California Law Requires Transgender inmates To Be Housed Based On Gender Identity
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a new law on Saturday that requires transgender inmates to be housed based on their gender identity, and not their sex at birth.
As of now, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation houses men and women in separate facilities. Advocates have previously expressed their concerns for the safety of transgender women who are housed in male facilities.
The new law instructs officers to privately speak to inmates during the intake process and ask whether they identify as transgender, nonbinary or intersex. The inmates can then make a request on whether they want to be housed with men or women.
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The law adds that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation cannot deny these requests unless there is a safety or security concern.
“It’s just a false narrative about transgender people and about transgender women in particular that they’re somehow not really women and are just trying to scam their way into women’s bathrooms or facilities in order to do bad things,” said Sen. Scott Wiener. “Overwhelmingly the people who are being victimized are trans people.”
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