Trans prisoners who have a history of violence against women will not be sent to female jails in Scotland in what is being described as a major u-turn by first minister Nicola Sturgeon’s government.
According to The Telegraph:
Keith Brown, the SNP’s justice secretary, announced a temporary ban affecting newly convicted trans criminals with “any history” of violence against women, or those wanting to move from a male to female prison.
He said the measures had been introduced to ensure the “ongoing” safety of women prisoners while the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) conducts a review of the management of trans inmates.
His announcement came only hours after a UN expert on torture piled pressure on Ms Sturgeon to stop violent trans sex criminals being jailed in women’s prisons, asking: “Where is the common sense?”
Current SPS guidance states that trans criminals should be sent to the prison that matches the self-identified gender that they were living in prior to their conviction.
Although the new ban does not cover trans offenders already serving their sentences in female prisons, the Scottish Government confirmed it meant that one of Scotland’s violent prisoners would no longer be moved to a women’s jail.
It emerged on Saturday that Tiffany Scott who, when she was known as Andrew Burns, stalked a 13-year-old girl, had been approved for transfer to a jail that aligns with the serial criminal’s chosen gender.
The ban would also cover Isla Bryson, who was sent to Cornton Vale women’s prison last week after being convicted of two rapes. Court chiefs had wanted to send Bryson to Glasgow’s men-only Barlinnie prison. Bryson was was named Adam Graham when committing the rapes and has not legally changed gender.
But the SPS guidance allowing criminals to self-identify their gender meant the rapist was initially sent to Cornton Vale. Following a huge public outcry, Bryson was moved to a men’s cell in Edinburgh’s Saughton prison.
