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BethanySlater
ProfessorSonjaCrafts
English101
November5,2015
TransgenderWomenInPrison
In2012,thePrisonRapeEliminationActaddednewprovisionstoitscodethat
specificallyfocusesonimprovingthesafetyofLGBTinmates.Somecorrectionalfacilitiesdid
notliketheadditionstoPREA.InLancaster,PA,thereisanongoingargumentofwhetherornot
toobliterateaspecificcoderegardingprotectionbasedonsexualorientations.Amajorargument
isthat,duetothehighrateofsuicide,transgenderandotherLGBT+membersneedthe
protectivelanguageinthecode(Hawkes7).In2007,therewasanestimateof750transgender
inmates,mostofwhomaretransgenderwomen(i.e.maletofemaletransition)(Pemberton159).
Transgenderprisonersareaminoritybethatasitmay,thoseindividualsdeserverespectand
recognition.Transgenderwomenshouldbeassignedandplacedwithincorrectionalfacilities
basedupontheirselfidentificationandpreference.
However,intodayssociety,manypeoplehavelittleornounderstandingoftransgender
peoplebut,ratherthanlettingtheseindividualsbethemselves,orevensolicitingtheirinsights,
societyingeneralcontinuestotryandforcegendervariantpeople(whethertransgendered,
transsexual,orintersexual)intooneofthetwosociallyacceptableboxes,(Rudacille287).Itis
ironicthatAmericaiscalledTheLandoftheFree,whendiscriminationagainstgender
expressionisstilllegal(292).Genderrelatestoonesinternalfeeling,whilesexreferstoones
biologicalstatusatransgenderpersonisnotdeterminedbyhormonesorsurgery,butbytheir

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internalsenseonly(Schuster10).Duetothestigmaassociatedwiththewordtransgender,
manygendervariantpeopleattempttoassimilateonesselfintosocietybyparticipatingin
somatechnics:theprocessofmodifyingonesbody.Examplesofsomatechnictransformations
are:piercings,tattoos,diet,exercise,surgery,andhormonetherapy(Pemberton158).
However,somegendervariantpeopleprefertogoonestepfurtherandlegallychange
theirgender.Theprocessofchangingoneslegalgenderinvolvesmultiplestepsanddocuments,
includingmedicaldocumentationandaspecifictreatmentform(Pemberton159).Most
transgenderpeopledonotlegallychangetheirgenderduetothefactthatgenderrecognition,
healthinsurance,andemploymentarelinked.Evenifoneisinsured,manyinsurancecompanies
donotcovergenitalsurgery.Regardless,oneneedstobeemployedtohavehealthinsurance.
Unfortunately,theunemploymentratefortransgenderindividualsistwicethenationalaverage
duetodiscriminationwithintheworkplace(164).Thecombinationofthelackofinsuranceand
incomecanleadtosurvivalcrimes,suchasprostitutionandburglary(165).Thesepettycrimes
couldpotentiallylandatransgenderindividualinjail.
Inanattempttoprovidemoreprotectionfortransgenderinmates,newprovisionswere
addedtothePrisonRapeEliminationAct(PREA)in2012.Thesenewadditionsestablished
specialprotectionsandproceduresrelatedtotransgenderprisoners(Sontag).Oneofthemajor
statementsprohibitedplacementbasedongenitalsalone.Itrequiresplacementtobeassessedon
acasebycasebasiswithanemphasisontheprobabilityofsexualassaultandeachcaseshould
bereevaluatedtwiceayear(Pemberton171).AnotherprovisionbannedclassifyingLGBT+
inmatesassexoffendersifbasedonlyontheirsexualorientationorgenderidentification
(Schuster13).Also,transgenderanditnersexualprisonersmustbeallowedtoshowerseparately

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attheirrequest(10).Furthermore,PREArequiresprisonofficialstobeproperlytrainedonhow
toconductrespectfulsearchesaswellasprohibitingsearcheswiththelonepurposeof
determiningonesgenitals(8).InSexualityandCorrections:AnAdministrator'sPerspective,
ReginaldA.Wilkinsondiscussesthevariouswaysprisonsplacetransgenderinmates:
Mostcorrectionalagenciesclassifyandassigntheseinmatesbasedontheirapparent
externalgenitalia.Somecountries,albeit,useasocialbasedapproach,placingemphasis
onhowapersonselfidentifies.Othersconsiderwhethertheoffenderhasundergone
surgicalintervention.Bothapproachescanbeproblematicasthefirstmaybetoo
subjective,andtheremaybenosinglerecognizedstandardofsurgeryuponwhichtobase
thesecond.(14)
Prisonplacementpoliciesbasedsolelyongenitaliaarepronetoinviteharassmentandinvasive
searchesbyprisonstaff,thusfacilitatingviolenceandsexualassault.However,someinstitutions
willrecognizeonesgenderiftheyweremedicallydiagnosedand/orgoingthroughtreatment
(Pemberton162),butusuallydonotallowcontinuationofhormonetherapy(Wilkinson14).
Whenatransgenderpersonisarrested,oneoftheirbiggestfearsisbeingabusedand
rapedinprison(Nelson).Thesefearsraiseaquestion:israpeafrequentaspectofprisonlife?
Theanswertothisquestioniscomplicated.Theonlytruesourceofrapestatisticsarefromthe
inmatesthemselves,whoareoftenconsideredasunreliablesources(Wilkinson11).Regardless
ofconsent,sexualbehaviorisoneofthenormsoftheinmatesubculture,butapersonsright
toparticipateinsexualactivitydoesnotendupontheiradmissiontoprison,(Wilkinson11).A
sentencetojailshouldnotbeasentencetorape,andyetthegeneralpublicacceptsand
acknowledgesrapeasapartofprisonlife(Schuster13).

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Nonetheless,itseemsasthoughatransgenderwomansjailsentencealmostalways
includessexualassaultand/orharassment."TransgenderWomanCitesAttacks"and"PREAand
LGBTIRights"bothconfirmthatatransgenderwomaninamaleprisonisthirteentimesmore
likelytobesexuallyassaultedthanthegeneralpopulationtheyarealsohighlylikelytobe
assaultedonmultipleoccasions(Schuster9).Inmenscorrectionalfacilities,displayingfeminine
qualitiesplacesanindividualatthebottomoftheprisonhierarchy,makingthepersonmore
vulnerabletorape.Becauseofthishierarchy,otherprisonerstendtoadoptthetoxicmasculinity
inanattempttobesafe(Pemberton163).This,inturn,causestransgenderwomentoaprime
targetofabuseandharassmentandputsthematextremelyhighriskofsuicideand/or
selfdestructivebehaviors(Wilkinson14).Therearemanycasesofgendervariantinmate
victims.
OnecasefocusesonatransgenderwomannamedPaulawhowasarrestedandplacedin
anallmaleprison.Paulaisonly21yearsold.AlthoughPaulahadbeenonhormonesfor18
monthsandhasvisiblebreasts,shehasnothadgenderreassignmentsurgeryandisstill,albeit,
legally,consideredamale.Afteronlyfourmonthsinprison,Paulawasraped.Shewasthen
movedintoprotectivecustodywheresheisbyherselfinacellfor23hoursaday(Nelson).
AnothercaseinvolvesAshleyDiamond,a36yearoldtransgenderwomanwhowas
arrestedforburglary:asurvivalcrime.DuetothefactthatDiamondwasatransgender
woman,shewasneverhired.Ifshetriedtohidehersecret,shewasimmediatelyfiredwhenher
employerfoundout.Diamondwasthenforcedintostealing.Eventhejudgewhosentherto
prisonagreedthatthiswasacrimeofsurvival.WhenshearrivedataprisoninGeorgia,shewas
strippedalongsidethemaleinmatesandwasforcedtocoverherbreasts.Thestatedenied

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Diamondtheabilitytotakeherhormones,ignoringthefactthatshehasbeentakingthemfor
overseventeenyears.Withoutherhormones,AshleyDiamondwentthroughdramaticphysical
changes.Duringheryearsinprison,shewassenttoaseriesofhighsecurityprisonsforviolent
inmates.Shewasrapedatleastseventimes,tormentedbyprisonofficials,andforcedinto
solitaryconfinementforpretendingtobeawoman.Shehastriedtocastrateandkillherself
severaltimes.Afterthreeyearsofenduringagruellingenvironment,Diamondfiledalawsuit
againstGeorgiacorrectionalofficialsinFebruary2015.Thelawsuitrequestshormonetherapy,
theabilitytoexpressherfemaleidentitythroughgrooming,pronounuseandress,andsafer
housing.Inapparentretaliationforherlawsuit,AshleyDiamondwasmovedtoGeorgiaState
Prison,thesecondleadingprisoninregardstonumberofsexualassaults.There,Diamondwas
nearlyrapedandhadmultipleinmatesmasturbateand/orexposethemselvestoher(Sontag).
Atanyrate,thepurposeofthenewadditionstoPREAwastoprovideasafer
environmentforLGBT+inmates.Thoughinordertoachieveasafeenvironment,ittakesmore
thansimplypreventingrape(Schuster8).Forinstance,ifprisonofficialsignore,encourage,
and/orexhibitaggressive,sexist,and/orhomophobicbehavior,theprisonerswillmirrorthat
behaviorinanefforttobesafe(Pemberton168).Inregardstosearches,thebestwaytoconduct
searchesoftransgenderinmatesistoproperlytrainofficials,havemultiplepeopleconductingthe
search,andaskwhichgenderstafftheywouldprefer.Oneofthemajorissueswithincorrectional
facilitiesisthemultitudeofhomophobicslursandverbalharassment.Prisonsneedtodirectly
addressandprohibitthisproblem(Schuster8).Thesinglemostcommonformofverbal
harassment,withinandoutsideofjail,isusingtheincorrectnameandpronouns.Transgender
prisonersshouldbereferredtousingtheirpreferednameandpronounstheyshouldalsobeable

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toreceivetheirpreferedgenderedclothing.Anotherpredicamentwithintheprisonsystemis
isolatingtheinmates.Jailsshoulddisciplineand/orrelocatetheperpetratorsratherthanisolate
thevictims.Isolationoftransgenderpeoplecanleadto:agitation,hopelessness,paranoia,
hallucinations,depression,suicidalthoughts,andothermentaldeterioration(1112).
Thenumberonesolution,however,isallowingthetransgenderinmatetochoose,orhave
asayin,whichgendertheyfeelsaferwith.Whentransgenderwomenareplacedwithother
females,theyarefarlesslikelytobesexuallyassaulted.AsrepresentedinPREAandotheracts
addressingsexualharassmentincorrectionalfacilities,astrongstanceagainstsexualviolence
requiresastrongstanceagainsthomophobiaandtransphobia(Schuster13).