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Being Transgender in Prison

These stories center the voices of incarcerated trans people. One recurring theme: When prison systems refuse to let trans people live authentically and safely as themselves, that refusal becomes part of their punishment.

The White House, a white, multi-story building with columns and a flag on top, is visible between an out-of-focus rainbow-colored flag held up by protesters and an out-of-focus blue, pink and white flag.
News May 22
Is Trump’s Ban on Gender-Affirming Care for Trans Prisoners Unconstitutional?
A federal judge considers if the president’s executive order barring hormone treatment in the Bureau of Prisons is cruel and unusual punishment.
By
Metal fencing can be seen in front of two structures, one on the right with a short wooden staircase, and one on the left with beige siding. A sign in front of the building on the right reads: Federal Medical Center Carswell.
News February 25
‘Fear for Their Lives’: Trans Women Federal Prisoners Told They Will Be Housed With Men
After a minor change in a judge’s order, the Trump administration arranged to move over a dozen transgender women to men’s facilities.
By
A photograph of President Trump, a White man in a suit and tie, speaking at a podium behind pink and blue orbs of light.
Analysis February 11
Trump’s Executive Order Sows Confusion for Transgender Federal Prisoners
Without guidance from the Bureau of Prisons, trans people are “told one thing from one staff person and a totally different thing from another.”
By
In a black and white photograph, Grace Pinson, a trans Latina with short dark hair, stands outside in the sun with three men. The person to her left wears a tank top and has tattoos on his face, neck and arms. Behind her stand two men. The one on the right wears a white T-shirt and is bald. The one on the left has tattoos on his chest and arms and has close-cropped, dark hair.
News January 24
The Trans Woman Who Sued the Federal Prisons (and Won) Settles Her Remaining Cases
Days before Trump’s inauguration, the Bureau of Prisons agreed to pay Grace Pinson $95,000 to drop more than a dozen pending lawsuits.
By
President Donald Trump, a White man wearing a dark suit, gestures with his hands out while sitting at a desk with a presidential seal on it. On the left, a man holds a stack of executive orders. In front of the president, photographers take pictures of him.
Analysis January 23
Trump’s Order Takes Aim at Transgender People in Prison
Few trans people receive gender-affirming housing and care in the federal prison system. This executive order would make it even harder.
By
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a White man in a navy suit and red tie, speaks into a microphone while standing at a podium with the seal of Florida. Flags of the United States and the state of Florida are in the background.
News December 10, 2024
New Florida Prison Policy on Trans Health Care ‘Like Conversion Therapy’
With new restrictions on gender-affirming care, prisons confiscate underwear from trans people and compel them to cut their hair.
By
An illustration in black-and-white shows a trans person, lying on the ground in a fetal position, with one hand over their face. A figure looms in the foreground with a closed fist.
Analysis November 13, 2024
3 Things to Know About Prison Violence Against Transgender People
Key takeaways from our story about one trans woman’s legal battle for accountability.
By
An illustration mostly in muted green, brown and blue shades shows Grace Pinson, a trans Latina with long dark hair wearing a white T-shirt, standing in a courtroom while wearing handcuffs linked to a chain at her waist. An American flag is on the left of the illustration, and three people in suits look at Grace with their backs to the viewer.
Feature October 9, 2024
Assaulted by Her Cellmate, a Trans Woman Took the Federal Prisons to Court
When you are harmed in a place whose purpose is punishment, why is it so hard to get justice?
By
Life Inside April 26, 2024
What Being Trans in Prison Is Really Like
Amid a wave of anti-trans legislation, and the violence that often follows, four people share their experiences in the criminal justice system.
By
An illustration shows the back of a light-skinned person with short strawberry blonde hair in a wired bra, with their hand on a mirror. In the reflection, they are wearing an orange sports bra. Green bathroom stalls are in the background.
Life Inside March 15, 2024
Boxer Shorts Blues: My Path to Gender-Affirming Underwear in Prison
Nonbinary writer K.C. Johnson soon learned that behind bars, even their underwear was subject to deliberations.
By K.C. Johnson
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