California receives 261 transgender prisoners transfer requests under new law – including 255 to women’s prison
CALIFORNIA – 261 California inmates have requested transfers to prisons aligning with their claimed gender identity since Gov. Gavin Newsom signed S.B. 132 into law in September allowing prisoners to choose their gender for prison placement.
261 Transgender Prisoners Request Transfer Under California Law; 255 to Women's Prison https://t.co/COfRO7pdWK via @BreitbartNews
— Chris 🇺🇸 (@Chris_1791) April 6, 2021
S.B. 132 requires California correctional facilities to house prisoners in a “correctional facility designated for men or women based on the individual’s preference.”
255 of the 261 inmates requested to transfer from a male to a female correctional facility. Some officials and women’s rights groups are concerned that such transfers are being made “under false pretenses,” according to a report in the Los Angeles Times.
261 California prison inmates have requested “gender based housing” transfers since January. 255 of these requests are from biological males/trans women + "non-binary incarcerated people" requesting to be housed in female institutions.https://t.co/UVVGI2SZuf
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) April 6, 2021
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) said only six prisoners requested a transfer to a male institution. Deputy Press Secretary Terry Thornton said:
“255 are from transgender women and non-binary incarcerated people who are requesting to be housed in a female institution and six are from transgender men and non-binary incarcerated people who are requesting to be housed in a male institution.”
They are taking a law designed to protect and advance women in light of oppression and opening it up to anyone who claims to be a woman. This will not only be sports, it will be prisons, shelters, healthcare, etc..This is already occurring in England, Canada and Australia.
— That Other Black RadFem 🇺🇸 (@dixiechick547) February 9, 2021
CDCR reported that no transfer requests based on gender identity have been denied. The agency said that 21 requests have been approved since the signing of the new law and that four have been transferred to the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla.
Thornton said that two of the prisoners changed their minds about the transfer request.
Prisoners at Central California Women’s Facility warned that prisoners should expect violence over the transfers. 41-year-old Tomiekia Johnson to the Times that she overheard inmates discussing the transfers:
“That if we think it’s bad now, be prepared for the worst. That it’s going to be off the hook, it’s going to be jumping. They say we’re going to need a facility that’s going to be like a maternity ward.
They say we’re going to have an inmate program where inmates become nannies.”
California Gov. Newsom signs law allowing trans inmates to be locked up with men or women based on their gender identity — RT USA News https://t.co/Kmm1S8WFAb
— Konspiracy Kitty (@Konspiracy_Cat) October 28, 2020
Prison inmates and staff are concerned over the potential for male inmates to falsely claim to identify as female in order to get into female prisons. Thornton responded to the concerns by pointing to CDCR policy which states:
“CDCR’s classification process includes a thorough review of the incarcerated person’s history prior to and during incarceration, their crime, arrest and criminal history, trial and sentencing documentation, medical and mental health needs, custody level, time to serve, safety concerns, and other factors including security and program needs.
Medical and mental health care staff members are part of this process.
“Information documented includes their age, disabilities, gender identity, personal and criminal history, prior incarcerations, prior incidents of victimization either in custody or in the community, and convictions for sex offenses.
Based on the information gathered in the PREA Screening Tool, an inmate will be given one of three designations: at risk as a victim, at risk as an abuser, or not identified as being at risk.
Inmates at risk as a victim cannot be housed in a cell with an inmate identified as being at risk as an abuser.”
"The demand has been high, with 261 requests for transfers since SB 132 took effect Jan. 1, according to the CA Department of Corrections.
— Torr Leonard (@torrHL) April 6, 2021
It’s the start of a hugely sensitive operation playing out in one of the largest prison systems in the country."https://t.co/mvM27UtImv
The law was passed with the intention of reducing sexual offenses against transgender inmates. However, the policy is not likely to calm the nerves of female prisoners concerned about violence generated from allowing men into female prisons.
Madeline Riversong's speech at Grand Valley Institution For Women today was a barn burner!#KeepPrisonsSingleSex pic.twitter.com/0YxlcVPLdz
— We The Females (@wethefemalescan) March 20, 2021
A similar policy in Canada allows trans-identifying male prisoners to be housed in female prisons and women’s rights groups have been protesting the practice.
Heather Mason, head of the Canadian chapter of the international “Keep Prisons Single Sex” campaign, said women are the victims of such policies:
“Female offenders from indigenous communities make up 42 percent of the Canadian prison population. Many of them already come from abusive situations but are afraid to speak up and suffer the consequences.”
The influx of transfers from men’s prisons has led the guard’s union to begin pushing for 40mm gas launchers and guns to manage the increased security risk at women’s prisons. CSC is security-driven, so this should not come as a surprise. https://t.co/UnL6qcv4U6
— Heather Mason (@Mason134211f) March 13, 2021
