Green Party Supports #PrisonTRANSform

Following the death of another transwoman in an all-male prison, and with evidence that these are not the only cases, we, as members of the Green Party, would like to express our solidarity with transgender prisoners, and express our concerns about the current treatment of transgender prisoners.

Housing trans women in the male estate exposes them to sexual harassment. This is inhumane and unacceptable in 2015.

We support the current campaign by the trans community called #PrisonTRANSform

We call upon the Ministry of Justice to:

  • revisit PSI 07/2011 & place a legal responsibility on prison governors to ensure safe housing for trans people
  • house trans people in the estate of their acquired gender in the first instance, and only move them into the other estate on their request or after a thorough investigation concludes there is no other possible alternative
  • take urgent steps to review the location of all trans people and move them to appropriate prisons according to their acquired gender, pending the review of the current policy
  • involve trans groups and organisations in the review of current policy, to ensure that tragedies like that of Vicky Thompson and Joanne Latham are not repeated

Signed,

Aimee Challenor, Chair of LGBTIQ Greens,

Sahra Taylor, LGBTIQ Greens Committee, Greens Equality and Diversity Committee

Natalie Bennett, Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales

Jenny Jones AM, Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb

Benali Hamdache, Equalities Spokesperson for the Green Party

Chris Atkins, Campaigns Officer South East Region GP, LGBTIQ Greens Secretary

Molly Arthurs, LGBTIQ Greens Campaigns Coordinator, Young Greens SPC, Ashford Green Party

Ronald Stewart, LGBTIQ Greens Committee, London Assembly Candidate for Enfield & Haringey

Lee-Anne Lawrance, LGBTIQ Greens Committee

Sabrina Poole, Co-chair of Green Party Women

Jonathan Hume, Sunderland Green Party, LGBTIQ Greens Committee

Douglas Rouxel, Stafford and Stone Green Party.

Manishta Sunnia, Green Party Exec, Equality & Diversity Coordinator

Deborah Fenney, Headingley Green Party

Duncan Davis, Midlands Young Greens Co-convenor

Andrew Creak, Wales Green Party prospective candidate for Caerphilly in Welsh Assembly Election 2016

Georgia Elander, Young Greens National Executive Committee

Andrea Grainger, North Staffordshire Green Party

Matthew Genn, Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Greens Co-ordinator, Midlands Young Greens

Daniel Johnston, South West Young Greens Social Media & Press Officer

Joanne Corless, North Lancashire Green Party

Jessica Horner, Plymouth Green Party

Caroline Russell, Islington Councillor and London-wide Assembly Candidate

Adam Smith, Spokesperson Welsh Green Pride, Gwent Green Party

Tom Pashby, Watford Green Party

Diana Korchien, Media Coordinator, Waltham Forest & Redbridge Green Party

Laura Atkin, Coordinator for North Lincolnshire Green Party & Green Party Town Councillor

Hannah Pudner Cardiff and the Vale Green Party

Peter Varley, prospective Assembly candidate for Newport East

RoseMary Warrington, Green Party Women committee member and London-wide Assembly candidate

Danni Capelin, Gosport & Fareham Green Party

Pam Archer, Dudley Green Party

Bethany Payne, South West Young Greens committee member, Exeter Green Party

Leslie Groves, Chair Adur Green Party

Chris Cotton, Norwich Green Party

Imogen Kutz, Co-convenor South West Young Greens

Shan Oakes Harrogate and District Green party

Ben Jones, South West Green Party Liaison to South West Young Greens

Sources:

[1]http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2015/12/01/second-trans-woman-found-dead-in-a-male-prison-in-two-months/?utm_source=PNFB&utm_medium=socialFB&utm_campaign=PNFacebook

[2]http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/dec/01/second-trans-prisoner-joanne-latham-apparently-takes-own-life-in-male-jail

[3]http://www.onemk.co.uk/news/2015/12/transgender-prisoner-found-dead-at-at-hmp-woodhill-milton-keynes-011220150030.html

[4]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-34869620

[5]https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2015/11/19/a-trans-woman-has-been-found-dead-after-being-sent-to-a-mens-prison/

[6]http://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/Green-Party-leader-Natalie-Bennett-horrified-Bath/story-28069960-detail/story.html

[7]http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/women-and-equalities-committee/transgender-equality/written/23730.html