Garden State Equality Demands Justice for Transgender Woman in NJDOC Custody
Garden State Equality Demands Justice for Transgender Woman in NJDOC Custody
Reforms necessary to protect transgender individuals within criminal justice system
For Immediate Release
August 29, 2019
Contact: Jon Oliveira, Director of Communications
oliveira@gardenstateequality.org
(732) 351-2322
Following a lawsuit filed by the ACLU of New Jersey and attorney Robyn Gigl of Gluck Walrath LLP, the NJDOC has agreed to move a transgender woman out of men’s prison to a woman’s prison, but while being improperly housed for 17 months, plaintiff Sonia Doe endured discrimination, violence, and mistreatment. Attorney Gigl, serving on behalf of her law firm, is a board member of Garden State Equality.
“Studies indisputably show that transgender people face violence, sexual abuse, and mistreatment within prison walls at rates far higher than the general prison population. The NJDOC’s decision to finally move Sonia Doe to the proper facility is welcomed, but the harm against her has already been done,” said Garden State Equality executive director Christian Fuscarino. “New Jersey’s criminal justice system needs significant reforms to protect transgender people, including a clear policy that guarantees individuals be housed in facilities in accordance with their gender identity. We fully support our partners at the ACLU of New Jersey to secure justice for this woman.”
The State of New Jersey’s Transgender Equality Task Force is set to issue a detailed report on September 30, 2019 with policy recommendations—including criminal justice reforms—for the state legislature and governor to enact, following a six month period of research and data collection. Garden State Equality’s representative Aaron Potenza serves as chair of the Task Force.
The National Center for Transgender Equality reports from federal data that “…transgender people are nearly ten times more likely to be sexually assaulted than the general prison population, with an estimated 40% of transgender people in state and federal prisons reporting a sexual assault in the previous year.”
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