THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The prisons department is mooting a proposal to set up special holding cells exclusively for prisoners from the transgender community in all jails in the state that have the required infrastructure.
Of the 58 jails in the state, only three — Palakkad district jail, Ernakulam district jail and Thiruvananthapuram sub-jail — currently have prison blocks or cells for transgender persons. Though the number of people serving jail term from the transgender community is very less in the state — only one at present — the department observes that, as in the case of the other two genders, the share of prisoners from the transgender community might also see an increase in future.
As per the proposal, special blocks will be set up for transwomen in women’s prisons in Viyyur, Kannur and Thiruvananthapuram. Women officials will be in charge of supervising them. According to sources, the department plans to set up special blocks for transgender community members in at least one prison in a district.
“Though we have 58 prisons, not all have the adequate infrastructure to house transgender prisoners. We will first identify the prisons where we can set up the facility and with the help of the public works department, we will complete the construction,” said an official.
The official said the “forward-looking” proposal was made in tune with the changing times. “People are now more comfortable identifying with their sexual orientation. Prisoners from transgender community are at risk of being subjected to bullying and sexual assault if they aren’t housed in exclusive cells,” the official said.
‘Need special jail blocks for transgender persons’
“If an untoward incident occurs, such as a law and order issue during a protest meet of the community members, where will we take them? We cannot house them in men’s or women’s prisons.
We need special jail blocks and cells for them. In the case of transwomen, we need women wardens to monitor them. These things take time and the earlier we start preparation, the better,” the official said.
The department is also planning refresher courses for officials on the protocols to be followed while handling prisoners from the transgender community. Such courses will be provided each year.