The majority of these violent men are being housed in women's prisons. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice told the paper, "Well over 90 percent of transgender women in custody are held in the men's estate and those who've been convicted of sexual or violent offenses - and/or who retain male genitalia - cannot be held in a women's prison unless in truly exceptional circumstances."
Additionally, the Ministry of Justice said that the number of inmates who filed to change genders under the Gender Recognition Act while in prison has increased by 13.6 percent since 2023. At least 50 male inmates changed their gender identity to female that year.
However, new rules have been enacted following the conviction of Isla Bryson, a male inmate who began identifying as a woman while in custody awaiting trial for two rape cases. Bryson was sentenced to eight years in prison in February 2023. Because he changed his gender identity to female, he was ordered to serve out his sentence at the all-female Cornton Vale prison is Scotland.
The case sparked immense backlash and Bryson was moved to an all-male facility. New UK law states that prisoners who identify as women but still have male genitalia or have sex offense convictions cannot be held in female jails.
