WoLF Submits Additional Testimony Opposing Prison Self-ID Bill in Maryland
Watch the testimony from Kacie and Jennifer in the video player above.
Kacie Mills of the WoLF Board of Directors and Jennifer Chavez of the WoLF Advisory Council, both of whom are Maryland residents, traveled to Annapolis on Thursday to testify against SB550, which would allow male offenders to request transfer to women’s prisons if they claim to identify as “transgender” or “non-binary.”
WoLF Legal Director Lauren Adams also submitted the following written testimony:
February 16, 2022
Maryland Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee
Room 2, East Miller Senate Building
Annapolis, Maryland 21401
Re: OPPOSITION to SB 550, Correctional Facilities -
Transgender, Nonbinary, and Intersex Inmates
To the Members of the Judicial Proceedings Committee:
My name is Lauren Adams, and I am the Legal Director of the Women’s Liberation Front (WoLF), a national feminist 501(c)(3) non-profit which fights for the rights of women and girls. On behalf of WoLF, I stand opposed to SB 550 because it would impose inhumane conditions on incarcerated women in Maryland.
First and foremost, I urge you to hear the voices of incarcerated women speaking out on this issue, since they cannot speak to you themselves.
Letters from incarcerated women found at
https://www.womensliberationfront.org/letters-from-incarcerated-womenIncarcerated woman speaks out on the impact of being housed with male offenders: https://youtu.be/k0q26czZZqg
Tomiekia's Story: https://youtu.be/gJoKAPJe9m4
Second, there are significant findings on a state and federal level regarding the population being proposed access to women’s facilities:
In California, since they implemented the self-ID bill being proposed in Maryland, they have seen a 30% increase in incarcerated people identifying as transgender.
There have been nearly 300 requests for transfer from men's to women's facilities, and dozens have already been transferred. One third of transfer requests are from registered sex offenders, and the law does not disqualify those who might pose a danger to women.
The Bureau of Prisons reports that 48% of trans-identified federal inmates are sex offenders.
In California alone, just a few of the men who have been transferred include:
Shawn Gustafson, who molested a 6 year-old and an 8 year-old, and has reportedly been placed into segregation multiple times for sexual infractions since his transfer;
Patrick White, a convicted rapist and member of the Aryan Brotherhood;
Jonathan Robertson, who is in administrative segregation pending a sexual assault investigation;
Christian Ramirez, who sexually assaulted a woman within weeks of his transfer. His victim disclosed immediately to a staff member, and she was almost sent to solitary confinement as a result;
Anthony Lipsey, serving life for murder, who assaulted his female cellmate and nearly broke her jaw;
Michael Contreras Hernandez, also serving life for murder, including murdering another inmate in the men's prison where he spent two decades. Now under investigation for sexual harassment of multiple women, including voyeurism; and
Jason Hann, on death row for murdering two infants, and is being housed in the same facility as his victims’ mother. (Note: Jason is the only one listed here who has had his penis removed).
Third, there are serious concerns regarding data collection, both present and future. Last year, the ACLU sued the state of Washington to prevent disclosure of the number of men who had been transferred to women's facilities. Recently, a bill was introduced there to exempt info on "gender identity" from disclosure under public records laws.¹ This is aimed at obscuring the fact that the state was transferring male sex offenders to women's prisons, one of whom went on to rape a cognitively disabled woman.²
Fourth, a clarification about "anatomy" and whether trans-identified men pose a threat to women. The only high-quality longitudinal study to date showed that even after decades of hormone therapy and genital surgery to remove the penis:
“male-to-females had a significantly increased risk for crime compared to female controls (aHR 6.6; 95% CI 4.1–10.8) but not compared to males (aHR 0.8; 95% CI 0.5–1.2). This indicates that they retained a male pattern regarding criminality. The same was true regarding violent crime.” ³ [emphasis added]
But in fact, the vast majority (~90%) of trans-identified men actually retain their penises, and not all of them even take hormones. SB 550 certainly does not impose any such requirements. Under California's "self-ID" law, nearly all of the men who have been transferred to women's prisons have their penises. They are being housed in cells with women, which has already led to sexual harassment, assault, and rape. Condoms are being distributed and women are being provided birth control, and counseled on their options – abortion, adoption, or surrender to family – should they become pregnant while incarcerated.
Finally, WoLF is representing four incarcerated women in a federal civil rights lawsuit challenging the California law which the Maryland bill is modeled upon. More info about that can be found at stopsb132.com. I encourage you to familiarize yourself with the constitutional violations being alleged, as they are the same violations that would occur under Maryland's proposed law.
There are also legal challenges to gender identity policies in Florida and New Jersey, with more anticipated in other jurisdictions where women continue to be abused and have their human rights violated in this way. In Illinois, a woman is suing the state after being raped by her male cellmate, who transferred on the basis of self-declared “gender identity” after he beat his male cellmate to death in the men’s prison. Maryland would be opening itself up to immense liability by increasing the risk to incarcerated women of violence, rape, and pregnancy.
Women are not human shields. Solve the problem of male violence in men's prisons where it happens. Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony today on this important issue.
Regards,
Lauren Adams
Legal Director
Women's Liberation Front
¹ https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=1956&Year=2021&Initiative=false
² https://www.womensliberationfront.org/news/washington-aclu-male-rapists-confirmed
³ Dhejne C, Lichtenstein P, Boman M, Johansson AL, Långström N, Landén M. Long-term follow-up of transsexual persons undergoing sex reassignment surgery: cohort study in Sweden. PLoS One. 011;6(2):e16885. Published 2011 Feb 22. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0016885
TAKE ACTION!
Maryland Residents: Tell your elected officials to vote NO on SB550 (HB453) and keep prisons single-sex!