The UK’s Ministry of Justice has said that it’s first prison unit for transgender inmates will open this week.
The wing, within a women’s prison in South London, will initially cater for three offenders who were born male but have since changed gender.
Officials say the three prisoners, who have Gender Recognition Certificates, will not have access to the other women at HMP Downview, in Sutton which has been a women’s prison since 2001.
The Ministry of Justice which said that prisoner safety was their biggest concern, noted that the move came after the case of Karen White, a transgender prisoner, who sexually assaulted two women while on remand at New Hall jail in Wakefield.
White, who was born male and now identifies as a woman, was described by a judge as a “predator” who was a danger to women and children.
The creation of a special unit for transgender inmates is the latest development in a sensitive, controversial and fast-moving area of prison policy.
It is only sixteen months since the Ministry of Justice reviewed its procedures and drew up new guidelines to ensure the “great majority” of transgender offenders “experience the system in the gender in which they identify”.
The number of transgender inmates in the prison system is hard to calculate and constantly changing.
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