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What would you do? Identifying a transgender inmate

A warden trying to abide by PREA guidelines for transgender inmate treatment makes a rash decision and may be infringing on inmates’ civil rights; how would you correct this scenario?

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AP Photo/Pat Sullivan, File

By Anthony Gangi, C1 Columnist

Today’s scenario applies to upper management, but front line staff can also feel free to respond.

Warden Tom Johnson (IPCM Coordinator) is preparing his institution for a Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) audit. As he goes through the list of policies that he must abide by, he grows worried. New policies, implemented by PREA, have issued changes that deal directly with transgendered inmates. These changes must be implemented and followed immediately.

Johnson is now scrambling in an effort to discover which inmates within his institution are transgendered. He believes that he can tell by taking a walk on the compound and, simply put, decide based on an inmate’s physical attributes.

He knows that this isn’t the proper way of figuring out which inmates are transgender, but in an effort to comply with the changes given, he begins his walk on the compound to pass judgment. His assistant gets wind of what the warden has been doing and clearly states to the warden that he is in direct violation of the inmates’ civil rights.

Is the assistant correct and, if so, what other alternative would you give to Johnson that can help him alleviate his issue and identify those who are transgendered?

These training scenarios are intended to draw the reader into the discussion and create a repository of differing viewpoints on a single subject. These scenarios are intended for training purposes only. Though the scenarios are drawn from real-world incidents, no one scenario talks about a specific person or place. If you have questions or ideas for a training scenario, email editor@corrections1.com.

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