From 2019 to 2022, the Vera Institute of Justice (Vera), along with Black and Pink National, developed and conducted a large-scale survey of currently incarcerated transgender people regarding their experiences in state prisons. In 2015, Black and Pink National published a landmark survey of more than a thousand LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer/questioning) incarcerated people, Coming Out of Concrete Closets. The present survey provides updated information on similar issues as Black and Pink’s 2015 survey but focuses solely on transgender people. Vera and Black and Pink National are grateful to the incarcerated people who took the time to thoughtfully respond to the survey, often sharing sensitive and traumatic experiences. The survey used regular mail to reach participants, who were already connected with Black and Pink National, and this allowed people to respond in 2021–2022 despite ongoing COVID-related constraints on in-person access to prisons.

This survey includes the views of 280 transgender people in state prisons, about 73 percent of whom were transgender women. About 46 percent of respondents were white, 24 percent were Black, 14 percent were Latinx, 11 percent were Native American, and about 5 percent were multiracial or other racial groups.

Key takeaways

Transgender people are especially at risk for contact with the criminal legal system and, once in detention, at risk of harassment and violence inside prison. According to a 2022 survey of LGBTQ+ people in the United States, 31 percent had been in some form of incarceration at some point in the last five years. 3

Transgender people in prison are not monolithic in terms of their experiences or preferences. Policies designed to benefit trans people in prison need to account for this variability to have a meaningful positive effect on the lives of transgender people in custody.

Transgender people who are currently incarcerated have clear suggestions for changes to the content and implementation of policies, and decision-makers should meaningfully include these views. These findings represent common themes across survey participants’ responses.

  1. On housing, transgender people in prison called for clearly articulated, flexible policies that would allow them to access housing options that improve their safety.
  2. On health, transgender people in prison reported having access to general medical and mental health care, although the quality of care was poor. Comparatively, access to gender-affirming health care to support gender transition, such as hormone therapy or surgery, was less consistent and the quality was even worse.
  3. On emotional support, transgender people in prison reported that it was essential to their sense of self-respect and safety to have social networks and supportive connections among incarcerated people, with staff, and with outside organizations. One of the most common reasons respondents felt unsafe in prison was because they were isolated from other LGBTQ+ people—and having such connections is a key factor in feeling safer and more supported.

Read the full article about transgender justice at The Vera Institute of Justice.