.

Honorable Mary Polak
Minister of Children & Family Development
PO BOX 9057, STN PROV GOVT.
Victoria BC
V8W 9E2
Fax: 250-387-9722

Dear Minister Polak:

I am alarmed and deeply troubled to discover that teenage girls are subjected to breast and gynecological examinations as part of court-ordered psychiatric assessments at the Burnaby Inpatient Assessment Unit and, furthermore, that the Ministry of Children & Family Development has claimed that this is routine and justified.  I believe these examinations are an abuse of teenage girls who are extremely vulnerable due to their age, status as prisoners, circumstances of oppression, and histories of physical and sexual abuse.

I do not believe that girls are able to freely and voluntarily consent to breast and gynecological examinations when they are done as part of a court-ordered psychiatric assessments that impact their sentence.  

I find it deplorable that the Ministry of Children & Family Development has banned an independent advocacy group, Justice for Girls, from providing support to teenage girls at the prison.

Please immediately stop breast and gynecological examinations on teenage girls who are under court-ordered psychiatric assessment at the Burnaby Inpatient Assessment Unit.  Please ensure that girl prisoners are never subjected to breast or gynecological examinations by male doctors in any youth prison in British Columbia.  Please create a policy to stop incarcerating young women with male prisoners, guards, and medical staff; to not create such a policy is to endanger young women.  Please immediately allow Justice for Girls to provide support and advocacy to teenage girls at the Burnaby youth prison.

Sincerely,