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Challenges and opportunities for gender-affirming healthcare for transgender women in prison

Jae Sevelius (University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA)
Valerie Jenness (University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA)

International Journal of Prisoner Health

ISSN: 1744-9200

Article publication date: 13 March 2017

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to briefly address three interrelated areas of concerns – victimization, housing placement and healthcare provision – related to the health and welfare of transgender women in jails, prisons and other types of detention facilities.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on a growing body of research on health risks for transgender women who are detained in facilities in California and elsewhere, the authors provide recommendations for policy and practice that constitutes gender-affirming healthcare for transgender women behind bars.

Findings

Policymakers, correctional leaders, and prison-based clinicians have a number of opportunities to address the welfare of transgender women in jails, prisons and other types of detention facilities.

Originality/value

This policy brief offers concrete steps government officials can take to better meet their professional and constitutional obligations, provide higher quality care for transgender women involved in the criminal justice system, and effectuate positive changes in transgender women’s health and welfare both inside and outside of carceral environments.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors want to thank the University of California Justice and Health Consortium for inviting the authors to write this policy brief. This brief has benefitted from feedback provided by members of the Consortium, especially Brie Williams, Megan Comfort and Danielle Castro. The drafting of this manuscript has been supported in part by Award No. R34DA038541 (PI: Sevelius) from the National Institute on Drug Abuse at the National Institutes of Health.

Citation

Sevelius, J. and Jenness, V. (2017), "Challenges and opportunities for gender-affirming healthcare for transgender women in prison", International Journal of Prisoner Health, Vol. 13 No. 1, pp. 32-40. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPH-08-2016-0046

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited

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