Fake hair and eyelashes can be great beauty tools outside the D.C. Jail. Inside, not so much. Failing to take them off inside the big house can have dire consequences, according to a lawsuit filed against the District by one former inmate.

On Oct. 1, 2011, inmate Tameka Fleming was being processed through the D.C. Jail before being moved to the Correctional Treatment Facility, a privately run building next to the D.C. Jail.  But when it came time to take off her hair braids and fake eyelashes, the lawsuit alleges, Fleming didn’t work fast enough for corrections officer Jannease Johnson.

Angry that Fleming was taking so long to remove her accoutrements, Johnson starting punching and kicking her, Fleming claims, before spraying her with pepper spray.

Fleming, who claims that she suffered from breathing problems, bruises, and emotional distress during the alleged attack, is suing the District and the Corrections Corporation of America, which runs the Correctional Treatment Facility, for $3 million. A spokesman for the Office of the Attorney General declined to comment on the suit, and the Corrections Corporation of America didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Eyelashes photo by Shutterstock