Transgender Inmate Sues Prison For Placing Her In Male Cell

SAN FRANCISCO — Alexis Giraldo was born as a man and takes hormones to feminize her appearance, a fact she says prison officials didn't care about even as her male cellmate repeatedly raped and beat her.
Giraldo is suing the state prison system and several guards over the state's policy of assigning inmates like her to men's or women's prisons depending on whether they have had a sex change.
"Prisons are violent places, and male prisons are especially violent places," said Greg Walston, a lawyer who took Giraldo's for free and asked a jury this week for unspecified damages. "You take that boiling cauldron and you put one woman in there — which is exactly what happened here — and it's like throwing a fresh piece of meat into a lion's cage."
Giraldo, 30, claims Folsom State Prison guards ignored her complaints and returned her to the same cell until she was assaulted again, then placed in protective custody and moved to another facility.
Giraldo is suing the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation for emotional distress and violating her constitutional right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment. She has asked Superior Court Judge Ellen Chaitin to order prison officials to come up with a new system for housing transgender inmates. more @ link
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,290233,00.html

she should be placed alone. since she takes the hormones, that places her in a unique position, at MINIMUM! she is being repeatedly abused because of this, at least. i feel sorry for this person. she should be placed where she won't be vicitimized again. she's obviously scared. how horrible! i don't know that they need a special prison or whatever - but they do need to not throw a "woman" in there with all these men. that will make that person target. they already target that they feel are weaker men... don't you think they would to that to a man who is in the process of feminization (sp?)? of course!

"Briefs filed by the state argue that Giraldo initially was in a consensual sexual relationship with her cellmate in violation of prison policy, did not report specific rape claims and refused offers to be moved to a different cell."

Doesn't sound as if we know all the story........:hand:

I feel sorry for her to if she was abused, however she should not have been stealing which landed her in prison after a parole violation. Prison isnt supposed to be easy or comfy. Abuse free yes.

That is not acceptable. The person should have been placed in an isolated cell.
There are ways and means to make this happen in any state and any facility.

Respectfully,
dark_shadows

wildTrose said:

I feel sorry for her to if she was abused, however she should not have been stealing which landed her in prison after a parole violation. Prison isnt supposed to be easy or comfy. Abuse free yes.

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Yes, a person should be safe... I bet this person will probably think twice before they steal and end up in jail again.

dark_shadows said:

That is not acceptable. The person should have been placed in an isolated cell.
There are ways and means to make this happen in any state and any facility.

Respectfully,
dark_shadows

Click to expand...

Thanks for this insider's perspective, d_s. I am glad to know that thus could be done because I think it should be done.

southcitymom said:

Thanks for this insider's perspective, d_s. I am glad to know that thus could be done because I think it should be done.

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Dear Southcitymom,:blowkiss:
There is no excuse for any facility not being able to provide a secure solitary cell for any person incarcerated that is deamed a safety issue.
If a cell is not on the ready at the time of an unusual incarceration, there will be movement in the facility to arrange secure incarceration, no matter what time it is.

Respectfully,
dark_shadows