Protecting the Rights of Transgender Prison Inmates
June 21, 2011
On June 15, 2011, the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada sent a letter to the Nevada Department of Corrections (NDOC) and the Nevada Attorney General informing them of various issued raised by transgender prison inmates.
In the past year, the ACLU of Nevada has received several complaints from transgender inmates reporting harassment by Nevada prison officials as well as the improper segregation of transgender inmates solely because of their gender identity. Such treatment conflicts with not only NDOC policies and the Eighth Amendment but also subjects transgender inmates to unnecessary social isolation and stigmatization. Regardless of an inmate’s gender identity, he or she is entitled to the same level of respect and dignity as other inmates. While the ACLU of Nevada acknowledges that safety concerns may at times require that prison officials treat transgender inmates differently than the general prison population, prison officials may not use their personal biases as the sole reason for such differential treatment.
The ACLU of Nevada hopes to work with NDOC in order to protect the safety of transgender prison inmates and to open dialogue with prison officials in order to ensure that officials provide transgender inmates the same level of respect as other inmates.
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