transgender inmates

A transgender woman won her case to get gender affirmation surgery while in prison.

She was raped twice in prison and then put in solitary confinement. She won her case, but won’t be free until this fall.

For Jane Doe, it was not only a fight for her life but her dignity too.

Inmates were held in their cells up to 23 hours a day without access to specialized programming, social interaction or other outside activities.

The new policies will help ensure vulnerable people, like members of the LGBTQ community, are identified during the intake process so they can be protected from abuse.

The county’s warden said the system involves careful evaluation when placing a transgender inmate, but Jules Williams’ lawyers said none of that took place in her case.

Police continue to refer to the individual with a male name.

The federal judge rejected arguments that things like nightgowns or earrings would be used for escapes or assaults.

Michelle-Lael Norsworthy won the legal right for California inmates to receive transition-related surgery, but she was paroled before her own surgery could be scheduled.

Police say she claimed that she had “guns and an Uzi … also a rocket launcher” in her purse.