The number of transgender inmates
housed in Texas' prison system is at an all-time high.
According to The Dallas Morning
News, 333 Texas inmates identify as transgender, a staggering
nearly fivefold increase in the last 24 months.
As part of the Prison Rape Elimination
Act, state prison and jail officials are required to consider a
person's gender identity when deciding on housing. Transgender
inmates are more likely to be the targets of violence and rape than
the general prison population.
In early 2014, the Texas Department of
Criminal Justice began a campaign to identify transgender inmates.
The following year, the department said it would allow inmates
diagnosed with gender dysphoria to begin hormone treatment while in
prison. Previously, inmates could only continue treatments while in
prison. That is, they had to be diagnosed before entering the
system.
However, only 32 inmates are currently
receiving hormone therapy.