RT Article
T1 Correctional Transgender Policy in Canada’s Federal Prison System
JF Criminal justice policy review
VO 35
IS 4
SP 216
OP 240
A1 Foley, Gillian
A2 Siqueira Cassiano, Marcella
A2 Ricciardelli, Rose 1979-
A2 Gacek, James
LA English
YR 2024
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1899060707
AB Since December 2017, Canada’s federal correctional system provides prisoners the opportunity to be assigned to living units according to their self-identified gender. Still organized around sex, conceptually and spatially, prison policies and procedures surrounding transgender prisoners require navigation to adhere to the rights of all prisoners. Based on interviews conducted between October 2019 and October 2021 with 74 correctional officers (COs) from the Canadian federal prison system, we discuss how correctional officers view and operationalize Canada’s transgender policy to understand its unintended consequences for both prisoners and prison staff. Unintended consequences revolve around the potential risk for prisoner victimization, prisoner pregnancy, lack of adequate housing, strip search complications, officers’ fear of being labeled transphobic, and uncertainty and discretion; all having effects on staff wellness. The policy, although well-intended, may potentially compromise prisoner safety, making correctional work even more stressful.
K1 prisoner vulnerability
K1 prisoner victimization
K1 Correctional Officers
K1 prison placement policies
K1 transgender prisoners
DO 10.1177/08874034241268986