The Times- Trans sex offenders are moved into women’s jails
Trans sex offenders are moved into women’s jails
Twelve trans prisoners convicted of violence or sexual crimes have been accommodated in Scottish women’s jails within the past 18 months, according to figures released under Freedom of Information laws.
A long-awaited review by the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) into Scotland’s transgender prison policy will consider ending the rare practice of transitioning male inmates demanding a move to female housing.
Only one of the prisoners had completed transition and the other 11 were self-identifying as female, it has emerged.
Dr Kate Coleman, the director of the campaign group Keep Prisons Single Sex, urged prison bosses to take account of the impact on women of housing trans prisoners among them.
“The evidence clearly indicates that where prisoners of the male sex, no matter how they identify, are held in women’s prisons, women in prison are negatively impacted,” she said. “I trust that the SPS will pay heed to that fact.”
Rhona Hotchkiss, a former governor of Cornton Vale women’s prison in Stirling, said: “My experience is that it is always an issue to have trans women in with female prisoners and you have to think beyond the obvious which is physical or sexual threat, which is sometimes an issue, to the very fact of the presence of male-bodied prisoners among vulnerable women causes them distress and consternation.”
Campaigners have claimed that the policy of allowing prisoners to self-identify without the need for a Gender Recognition Certificate is not legal and is traumatising for vulnerable female prisoners, many of whom have a history of suffering male violence.
A spokesman for the SPS said 12 trans prisoners were currently in the Scottish prison system, including one male trans prisoner in the male estate. The spokesman declined to give a breakdown of the offences for which they were convicted.
According to the SPS, management of the risks involved in requests from trans prisoners to transfer to the female estate is through individual assessment.
The spokesman said: “All cases are treated on an individual basis and are risk-assessed through a multi-disciplinary case conference, transgender case conference supported by transgender policy.
“Any decisions about the location of transgender prisoners are only made after an individual risk assessment has taken place. This process considers the risks potentially presented both to and by the individuals.
“We take very seriously our duty of care towards all in our custody. We also undertake regular prison surveys, which includes a focus on the experience and needs of the people in our care — this is an important part of the SPS’ evidence base for policy.”
Prison bosses say they are going to consult widely with campaigners, female inmates and prison officers over its trans policy as well as throwing the consultation open to the public after heavy criticism for failing to do so when the original policy was formulated in 2014.
Then the SPS consulted only with trans campaigners, such as the Scottish Transgender Alliance and Stonewall, in its declared drive to improve the “working and living environment by ensuring it is free of any transphobic and homophobic behaviour”.
Colin McConnell, the chief executive at the time, said the policy represented the “culmination of years of dedicated partnership” between the justice and equality sectors.
A spokesman for the SPS said: “One of the groups we will be particularly keen to consult is the female prison population, who have not been specifically consulted about this before.
“The need for wider consultations has been recognised and the planned consultation will provide an opportunity for a wide range of groups to have input"
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