18 Oct 2015

Corrections failing trans prisoners - lawyer

5:12 pm on 18 October 2015

An advocate for transgender prisoners says Corrections is not doing enough to protect their safety.

Since last year, prisoners have been able to apply to be moved to a prison which fits their gender identity.

In August, Corrections apologised to prisoner Jade Follett, whose application to be moved to a women's jail was lost.

And earlier this month, a transgender prisoner in the Corrections Facility in Wiri was allegedly beaten and raped by other prisoners.

Lawyer Kelly Ellis said these cases showed Corrections wasn't following its own rules.

"It's all very well having the changed regulations and the new protocols there, but ultimately, the prisons do not seem to be applying these.

"That seems to be the case obviously with Jade Follett at Rimutaka and with this other prisoner, whose name we probably will never know, who was raped in Serco in south Auckland - so there's the proof in the pudding."

Corrections said it cannot comment on individual cases.

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