The Feminization of Transgender Women in Prisons for Men: How Prison as a Total Institution Shapes Gender

In this article, we investigate the degree to which prison shapes transgender women’s perceptions of themselves as gendered people in prisons for men. Drawing on original data collected from 315 transgender women in 27 prisons for men in California, a mixed-methods analysis reveals that transgender...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of contemporary criminal justice 2020-05, Vol.36 (2), p.182-205
Main Authors: Jenness, Valerie, Gerlinger, Julie
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Femininity
Feminization
Perceptions
Prisoners
Prisons
Sexual violence
Transgender persons
Victimization
Women
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Summary:In this article, we investigate the degree to which prison shapes transgender women’s perceptions of themselves as gendered people in prisons for men. Drawing on original data collected from 315 transgender women in 27 prisons for men in California, a mixed-methods analysis reveals that transgender women in prisons for men report higher levels of self-perceptions of femininity while incarcerated, especially for those who report sexual victimization by other prisoners. The implications of these and other findings are discussed in light of recent calls for more theory and research on femininities as well as the policies and practices that undergird prisons as one of the most sex-segregated institutions.
ISSN:1043-9862
1552-5406
DOI:10.1177/1043986219894422