Transgender woman sues over placement in male prison
BOSTON – A transgender woman behind bars at an all-male prison in Massachusetts is suing for the right to be transferred to a women's facility.
The federal lawsuit filed Wednesday in Boston says the inmate, who has gender dysphoria, has been traumatized by being forced to "eat, sleep, shower and live with men."
The lawsuit says she has been forced to shower in front of male prisoners who make inappropriate comments and undergo strip searches by male correctional officers.
Her lawyers say she's regularly verbally harassed and threatened by male inmates and lives in fear of being attacked.
A spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Department of Correction declined to comment.
The inmate is serving a four-year sentence for a non-violent drug offence and is set to be released in November 2019.
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