London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jul 04, 2025

Ban on trans women in female prisons extended - Raab

Ban on trans women in female prisons extended - Raab

Rules banning some transgender women from female prisons in England and Wales come into force on Monday, the justice secretary has said.
First announced by Dominic Raab in October, the ban will apply to trans women with male genitalia, as well as those who are sexual offenders.

Mr Raab has now said it will be extended to include trans women convicted of violent offences.

He said the measures would "improve safety" for prisoners.

Under existing policy already in England and Wales, transgender women prisoners are only placed in a women's estate after a risk assessment by a complex case board.

The new rules will apply whether or not offenders have a Gender Recognition Certificate.

Exemptions will only be made in the "most exceptional" cases and with the approval of ministers, the government said. They will be considered for inmates currently in the women's estate who are assessed as low-risk.

Transgender women who cannot be safely accommodated in a men's prison can be imprisoned in a specialist unit, the government added.

The LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall said it was vital that the prison service individually assessed all prisoners and carried out detailed risk assessments.

A spokesperson said: "Trans prisoners are a vulnerable population, and there is no evidence to suggest that the automatic placing of trans women in line with their sex assigned at birth is safer than an individualised risk assessment."

The reason the policy is coming into force on Monday, despite having been announced four months ago, is because it has taken "time to do it very carefully and assiduously", Mr Raab told Sky News on Sunday.

It comes after the case of Isla Bryson in Scotland - a trans woman who was found guilty of two counts of rape before she had changed gender.

Bryson, 31, was convicted in January and was taken to Cornton Vale, a female facility, where she was held in segregation while awaiting sentencing.

Following outcry from politicians and the public, she was moved to a male prison within days. But Mr Raab said the rules were not a reaction to Bryson's case.

He said the government wanted to have a "liberal, sensitive, tolerant approach" to the LGBT community, who he said "suffer a lot in this country" with mental health issues.

"We will introduce new rules which mean that any trans offender with their male genitalia intact, or who have been convicted of a sexual offence and, adding to that, if they have been convicted of a violent offence, they will not be allowed into the female prison estate," he said.

In the year ending March 2022, there were 230 transgender prisoners out of almost 80,000 prisoners in England and Wales, according to Ministry of Justice figures.

Of these, 187 reported their legal gender as male and 43 as female.

There were six transgender women in female estates.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Elon Musk Critiques Senate Budget Proposal Over Job Losses and Strategic Risks
Los Angeles Riots ended with Federal Investigations into Funding
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Education Secretary Announces Overhaul of Complaints System Amid Rising Parental Grievances
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Over Digital Services Tax
UK Government Softens Welfare Reform Plans Amid Labour Party Rebellion
Labour Faces Rebellion Over Disability Benefit Reforms Ahead of Key Vote
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Host Lavish Wedding in Venice Amid Protests
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
North Korea to Open New Beach Resort to Boost Tourism Economy
UK Labour Party Faces Internal Tensions Over Welfare Reforms
Andrew Cuomo Hints at Potential November Comeback Amid Democratic Primary Results
Curtis Sliwa Champions His Vision for New York City Amid Rising Crime Concerns
Federal Reserve Proposes Changes to Capital Rule Affecting Major Banks
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
Big Four Accounting Firms Fined in Exam Cheating Scandal
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
Australia's Star Casino Secures $195 Million Rescue Package Amid Challenges
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
×