Trump Reinstates Single-Sex Prisons, Removing Transgender Inmates from Women's Facilities

The recent executive order from President Donald Trump has caused significant controversy by reinstating single-sex prisons and relocating around 1,500 male federal prisoners who identify as female back to men's facilities. Titled “Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” the directive also removes federally funded transgender-related medical procedures for inmates. This policy shift is being lauded as a victory by the Women’s Liberation Front (WoLF), a feminist organization focused on ensuring the safety and dignity of women in prison. WoLF has raised alarms about the risks of allowing male inmates into female facilities, citing potential violations of the Eighth Amendment's constitutional protections.

The organization underlined the critical need to shield women from male violence. Reports from the Bureau of Prisons reveal that nearly 50% of male inmates identifying as female have convictions for sexual offenses, starkly contrasting with the 11% conviction rate amongst biological males who do not identify as female. Alarmingly, one-third of requests for transfer to women’s prisons in California are from registered sex offenders, a group associated with nearly 50% of rapes in the prison system.

This executive order has reignited discussions surrounding the complex relationship between safety, rights, and gender identity in the correctional landscape. Proponents of Trump’s policy argue it prioritizes the dignity and wellbeing of women, echoing concerns shared by victims of sexual violence in mixed housing. A declaration from a female inmate at California’s Central Facility for Women recounted the traumatic aftermath of an alleged rape committed by a transgender inmate, further highlighting the dangers women face in prison environments marked by gender policy controversies.