California Bill Seeks to Keep Men Out of Women’s Prisons

The bill would require the state to build separate prison facilities for transgender inmates at its two women’s prisons.

State Sen. Shannon Grove at a press conference in Sacramento on April 16, 2024. Courtesy of California State Senator Shannon Grove

A California state lawmaker introduced legislation March 27 to keep males out of women’s prisons.

Sen. Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) filed Senate Bill 311 to require the state’s Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to establish separate housing for men identified as transgender within the state’s two women’s prisons.

The change would balance the needs of transgender inmates with the safety and security of women, according to Grove.

“SB 311 is a direct response to the alarming reality that women are being assaulted and raped in our California women’s prisons,” Grove said in a statement Thursday. “These bad actors are taking advantage of a policy that was intended to protect transgender inmates but is instead allowing any man to be transferred to a women’s facility simply by checking a box.”

Grove said establishing secure housing can stop the attacks against women in prisons and also protect the most vulnerable by restoring a sense of security for female inmates.

The legislation would address concerns about housing policies in women’s prisons, where inmates share spaces such as sleeping quarters and restrooms, according to the legislator.

If passed, the bill would give the state the authority to establish secure facilities at the California Institution for Women in Chino, and the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla to house transgender inmates.

The bill would also prohibit transgender inmates convicted of certain sexual offenses under the state’s Sex Offender Registration Act from being housed in women’s prisons.

Amie Ichikawa, founder of Woman II Woman, the nonprofit group for women prisoners that is co-sponsoring the legislation, said the bill would ensure safety and privacy for female inmates.

“This bill ensures that the safety and privacy of biological women are protected while providing transgender women with appropriate accommodations. It’s a step forward for fairness and security in our prisons.”

Under existing state law, the state prisons department is tasked with preventing sexual violence and promoting inmate safety. The proposed legislation addresses reports of assaults, rapes, and pregnancies among female inmates, and offers a framework to enhance prison safety, according to Grove’s office.

Grove called the legislation a “proactive step” toward maintaining a secure and equitable environment in the state’s women’s correctional facilities.

The bill could be heard in the state Senate’s Rules Committee in the next few weeks, according to Grove’s office.