A woman was sent to an all-male prison after the authorities mistook her features for that of a man.
The inmate, who was assigned female at birth, was wrongly processed by the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), The Independent reported.
The woman was sent to HMP Perth, an all-male prison, and remained in segregation overnight after the error was discovered. She was transferred HMP Cornton Vale, a women’s jail, the following day.
Police Scotland said it was investigating the incident, adding that she was remanded into custody with “incomplete information about their gender.” A spokesperson added: “We are reviewing our custody procedure to ensure this does not happen again.”
A source told The Telegraph, who broke the story: “An assumption was made, based on someone’s appearance and not much else. Gender in the prison system has become such a hot topic that management will be mortified by this. This is [an] embarrassment for everyone involved.”
Last December, the SPS changed its policy to prevent trans women with a history of violence from being held in women’s prisons, except for in “exceptional circumstances.”
The guidance came in the wake of a backlash over the conviction of trans woman Isla Bryson, who was jailed for eight years in February 2023 after being found guilty of raping two women while still a man.
The SPS has said that there are just 23 transgender prisoners in Scotland as of January 2023, 19 of whom are trans women. A spokesperson said that while the prison service does not comment on “individuals,” the rights and wellbeing of all prisoners was a key priority.
“We have procedures in place to keep everyone safe when newly admitted, including keeping them separate from the mainstream population where appropriate,” they added.
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