Thread by @fairplaywomen

Judicial review of MOJ transgender prison policies TODAY /1
#womenprisonJR

fairplayforwomen.com/wp-content/upl…

"The Claimant will argue that the prison service policies indirectly discriminate against female prisoners &
have failed to have proper regard to the single sex exemptions in the Equality Act, which permit separate
services for men & women in particular limited circumstances" /2

"This case is believed to be the first time the
Court will consider the single sex exemptions in the Equality Act 2010"

This case could have implications not only for prisons, but all female-only spaces /3

#womenprisonJR

"The claim relies on evidence which shows that there are around 3,600 women prisoners compared to 80,000
male prisoners which results in women “being constantly marginalised; and [shoe-horned] … into a system
designed for men” /4

The case relies on statistics which show:

1) A majority of female prisoners are victims of domestic violence (57%) and emotional, physical or
sexual abuse during childhood (53%) /5

2) In the year ending March 2017, victims of those convicted of rape or assault by penetration reported that 99% of offenders were male, and 1% were female /6

3) Of the 125 transgender prisoners in prison in 2017, 60 (48%) had convictions for sexual offences. Of those, 27 (45%) had been convicted of rape. /7

"Evidence given to parliament by both gender identity experts and the British Psychology Society includes
caution raised of the risk of some men convicted of sex crimes feigning gender dysphoria to be allocated to
the female estate" /8

“This case is about the proper balancing of the rights of two vulnerable groups. It does not seek to exclude all trans women from female prisons...." /9

"....We say that the prison service, in seeking to have due regard to the rights of transgender prisoners, has disregarded the impact of these policies on female prisoners, many of who have suffered male violence.” /10

"If comment is required from a campaigning or advocacy group on this issue please contact Nicola Williams at Fair Play for Women on [e-mail] & Richard Garside at the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies on [e-mail]" /end