Ministry of Justice statistics reveal that the number of transgender prisoners in prison has increased by five percent in just two years.
From 163 prisoners in England and Wales in 2019 to 219 in 2020, transgender people in England and Wales grew by 21 percent.
The increase is due to an increasing number of transgender prisoners, which has increased year on year from 70 in 2016, the first time the data was collected, up to 125 in 2017, and 139 this 2018, respectively.
The Telegraph has seen the Offender Equalities annual report that shows most transgender prisoners identify as women.
The report stated that 146 prisoners identified themselves as females, while 39 were identified as men, and 11 others as non-binary. One did not respond to a question about their gender.
MoJ acknowledges that it’s possible the MoJ numbers which indicate over half of prison cells have one or more transgender convicts are inaccurate.
Ministry of Justice data reveal that transgender prison inmates have increased by one fifth over the past two years. (file photo from Holloway women’s jail)
It is expected the report will also confirm a further 23 prisoners hold Gender Recognition Certificates which legally recognises they have changed their gender.
These reports come after the High Court in July ruled that the Government could house transgender female prisoners in female prisons despite claims by an inmate that it increased the likelihood of sex attacks.
A female prisoner known as FDJ brought a lawsuit against a MoJ policy that allows prisoners to be accommodated according to gender identity’regardless of whether or not they’ve taken legal or medical steps towards acquiring it’.
FDJ’s lawyers argued at a March High Court hearing that transgender women are ‘exposed to a risk for sexual assault’ by being housed in female prison cells.
The argument was that this discrimination is against cisgender females, since transgender males are not placed in prisons.
MoJ however argued that the policy was legitimate and aimed to ‘enable transgender individuals the right to choose their gender and live there (and) protect transgender peoples’ mental and physical health.
A woman prisoner known as FDJ challenged a Ministry of Justice policy that allows inmates to live according to gender identity,’regardless of whether or not they’ve taken legal or medical steps towards acquiring it’. Image of an English prison
In a July ruling, the High Court judge rejected FDJ’s claim and upheld MoJ’s policies as legal.
The case involves transgender female inmates sexually assaulting their fellow prisoners.
Karen White was born as a man, but was put in HMP New Hall women’s prison after declaring that he is a woman. In 2018, he sexually assaulted two inmates.
White was charged with using a transgender identity to get access to females. White received a lifetime sentence in a male prison to be responsible for his sex attacks.
According to official statistics, transgender inmates committed seven sexual assaults on female prisoners while they were imprisoned in 2020.
The case involves transgender female inmates sexually assaulting their co-inmates. Karen White, who was born a man and was then placed in HMP New Hall women’s prison after declaring to the authorities that he is a woman, sexually assaulted two female convicts in 2018.