On a typical day, prison officials and inmates alike deal with a myriad of problems that include violence and overcrowding; however, transgender inmates face additional issues. Negative effects of isolation, access to healthcare, and stereotyping by legal official are just a few problems that challenge transgender incarceration (Giresi & Groscup, 2006). Most of these issues result from the way effectively all prisons in the U.S. classify and house transgender inmates. Some are placed in male facilities when female facilities would be better and vice versa. As a result of recent court cases, housing assignments are almost always exclusively based on genitalia or birth sex. Prison officials have the power to decide where to place transgender inmates and inmates with intersex conditions (“Issues Of Importance”, 2010). In Meriweather v. Faulkner, A transgender woman argued that placing her in a male facility violated her equal protection rights. The court dismissed her argument based on a previous case Meachum v. Fano that stated prisoners do not have the right to be
…show more content…
One of the eight special needs groups is the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, and transgender (LGBT) prisoners. Importantly, the handbook identifies transgender, “as a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies that diverge from the normative gender role (man or woman) commonly, but not always, assigned at birth, as well as the role traditionally held by society. It is the state of one’s gender identity”. It is an umbrella term that covers a wide range of identities including cross dressers and transsexuals. The distinction is important because LGBT persons are particularly vulnerable in the criminal justice system, not just in the U.S. but in many countries all over the world (“Handbook”,
One of the eight special needs groups is the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, and transgender (LGBT) prisoners. Importantly, the handbook identifies transgender, “as a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies that diverge from the normative gender role (man or woman) commonly, but not always, assigned at birth, as well as the role traditionally held by society. It is the state of one’s gender identity”. It is an umbrella term that covers a wide range of identities including cross dressers and transsexuals. The distinction is important because LGBT persons are particularly vulnerable in the criminal justice system, not just in the U.S. but in many countries all over the world (“Handbook”,