James O’Keefe, an investigative journalist, released a video on Thursday evening where two female inmates at the Washington State Correctional Center for Women (WCCW) claim that male inmates are manipulating the system by declaring themselves as transgender.
O’Keefe stated that WCCW had led the way for inclusivity in the prison system. In an effort to protect the anonymity of the women, OMG News altered their voices and blurred their faces.
Inmate #1 and Inmate #2, as referred to in the video, shared their concerns about the situation in the prison. Inmate #1 stated, “So, we have men rapists, men murderers, child rapists, men who have killed women and are in prison for raping and killing women who get put in our rooms…There is nothing you can do!”
She further claimed that some of the male inmates who identified as female did so merely to have sexual relations with the female inmates. She stated, “They cater to the trans community. All you have to do is say that you are a woman, that you now when you’re in county, say that you identify as a woman, and you can come straight to here from county. The guys don’t even have to go to the men’s prison first.”
Inmate #2 felt that their safety was being threatened as an open discussion against the transgender policy was taking place. She said, “My safety is now in jeopardy because I cannot voice my freedom of speech…I’ve heard some of these men talk about how they would want to get a girl pregnant so that the girl could form a lawsuit against WCCW and say that he raped her and he’s willing to go along with it. He’s pretty much the mastermind behind his own scandal.”
Furthermore, inmates accused the prison of poor medical services, with women finding it tougher than transgender persons to get medical facilities.
These observations have raised serious questions about the way transgender inmates are regulated within the prison system.
