Utah prison discriminated against transgender woman, Department of Justice finds

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Utah Department of Corrections came under fire Tuesday for discriminating against a transgender inmate who the U.S. Department of Justice said was driven to harm herself after she was repeatedly denied hormone therapy in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

A federal investigation found that the state corrections department imposed “unnecessary barriers” to block the incarcerated trans woman from receiving treatment for intense gender dysphoria. The woman’s psychological distress, which doctors attributed to a mismatch between her birth sex and her gender identity, worsened significantly while she was incarcerated in the men’s prison, according to the Justice Department report.

After nearly two years of fighting for access to hormones and other gender-affirming accommodations, she performed a dangerous self-surgery to cut off her own testicles.

Now, the DOJ is demanding immediate policy changes and anti-discrimination training for all Utah correctional officers to protect other inmates from future harm. The state agency also will be required to pay damages to the trans inmate, who was not identified in the report. The dollar amount had not been set as of Tuesday.

A spokesperson for the Utah Department of Corrections did not immediately respond to email and phone messages seeking comment on the report.

Gender dysphoria falls within the ADA’s definition of disability, meaning correctional facilities cannot deny medically appropriate care for people with the condition, according to a 2022 federal court ruling.

“All people with disabilities including those who are incarcerated are protected by the ADA and are entitled to reasonable modifications and equal access to medical care, and that