Understanding the Unique Needs and Experiences of Incarcerated LGBTQ People
Explore how correctional environments can better protect and support transgender and LGBTQ+ individuals by examining the impacts of current housing policies, safety risks, and equitable access to programs and services.
About the live course
Only 0.6% of the adult U.S. population—about 1.4 million people—are transgender, yet transgender people are significantly overrepresented in jails and prisons. Once incarcerated, PREA recognizes that LGBTQ+ people are particularly vulnerable and at heightened risk for sexual assault, abuse, and repeated trauma. Their placement and housing within a correctional setting is determined based on the gender they were assigned at birth, rather than placing transgender individuals in facilities that correspond to their gender identity. As a result, incarcerated transgender and other LGBTQ individuals are often housed in a manner that compromises their safety and well-being and jeopardizes their daily access to programs and services—including extensive segregation and use of solitary “protective custody” confinement.
- Understand the needs and experiences of transgender and LGBTQ people in jails and prisons.
- Identify key PREA provisions and other policies aimed at protecting incarcerated LGBTQ individuals.
- Describe trends and special considerations for determining transgender placement and housing settings.
- Learn about pilot projects and ways of supporting the LGBTQ+ population after release.
Presented in partnership with the Academy of Architecture for Justice (AAJ).
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