Concerns over housing trans inmates in women's prisons

[EweSurname]

This was reported yesterday but I’m not sure if this is new. Have posted it anyway just in case

stv.tv/news/politics/1439716-concerns-over-housing-trans-inmates-in-women-s-prisons/

A decision to house trans inmates in women's prisons will be reviewed after a new report criticised the policy.

The Scottish Prison Service said it would hold a consultation after research was published by a leading former civil servant.

There are 15 trans women inside Scotland's jails - around half of which are housed in female prisons. None of themn have undergone sex reassignment surgery and none have legally changed their gender.

One prison worker told STV News that prisoners were regularly being subjected to displays of "sexualised behaviour".

Agree prison reform needed

Agree many men at risk in male estate

Agree solution is not to put them in with the women

I read a harrowing article recently about a young man who was sexually abused in prison and killed himself. This needs addressing. Urgently.

Prison reform Trust are good.

Men should not be in prison with women.

And why in all this does no one ever mention risk of pregnancy? Whether through consensual sex or rape? Surely no one, grin woolly lefty to string em up right winger wants women being impregnated while incarcerated.

There is also the curious case of why Paris Green is housed in the female estate, a person convicted of a vicious murder/torture and known to be, at best, a sexual nuisance to the vulnerable women Paris is housed with...and Tiffany Scott, who is, by all accounts a violent person but not, AFAIK, convicted of murder or sex crimes. Tiffany used be called Mighty Almighty, and also Obie Wan Kenobie - and is reported in the red top press as "Scotlands most dangerous criminal"

Why is Paris in the female estate, as the system says is only appropriate - but, Tiffany is not?

What happened to acceptance without exception, especially as Tiffany is, doubtless, difficult to manage - but, not a large, predatory, violent person, like Paris.

Seems odd

The STV report cited the article we had published in Scottish Affairs last week: www.euppublishing.com/doi/full/10.3366/scot.2019.0284

If you want to read the equality impact assessment done of the Scottish Prison Service's policy that we obtained via an FOI request, there should be a link in the footnotes.

And yes, one of the authors (Lucy Hunter Blackburn), also spoke about this work in her speech at the Edinburgh University event on 5 June:

We were very pleased to see STV pick up this story.

Susan's Sinclair's assessment.

scottish-women.com/2019/01/11/prison-information-sheet/

The Scottish Prison Service policy document was written by James Morton, of Scottish Trans Alliance.

The Equality Impact Assessment (written by Morton) not only incorrectly names the protected characteristics, (gender and gender identity are NOT in the Equality Act 2010), it doesn’t even consider that WOMEN are affected by this.

The groups that Morton states that Morton consulted include trans people in prison and the community, Stonewall Scotland, Scottish Trans Alliance, and Trade Union (of more later).

No women’s groups, including female prison officers and female prisoners, were consulted.

Have a look at the Annex document, under the section: Who else is involved in the Equality Impact Assessment?

Gordon Pike is on the list of people consulted.

Gordon Pike was a senior SPS official and the trade union side secretary who has since been convicted of possessing over 22, 000 images of child sexual abuse.

It's disgusting that putting men in women's prisons ever happened in the first place. Whether it was through incompetence or malice or both I'm not sure.

It's horrific that no thought was given to the impact on the female estate and quite unbelievable that it occurred to no one that it would be harmful. The only explanation that really fits is that they just don't care about women.

So essentially, if these men haven’t legally changed their gender or had sex reassignment surgery, it’s comparable to taking any bog standard male prisoner and plopping him down in the female estate. Well that wouldn’t be allowed, would it.
Those poor women. I’d happily contribute to a crowdfund if any of them want to bring a test case against the Scottish Prison Service.

I've lost track of where I read this, but I recall some report saying that some male prisoners identifying as women were accepted by their coprisoners and doing well in women's prisons.

I thought then about the experiences of women who go to prison. Their high rates of abusive relationships of all types. It seems really likely that plonking a few criminal men into a women's prison will result in women being drawn into further abusive relationships. But who gives a crap about that, hey.

Gordon Pike is on the list of people consulted.
James Morton is an interesting character. Very well connected. Bright.

Unusually misogynistic for someone who shares the same biology as me.

This is terrible. If these poor women bring a case against the Scottish govt I would be so happy to support.

I 've lost track of where I read this, but I recall some report saying that some male prisoners identifying as women were accepted by their coprisoners and doing well in women's prisons.

Yeah, politicians and doctors and Professors are scared to speak out but women in prison are fine with it.

And the men would be all fine wouldn't they!

Gordon pike convicted of possessing child sexual abuse images consulted 🤦‍♀️

Again why was James Morton consulted. It’s women’s prisons.

Why did he as a lobbyist get to write a policy and he incorrectly used the equality act.

Why would he do this ? And why did our goverment and civil servants not check this

So Morton wrote the equality assement report and the policy report

How does that work. Why James Morton ?

This stinks. Really stinks

Do trans alliance get funded by Scottish government ?

Half a million a year, I believe, Dog. Or not far off it.

Imagine what rape crisis could achieve with some of that.

Line from the academic paper mentioned above:

For example, in 2017/18 the Equality Network (2018: 19) received 92% of its total income from the Scottish Government.

The Scottish Trans Alliance is part of the Equality Network.

So, basically, we - the taxpayers - are paying our Government to dismantle our rights.

So, basically, we - the taxpayers - are paying our Government to dismantle our rights.

This is what is particularly galling about the whole thing and a big part of why they must be held responsible.