A/HRC/41/42/Add.1 acknowledged through its spokesperson that “racism exists within our health care system and we, as leaders, acknowledge this”.30 61. The Special Rapporteur believes that the practice of forced sterilization should be investigated and addressed in the context of systemic discrimination against indigenous people, particularly indigenous women, and that comprehensive information on consent should be made available, while victims of such violence should receive full remedy including compensation.31 G. Violence against women in detention 62. The Special Rapporteur visited the Nunavut Women’s Correctional Centre in Iqaluit and the Women’s Correctional Centre of Manitoba in Headingly, where she had the opportunity to hold private meetings with women in detention. 63. The Special Rapporteur welcomes the positive steps that the Government of Canada is taking in relation to the current consultations with provincial and territorial governments in view of the forthcoming accession of Canada to the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. She nevertheless draws the attention of the Government to serious concerns identified during her visit to the detention centres, 32 primarily the overcrowding of facilities, the overrepresentation of indigenous women, the widespread use of practices such as strip searches and the employment of male staff working in direct contact with women in women’s institutions, as well as the lack of a dedicated, stand-alone facility for women in federal corrections. 64. Most women in prison have histories of abuse (physical, sexual, domestic) and addictions and suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.33 In 2014–2015, 68 per cent of federally sentenced women reported histories of sexual abuse and 86 per cent reported having been physically abused at some point in their life. A total of 64.2 per cent of federally incarcerated women are single mothers. At the provincial and territorial levels, neither of the detention centres that the Special Rapporteur visited had in place any child and mother programmes.34 In an investigation conducted in 2016–2017 by the Office of the Correctional Investigator among women in maximum security prisons, 90 per cent reported being segregated during their detention and 83 per cent also reported having mental health problems that, as highlighted also by the Canadian Human Rights Commission, are often exacerbated during their placement in segregation. 35 65. In the case of 19-year-old Ashley Smith, who was found dead in her segregation cell, staff members were charged for alleged assault or criminal negligence. Although the charges were stayed because of the administrative directive of Correctional Service Canada to staff not to assist Ms. Smith, the jury, following an inquest into her death, ruled her death a homicide and made 104 recommendations.36 66. Incarceration as a response to women with mental health conditions is against international human rights standards, and there is an urgent need to provide alternatives to 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 12 Betty Ann Adam, “Saskatoon Health Region apologizes for forced tubal ligations, says report ‘provides clear direction’”, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, 28 July 2017. See also Dr. Yvonne Boyer and Dr. Judith Bartlett, “External review: tubal ligation in the Saskatoon Health Region: the lived experience of aboriginal women” (July 2017). See www.csc-scc.gc.ca/research/err-16-23-eng.shtml. See also www.caefs.ca/wpcontent/uploads/2013/05/csc-revw.pdf. See www.caefs.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/csc-revw.pdf. See Feminist Alliance for International Action and others, “Discrimination against indigenous and racialized women in Canada”, submission to the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (2017), and Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies, “Long term effects of abuse and trauma”. See www.oci-bec.gc.ca/cnt/rpt/pdf/annrpt/annrpt20162017-eng.pdf. See www.chch.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/2013-1219-AshleySmithVerdict.pdf.