This really seems like a no-brainer and should go without saying, but here we go…
The issue of transgender individuals being housed in the prisons of their chosen gender has recently come under scrutiny in California and across the nation, with concerns raised about the safety and well-being of female inmates.
Duh, right?
Retired Los Angeles County Sheriff Detective Sergeant Richard Valdemar has worked in the California prison system for decades and has recently spoken out about the devastating impacts of this policy. Valdemar claims that the integration of male and female inmates has led to an “unprecedented rise in violence” in women’s prisons, a concern that is being echoed by his peers in the federal and state prison systems.
In a newly-released documentary series titled “Cruel and Unusual Punishment,” exclusively obtained by the Independent Women’s Forum (IWF), Valdemar states that the staff within the prison system are aware of the injustices occurring but are too afraid to speak out due to the fear of losing their jobs. “It’s happening everywhere,” Valdemar says. “The important part of that is that the public doesn’t know that this is happening.”
Governor Gavin Newsom’s office has responded to Valdemar’s concerns, citing federal law and the state’s Prison Rape Elimination Act as reasons for the integration of male and female prisoners. However, Valdemar and the IWF argue that this policy is a form of discrimination, giving privileges to transgender inmates over those of female inmates. Valdemar recounts how during the early years of his employment, there was a separate section for men who identified as transgender women in order to protect them, a policy that is no longer in place.
Valdemar’s concerns are not limited to the safety of female inmates, but also the impact on law enforcement. He claims that police are often reluctant to take action against certain crimes for fear of being labeled as “bigoted” or politically incorrect. “The negative publicity that would bring causes them to be restrictive on them taking action,” Valdemar states.
The issue of transgender inmates is not unique to California, with other states and cities passing laws allowing biological males to be housed in women’s prison facilities. However, Valdemar’s experience and expertise in the prison system shed light on the potential consequences of these policies. As Andrea Mew, IWF storytelling manager and co-producer of the series, points out, Valdemar’s willingness to speak out despite potential backlash speaks to his commitment to justice and protection of vulnerable populations.
But the conversation surrounding transgender policies is not limited to the prison system. Valdemar notes that legislation is also being passed to protect women’s spaces and sports from the inclusion of biological males who identify as female. This further highlights the impact and concerns surrounding these policies and the need to address them. As Valdemar puts it, “Placing the wolf in the pen with the lambs is not the spirit of that law.”
The integration of transgender inmates in women’s prisons is not only a matter of safety but also a reflection of larger societal agendas.
As the IWF and Valdemar hope to achieve with their documentary series, there is a growing need for critical examination and dialogue about these policies and their impacts on vulnerable populations. Only then can appropriate and fair solutions be found to address the concerns raised by Valdemar and others working within the criminal justice system.
My question is; where the HELL are all those feminists when bureaucrats are stuffing biological men into women’s prison showers? They can get bent. This was never about ‘equality’.