The Mail on Sunday has learned that transgender inmates who are born male would be prohibited from doing time in women’s prisons.
Justice Secretary Dominic Raab proposes to introduce a new policy requiring ministers’ approval before any shift of a male-bodied convict who self-identifies as a woman to a women’s jail after high-profile sex scandals involving trans inmates.
Additionally, the government would have the authority to mandate the release of transgender inmates from prisons.
Apparently as a result of an upsetting occurrence earlier this year involving a transgender prisoner serving a murder sentence at HMP Bronzefield in Surrey, Mr. Raab has taken a harsh line, according to sources.
The murderer, who had male genitalia, was discovered after drinking wine that was illegally manufactured engaging in consensual intercourse with another prisoner.
The Ministry of Justice said yesterday night that they were unaware of any complaints about the alleged sexual assault of a second female prisoner by the same convict.
Female prisoners at Bronzefield, according to a whistleblower, felt “very uncomfortable” in the presence of the transgender prisoner but were unable to voice their concerns.
According to the source, the murderer was overheard telling one prisoner, “I’m going to f*** you,” and asking, “I love p****, why would I want to be in a man’s prison?” on separate occasions.
In women’s jails in England and Wales, 40 transgender inmates were found, it was disclosed last year. They were almost all born men.
Officials acknowledged that transgender convicts had sexually assaulted seven female detainees in recent years.
They include Karen White, a convicted sexual offender who raped two women while being held on remand at Wakefield’s New Hall prison.
A court referred to White, once known as Stephen Wood, as a “predator” who posed a threat to women and children.
In response to that instance, the jail system established a special transgender wing at HMP Downview in Surrey, although the issue still exists.
The whistleblower at Bronzefield, the biggest women’s jail in the UK with 527 inmates, claimed: “The female convicts feel really uncomfortable and angry every time there is a transsexual male to female with a male organ brought into the prison.”
But since they believe that nothing will be done, the women detainees don’t feel like they can complain.
Upon the appointment of a new Prime Minister, the Cabinet will have to approve Mr. Raab’s proposal, which is expected to be challenged in court by protrans activists and human rights attorneys.
However, if it is approved, a prisoner in a male facility will only be permitted to transfer to a female facility with the approval of the Minister.
According to a Whitehall source, the existing practise of permitting male-bodied inmates to swap prisons and self-identify as women puts at-risk vulnerable women at danger.
The insider said, “The existing strategy is not secure.” The next justice secretary must seize the initiative and take immediate action to safeguard female detainees from dangerous male predators.
“Where can we defend single-sex places if we can’t protect women in the most strictly regulated setting in the nation?”
The ambitions of Mr. Raab to alter the laws were revealed yesterday night by a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Justice.
The Justice Secretary ordered reforms so that transgender inmates with male genitalia are not held among other naturally born women in the female prison estate, unless explicitly approved by a Minister, they said.
“It will be implemented as quickly as feasible after it was ratified by the incoming Government in September.”
HMP Bronzefield’s spokesperson said yesterday night: “We do not comment on individuals.”