Victory: MD Prison Bill Dies in Committee
Maryland’s Senate Bill 550 and its companion House Bill 453, the Maryland "Transgender, Nonbinary, and Intersex Inmates (Transgender Respect, Agency, and Dignity Act)" has died in committee, thanks in part to oral and written testimony submitted by WoLF Advisory Council member Jennifer Chavez and Kacie Mills of the WoLF Board of Directors.*
Despite the demonstrable harm that has resulted from mixed-sex prison policies, the activist group that sponsored the bill actively misled the Committee members, claiming that no harm had resulted from the implementation of SB 132 and other policies like it. In addition to the evidence submitted by WoLF, nearby states that have already implemented these policies have seen rape (New York) and multiple pregnancies (New Jersey).
This victory is particularly encouraging as Maryland is a “blue” state, which is more likely to implement harmful gender policies such as this one. This is a welcome reversal from current trends, perhaps due in part to the widespread cross-partisan support for single-sex spaces, including prisons.
Jennifer Chavez, a resident of Maryland, commented on the victory.
“Incarcerated women deserve dignity and protection from further abuse and exploitation, but instead this bill would have treated them as emotional support resources for a tiny group of criminal men who claim to be women. I am grateful to all our state delegates and senators who saw reason and rejected this dangerous bill.”
WoLF Board Chair Lierre Keith added, “WoLF is a tiny David against a Goliath of money and misogyny. But we made a material difference in the lives of some of the most vulnerable women in the USA.”
*Feminists and other supporters of single-sex spaces should take heart - if you show up, if you speak up, you can make a real impact to improve conditions for women and girls.
You can watch virtual House testimony from Jennifer and Kacie, as well as Amanda Stulman of Keep Prisons Single Sex here.
Watch Jennifer and Kacie testify in person here:
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