A class-action lawsuit that was filed on Tuesday mandated that Colorado prisons provide better accommodation options for transgender women as well as better exposure to gender-affirming treatment.
The Colorado Department of Corrections (CDOC) will need to implement a number of changes, including adding two more housing units and implementing more recent guidelines for healthcare.
“No matter what mistakes we’ve made in our pasts, all deserve simple dignity and respect,” said Taliyah Murphy, a plaintiff in the complaint. “All deserve to be in good health and receive the necessary medical care. Some of these people had to choose life or death from the advancements made. I’m thrilled to have contributed to this advancement and to be a part of this significant event.”
One housing unit will serve as a “voluntary trans system” for trans people who would prefer to be around other transgender people, and the other will serve as a “voluntary trans system” to assist trans women transitioning to a women’s prison.
Other changes include modifications to frisking procedures, further training for employees, and a necessary validation of trans people’s titles, pronouns, and honorifics. Additionally, CDOC may pay the plaintiffs over $2 million in damages.
By the end of 2024, CDOC may be implementing these changes and working with outside professionals to enhance the treatment provided to trans prisoners.
The modifications may be made through a consent decree approved by Denver District Court Judge Jill D. Dorancy in response to the complaint. Seven transgender people who have been incarcerated in Colorado were included in the first complaint. They were represented by Greisen Medlock, LLC, the Transgender Law Center, and Arnold & Porter.
The defendants claimed that staff members discriminated against them because they were being housed in female prisons and that they were subject to intense physical and sexual abuse.
“I won’t say the staff member’s name, but we were on our way to a transgender support group and she intentionally called us all out and she’s like, ‘Hi, gentleman!'” Murphy told 9news. “It was like someone punched me in the gut, I thought.”
Additionally, the lawsuit asserts that certain rehabilitation facilities and access to gender-affirming care were denied to the plaintiffs.
“This is a landmark consent decree,” said Scott Medlock, one of the lawyers on the situation. “This is a significant alteration in Colorado’s jail method, and we hope Colorado can serve as a model for the rest of the country. I don’t think at all it’s an exaggeration to say that it will be lifesaving.”
