Overview:

Scarcely a month has passed since the Tara Hudson Campaign we launched made international news, and yet the UK prison service has continued with its highly transphobic policy of placing trans people in incorrect prisons. Since our last campaign in October, at least two other wrongly-­placed trans prisoners, Vikki Thompson and Joanne Latham, are now dead.

Regardless of the crimes they have committed, trans prisoners do not deserve to be punished twice; once for their crimes, and once for who they are. It is neither fair nor just to place trans people at risk of paying the ultimate price because of an outdated and outmoded judicial system that does not afford them the same human rights as other prisoners.

With the world looking to the UK as a leader in social progress, we have a responsibility to ensure that we get this right. We can – and must – do better.

Therefore, we call upon the Ministry of Justice,​ Andrew Selous MP (Minister for Prisons, Probation and Rehabilitation), and Caroline Dinenage MP (Minister for Equalities) to honour the four requests outlined in the petition below, and immediately and unequivocally address the life-­threatening dangers faced by trans prisoners in the UK, before another life is needlessly lost.

Petition:

We, the undersigned, stand with wrongfully-­placed prisoners like Vikki and Joanne, and believe that the continued actions of the UK Justice System are a breach of Human Rights. The current housing of transgender inmates in the UK places these people in extreme danger of abuse, sexual violence, and even death.

We therefore ask that the government address this ongoing issue by:

1. Scrapping the Gender Recognition Certificate as the preferred method of demonstrating gender​, and allowing other forms of evidence to be submitted in its place/alongside it, including, but not limited to a driver’s license, a doctor’s note, a passport, or other evidence which highlights the trans status of the prosecuted individual.

2. Updating the ‘Care and Management of Transsexual Prisoners’ Guidelines to reflect changing and progressive societal values. This must be done with consulting representatives of the UK trans community.

3. Providing thorough and up-­to-date trans awareness training for all involved with the UK Judiciary and Prisons systems​, and ensuring that the updated guidelines are adhered to in every case, in particular that it is recognised that the GRC is not, in fact, a legal requirement when housing transgender inmates.

4. Conducting an in­-depth review of all trans people currently incarcerated​, and ensuring they are housed in the correct facilities.

We believe that time is of the essence in addressing these issues, and refer to the following points as highlighting evidence as to why this cannot be ignored or drawn-­out:

● Human rights campaigners estimate that there are between 70 and 80 trans individuals in UK prisons at any time, and that they are some of the most at-­risk members of the incarceration system. In fact, transgender women in male prisons are 13 times more likely to be sexually assaulted than in the general population, with 59 percent reporting sexual assaults, according to a frequently cited US study.
● According to Amnesty International, globally, LGBT prisoners and those perceived to be LGBT, are at risk of torture, ill­treatment and violence from other inmates as well as prison officials.
● Trans people are also at a much higher risk of mental health issues than the rest of the populace. In 2014, a survey found that 48% of trans people under 26 said they had attempted suicide, and 30% said they had done so in the past year, while 59% said they had at least considered doing so. By comparison, about 6% of all 16­- to 24-year-­olds say they have attempted suicide, according to the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey.

 

Things are improving enormously for transgender people – but we still have a long way to go.

Increased media awareness has highlighted transgender people as a group, but has not provided an insight into the often-­frightening life that we live. We can face harassment and discrimination from our families, employers, and even total strangers. But one thing which we should be able to rely on is that our basic rights as human beings are upheld by our country, by our society and law, and not to be treated any differently than our friends and families.

It therefore saddens me, as a member of the trans community, to say that currently this is not the case. We are a group at risk. We are more likely to face violence from others, we are more likely to be sexually assaulted. And yet our judicial system persists in assigning transgender individuals to the wrong prisons, where vulnerable prisoners are put at risk.

I expect my country to protect my rights, to keep me safe – not to put me in danger.

Please sign this petition, and help make a difference – thank you.

Sophie Tyler on behalf of the Bath Gender Equality Network