Scottish Prison Service transgender policy review

[MathSage]

From the Scotsman: Scottish Prison Service transgender policy to be revealed in summer.

www.scotsman.com/news/politics/scottish-prison-service-transgender-policy-to-be-revealed-in-summer-3547624

The long-awaited review was launched in November last year. Sue Brookes, the Scottish Prison Service’s (SPS) Director of Strategy and Stakeholder Engagement, said it was in the process of consulting with “various stakeholders within the community and those living and working across prison establishments”.

Brookes said: “Invitations have been extended to a range of community groups and stakeholders to engage with us, including groups who represent women in custody, and women’s interests.

Meetings will take place between February and May.

The SPS is also set to consult with trans prisoners in the coming weeks and with the wider prison population through a bespoke survey.

Brookes said: “We plan to invite all women in custody and a proportionate number of men to complete the survey.”

Hard to tell whether to be encouraged. It depends who they ask and how it’s run.

Must be a step in the right direction, surely. It does use the verboten word "women' several times.

Hopefully it won't be a massive stitch up.

It’s a shame they didn’t do this about 5 years ago.

Why has it taken so long?

This makes me wonder what the EHRC is about to say in its single sex exceptions guidance.

Hmmm. Before the safety of vulnerable women is considered the prison service (and related politicians and organisations) would need to get rid of all their staff over invested in paedophiles, rapists and sex offenders having direct access to incarcerated women. I see only limited evidence of these people being ousted from their current positions of influence.

@LizzieSiddal

It’s a shame they didn’t do this about 5 years ago.

Well, quite.

It depends who they ask and how it’s run.

Yes. Whether there will be pressure - overt or otherwise - to answer in a certain way.

Considering they've caved and caved and caved, and how selectively we have seen voices of women being treated (if included at all) I suspect 'massive stitch up' will just about cover it.

Well they have spent the last 5 years listening only to Becky Kaufmann, from Scottish Trans Alliance.

Perhaps now they might listen to women.

Brookes said: “We plan to invite all women in custody and a proportionate number of men to complete the survey.”

Equality impact assessments on giving males access to female services consult with trans organisations and trans people, because this is about trans people and their rights. Women's opinions are often ignored or not sought in these impact assessments.

So why are they looking for men's opinions on whether to continue inserting males into vulnerable females' spaces?

The SPS is reviewing the evidence that has emerged since the policy was developed in 2014, which includes learning from other jurisdictions.

Bit difficult to learn from other jurisdictions if they cannot or will not record sex accurately.

Brookes said: “We plan to invite all women in custody and a proportionate number of men to complete the survey.”

And how will those women in custody be able to honestly voice their concerns, when previous guidelines saw them punished for bullying when they accurately observed the sex of male inmates?

My concern is with them looking abroad for international data and what exactly they mean by that. In otherwords will they go with look it's all good in Ireland and Canada etc al or actually look at what's going on in the prisons and the fact that 50% of all self IDing trans women in prisons are there for sex offenses