Transgender Prisoners

An individual should be able to express their sexuality at their will. To accommodate such prisoners, prisons place individuals amongst facilities using genitalia-based placement or identity-based placement (Banks, 2013). It is more likely for a male who identifies himself as a woman to suffer sexual abuse than any other gender. Studies show numerous examples of unfair treatment towards transgenders, including prison rape. It is unfair to treat someone different because of their sexual preference.

As a result of countless cases of sexual assaults in prisons, the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 was passed and required a zero tolerance policy for sexual assault in prisons (Banks, 2013). Transgender inmates should also be allowed to continue hormone therapy while in prison using their own expense. One method of protecting transsexuals against sexual assaults is to separate them from other prisoners. Although this is listed as a positive gesture to inmates, it can also be a bluff due to the exclusion from educational and recreation times. I am a firm believer that everyone deserves to be treated with respect.

                                                                                Reference
Banks, C. (2013). Unethical Situations. Criminal Justice Ethics: Theory and Practice (3d ed.) (pp.173). Location: Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

Huff Post Gay Voices. (n.d). Retrieved January 10, 2014, from     http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/02/cece-mcdonald-minnesota-transgender-woman-manslaughter_n_1472078.html.