This week it was reported that a male convicted murderer in Scotland has not only been allowed to self-identity on the female prison estate, but had gone one step further and demanded that the guards treat them as a baby. Sophie Eastwood was initially jailed for a driving offence in 2004, but went on to kill a former cellmate with shoelaces. Eastwood received a life sentence in the Polmont prison for women. Far from settling in, Eastwood is alleged to have demanded that prison officials cater to surprising demands: from nappies and baby food, to the expectation that guards hold their hand.
Instead of rejecting these demands, officials are acquiescing and have reportedly given Eastwood a dummy. How have we ended up in a position where prison guards are bending over backwards to accommodate a male murderer housed in a female prison? And does anyone care about the women these male convicts are housed with? Earlier this month, the feminist organisation Keep Prisons Single-Sex held a large protest outside Polmont carrying signs stating ‘Women are not human shields’ and ‘No to Self-Id’. But is anyone listening?
This year, the Sunday Times reported that male prisoners who identify as women in order to be transferred to the female estate often change back to identifying as their original sex once they are released. Meanwhile female prisoners are forced to share the prison estate with people who are taking advantage of the prison rules.
Britain is not alone in its approach. The trend of housing male prisoners who identify as women in the female estate is a worldwide phenomenon, with countries like Canada, the United States and Spain leading the way. The determination to impose ‘gender identity’ in all contexts has created many casualties, including women’s legal protections, children’s health and democratic principles.
Women who have been in prison know this too well.
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