photo courtesy of justice4demi.org
Earlier this month, a transgender inmate Demi Minor, a biological-born male who identifies as a trans woman, was transferred to a male prison after allegedly impregnating two female inmates in New Jersey, according to NBC News.
Demi was transferred to an almost all-male state prison Garden State Youth Correctional Facility in a vulnerable housing unit. The 27-year-old prisoner was serving a 30-year sentence for manslaughter at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility, the only women’s prison in New Jersey. The inmate reportedly had “consensual sexual relationships” with two unnamed women. Dan Sperrazza, Executive Director for External Affairs at the facility, confirmed it currently housed three trans women.
On July 5, Demi took to Twitter to discuss their treatment while being moved.
“This week, I was moved from a female facility to a male facility. I mean, this type of hatred towards who I truly am has to stop, but know this… I will never stop rising above..” They wrote in one tweet. In another, they continued, “Thanks to all those who support http://justice4demi.org and have sent their love, I hate it here, and above all, I have been so heartbroken over the abuse that DOC is carrying out. I found the courage to post this video….”
The inmate had also accused correction officers of assaulting her as she was transported to Garden State, but an investigation determined the claims were unfounded.
Last year, a New Jersey policy was passed that required state prisons to house inmates based upon their gender identity after a lawsuit settlement with the American Civil Liberties Union. Sperrazza explained that “decisions related to an incarcerated person’s housing are made within the parameters of the settlement agreement, which requires consideration of gender identity and the health and safety of the individual.”
However, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy declared that he desired to close down Edna Mahan Correctional Facility because of numerous reports of abuse. The Justice Department said that women incarcerated at Edna Mahan were at “substantial risk of sexual abuse” because of systemic failures that discouraged prisoners from reporting.