A “violent offender” who entered into the prison system as male-at-birth is now living alongside women in a female correctional facility after a decision from the NSW Government.
The transfer comes despite the NSW Government, including Acting Premier Ryan Park and Acting Corrections Minister Jihad Dib, telling this masthead and the public that transgender inmates are accommodated in facilities “corresponding to their sex assigned at birth” last year.
The Daily Telegraph revealed double murderer Terry Mark Donai was locked in a bitter battle to be transferred to a Sydney women’s prison following an application to be identified as female.
In May this year, NSW Premier Chris Minns said prisoners who are biologically male should not be housed in female prisons.
“If you’re born biologically male and you change your government certificates to be female, it will not mean that you can change from a male prison to a female prison,” he said.
“We also acknowledge that there’s biological differences between people who are born male and people who were born female, and that needs to be reflected in the law.”
Deputy Commissioner Jennifer Galouzis revealed to Budget Estimates there were “47 transgender inmates in custody at the moment, and 46 of those are accommodated according to their biological sex”.
“We have one who is housed according to their identified sex,” she said.
Opposition Corrections spokesman Anthony Roberts accused the NSW Government of not keeping its word to the public, while calling for an inquiry to be undertaken.
“This is not an offender sent to prison for unpaid traffic fines,” he said. “This is a violent offender.”
Corrections Minister Anoulack Chanthivong said the transfer “is not a new policy or a change in approach”.
“Post-operative transgender inmates have been able to be placed in a prison matching their sex characteristics and birth certificate for decades, under governments of both political persuasions,” he said.“The Corrections Commissioner makes decisions case-by-case, taking into account a range of factors including the safety, security, offending history and the safety of other inmates.
Source: NSW Prison boss moved violent male-born offender to women’s prison | Herald Sun