Watchdog urges greater protection of UK transgender prisoners as deaths climb

By Lin Taylor LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Transgender prisoners in Britain need more support and greater protection from bullying and harassment, a government watchdog said on Tuesday, more than a week after a transgender woman was found dead in her cell. Transgender prisoners are especially vulnerable to discrimination and sexual violence, and they have a higher risk of mental disorders such as depression and suicidal thoughts, according to the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO). “Prisons are always difficult environments … but they have a fundamental responsibility to keep prisoners safe and to protect and support those with particular vulnerabilities,” PPO Nigel Newcomen said in a report.

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Watchdog urges greater protection of UK transgender prisoners as deaths climb