The Honorable Tom Ammiano
Assembly Member, 13th District
State Capitol, Room 2175
Sacramento, CA 95814
RE: AB 382 (Ammiano) -- SUPPORT
Dear Assembly Member Ammiano,
The Center for Health Justice is pleased to support your bill, AB 882, which would add sexual orientation and gender identity to the current list of factors that should be considered in order to safely classify and house prisoners. The Center for Health Justice provides prisoner health and education services in jails and prisoner, with a focus on HIV> As providers of these services for almost 10 years, we are well aware of the challenges faced by LGBT prisoners, and applaud you efforts to improve the lives of these vulnerable men and women.
I was fortunate to be able to present information on issues faced by gay men in the Los Angeles County Jails at the December 2008 Informational Meeting organized by Senator Romero. I am hyappy to see that the publicity given to this issue there has resulted in concrete legislative action. Too often when it comes to prisoner issues, problem identified by policy experts are left unaddressed by our elected representatives.
Sexual violence against prisoners who are LGBT is a recurring problem that must be addressed by any reforms. According to a recent study from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), 67 percent of LGBT inmates report being sexually assaulted by another inmate, a rate 15 times higher than the overall prison population. One of the most important tools available to corrections officials to prevent sexual assault is the use of appropriate prisoner classification and housing protocols. While anyone can be a victim of sexual violence behind bars, typical victims are young, nonviolent, or first time offenders. LGBT prisoners or those perceived to be LGBT are also exceptionally vulnerable to violence.
Existing law requires CDCR's classification and housing assignment procedures to take into account cew3rtain risk factors that can lead inmates and wards becoming the target of sexual victimization. Current consideration include the age of the inmate or ward, whether the offender is a violent or nonviolent offender, whether the inmate or ward has served a prior term of commitment and whether the inmate or ward has a history of mental illness.
AB 382 would promote safety for and prevent abuse and assault again LGBT people in the prison system by adding sexual orientation and gender identity to the current list of factors that should be considered when classifying and housing prisoners. The bill would reduce violence and human rights abuses against LGBT persons who are incarcerated. The Center for Health Justice strongly supports this effort.
Sincerely,
Mary Sylla, JD, MPH
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