Officer’s mother, colleague claims he was subjected to repeated bullying and mistreatment by colleagues, says report
The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) is conducting an internal investigation following the death of a Kingston-based correctional officer earlier this year, which has been allegedly linked to workplace harassment, according to a media report.
Bradley Gleeson, a veteran correctional officer with 16 years of service at the federal Joyceville Institution, died on April 2. His mother, Denise Ducette, told The Whig Standard that her son had been subjected to persistent bullying and mistreatment by some of his colleagues.
According to the report, these allegations include social isolation, verbal harassment, and targeted humiliation both in the workplace and via online messaging platforms.
Ducette said Gleeson was often left to complete shifts without communication from fellow staff, was ridiculed in group chats, and received derogatory notes in his locker. Friends and former co-workers also reported that he was placed on a “dummy”—a slang term for being assigned to posts without any backup support.
Reports also suggest that the harassment intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly after Gleeson took federally approved “699” leave due to being immunocompromised.
“699” leave was a government measure put in place to support and protect federal employees who were unable to work due to illness, risk of illness, lack of childcare, or issues accessing remote work systems, according to Whig Standard.
Upon returning to work, Gleeson was reportedly further ostracized by colleagues who blamed him for their increased overtime workloads.
One of Gleeson's friends at the institution told The Whig Standard that staff were often reprimanded informally for taking any kind of leave.
One of Gleeson's friends at the institution told The Whig Standard that staff were often reprimanded informally for taking any kind of leave.
“Even if it’s parental leave, maternity leave, 699 leave, WSIB for PTSD — that’s a big one. You go off on PTSD, you’re done there. They basically put you on the dummy,” the colleague said. “Even the comments that we’ve heard are, ‘Because of Brad, I had to work 158 hours of forced overtime.’ They were angry.”
Gleeson’s experience added to an already stressful prison environment.
According to the report titled Invisible ghosts of care and penality: Exploring Canadian correctional workers’ perceptions of prisoner well-being, accountability and power: “Correctional work, in institutions or the community, involves emotional labour. Complicating the emotional work is the occupational obligation for staff to provide care, custody and control for those under their supervision. Such a process can, and often does, mandate building rapport with colleagues and prisoners as well as learning about the risks and needs of those under their supervision and care. In consequence, not only is emotional labour involved in occupational responsibilities but emotions can simultaneously create and strategically mitigate tensions while also leaving workers more vulnerable to being harmed.”
‘Workplace free of harassment’
In a written statement cited by the publication, CSC said it is “committed to providing a workplace free of harassment, violence and discriminatory behaviour,” and that all allegations are reviewed in accordance with policy and legislation. CSC noted its employees are bound by the Commissioner’s Directive 060: Code of Discipline and that misconduct is not tolerated.
The service also indicated that correctional staff receive anti-harassment and values-based training to foster respectful work environments. However, due to privacy regulations, CSC declined to provide further details regarding Gleeson’s case or the progress of the investigation.
Howard Sapers, a former Correctional Investigator of Canada and current justice policy consultant, told the Whig Standard that workplace harassment in correctional environments is not uncommon and must be addressed through leadership at all levels.
“If you want to overcome negative culture, you have to replace it with positive culture and that starts at the top,” he said.
