Sylvain Martel, national president of the Union for Canadian Correctional Officers, accused Corrections Canada of applying a double standard to male and female inmates.

Pointing to past incidents of hostage-taking, forcible confinement, death threats, assault and serious property damage perpetrated by female prisoners, he said there's a critical need for a super-max holding spot for the most violent women.

There are four maximum-security units within women's institutions across the country, but Martel said there is greater freedom of movement, fewer controls and a lower staff ratio compared to the men's secure ranges.

"We call it the magical world of Harry Potter," Martel said. "For them, they are not inmates, they're victims. There is a whole philosophy that needs to change."

Lisa Watson, CSC's manager for the women offenders section, said the number of female inmates with extremely violent records doesn't warrant a special unit.

There are less than 40 women convicts classed for maximum security, and a management protocol provides a highly structured framework to safely manage the four women considered highly dangerous, she said. Badly behaved women can also be segregated.

"That in no way negates the violence they have perpetrated against others, but there has to be some acknowledgment they have been victims of violence," she said.

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