Question

Read the scenario. Select the four factors that most contribute to the issue described in the scenario.

A transgendered black female was given a 10-year sentence in a state prison after a burglary conviction. Because she had not yet undergone gender reassignment surgery, she was placed in an all-male prison. Correctional officers refused to allow her to wear her hair and nails long or otherwise comfortably represent herself as female. She also claimed she was subjected to taunting and regular beatings and sexual assault by both fellow inmates and guards. She requested a transfer to an all-female facility. Department of Corrections officials not only denied her allegations of abuse but also argued she was lying and only trying to manipulate the system.
Tarm, M. (2018, Dec. 27). Transgender inmate gets rare transfer to female prison. U.S.News & World Report. Retrieved from
Which four factors most contributed to the issue described in the scenario?

Question options:

A. Political Events
B. Race
C. Sexual Orientation
D. Appearance
E. Gender

Answer 1

Race, Gender, Sexual Orientation, and Appearance most contributed to the issue of a transgender black female prisoner facing abuse and denied transfer in a male prison, highlighting systemic bias and failure to accommodate gender identity.

Step-by-step explanation:

The factors that most contributed to the issue described in the scenario of a transgender black female given a 10-year prison sentence and placed in an all-male prison, facing abuse and denied transfer, are Race, Gender, Sexual Orientation, and Appearance. Historically, there has been under-investigation and under-conviction in murders of transgender people, indicating societal and systemic bias and violence against this community. Additionally, the intersection of race with gender identity further complicates the experiences of transgender individuals in the criminal justice system, as both race and gender can be factors in discriminatory practices and biases that lead to harsher sentences and unfair treatment. The denial of a transfer and the refusal to acknowledge the abuse the inmate suffered display a failure to recognize her gender identity, essentially forcing her to give up any markers of her identity for resocialization into a prison system that does not accommodate her needs.