...“The transfers are a reckless response to a crisis that has been most acute in the men’s jails. Shipping women and trans people to state prison will further separate them from families and children, community support, legal defense teams, and social workers,” the letter says.

They also charge the state prison system “has inadequate and discriminatory policies guiding the housing of trans people and grossly insufficient protections for respectful and safe treatment of trans people in state prisons.”

Groups signing onto the letter include the National Organization for Women, Freedom Agenda, National LGBTQ Task Force, the Immigrant Defense Project, Transgender Law Center, Center for Constitutional Rights and others. The Legal Aid Society and other city public defender organizations are also part of the push. ...

Read the full piece here.