Keep violent trans men away from women in prisons
FIANNA Fail TD Willie O’dea has backed calls for transgender women prisoners with a history of violence against women to be incarcerated in men’s jails.
The Limerick TD said it in his opinion it is “most inappropriate that they should be incarcerated with women”.
Ireland should copy policy introduced in Scotland, where safeguards have been introduced to ensure that trans female prisoners who pose a threat to women prisoners are detained in male jails, he said.
He said he would also support a national debate on whether or not a specific prison or detention center should be provided in the future for transgender prisoners.
Deputy O’dea said supported a call for similar safeguards sought by Women’s Space Ireland, a group which campaigns for “single-sex spaces” for women and girls.
The group recently held a silent protest while holding a banner that read “No males in Women’s Jails” outside the main entrance of Limerick Prison.
Mr O’dea said: “I would basically agree with that, there should be a separate prison regime for women.
“I know the prison service are saying all sorts of things, that they have special arrangements and this, that and the other,” the deputy said.
“Nevertheless, when overcrowding happens, how well do those special arrangements hold up, you have to ask yourself.”
The former Minister for Defence said while he was aware jails try to segregate prisoners who pose a risk to the wider prison population he wondered if this was actually possible because Irish prisons are “overcrowded”.
“Their view is that there is no danger to women in this prison system because (inmates that pose a risk to others) are carefully segregated etc, but you wonder because the prisons are literally overflowing at the moment, and you wonder, that even with the best will in the world, how that can hold up in a situation of mass overcrowding,” Mr O’dea said.
Scotland’s justice secretary Angela Constance said on Thursday that new prison safeguards meant that “no transgender prisoner with a history of violence or sexual offending against women can be placed in the women’s (prison) estate”.
Scotland moved to introduce the safeguards following the detention of convicted double rapist Isla Bryson in a Scottish female prison prior or to being sent to a men’s prison. Bryson, who raped two women when known as Adam Graham, was in a women-only prison for two days before being moved out after uproar.
Trans woman prisoner, Barbie Kardashian, is being held in the female wing of Limerick Prison but segregated from the rest of the female prisoner population.
Kardashian, 21, is serving a fourand-half year sentence, imposed last March, for threatening to rape, torture and kill a woman.
Kardashian, who was born a male named Gabrielle Alejandro Gentile and has not had transition surgery, had a name change by deed poll and received a Gender Recognition Certificate from the State.
Asked if the same protocols should be implemented here, he replied: “Absolutely, no question about that, that doesn’t even arise for discussion.
“Of course we should because these people were born as men, they have a history of violence against women, so I think it is most inappropriate that they should be incarcerated with women.”
Jill Nesbitt, a spokeswoman for Women’s Space Ireland, said: “Deputy Willie O’dea’s comments in support of women who say there should be no males in women’s jails is very welcome.”
She said the group hoped that a new women’s section of Limerick Prison, which is due to be opened before the end of this year, “will be for women only”.
The Irish Prison Service has said it is drafting a new policy on the management of trans prisoners in Irish jails.
Speaking during a visit to Limerick Prison on May 5, Justice Minister Simon Harris said: “No prisoner who is (deemed) a risk to any prison population or prison staff is in a position to mix with the prison population in general”.
Prisons are overflowing at the moment & you wonder how that can hold up
WILLIE O’DEA ON JAIL
‘SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS’