A transgender prisoner at Rimutaka jail has been transferred to women's facility, Rimutaka Prison director Chris Burns confirmed today.
Jade Follett was serving time in the men's facility since June after being sentenced to 21 months' imprisonment for stabbing a man who stalked and threatened her.
Members of the group No Pride in Prisons started a hunger strike today in a bid to get Follett moved to a women's facility, pointing to evidence from a 2007 study showing trans women were 13 times more likely to be sexually assaulted in a men's prison than other prisoners.
"We are absolutely thrilled that Corrections has taken our demands seriously," No Pride in Prisons spokesperson Jennifer Katherine Shields said. "They can no longer ignore the very real danger that Jade was in."
"We hope that now that Jade has been officially transferred, she will be able to serve out the rest of her sentence in a far safer environment."
Mr Burns said since the Transgender and Intersex Prisoner policy came into effect in February last year five transgender prisoners, including Follett, had been transferred.
"Corrections has a duty of care to all prisoners. We are very much aware and sympathetic to the particular needs of transgender prisoners including the issues surrounding their placement and safety."
Yesterday Mr Burns said the prison received the request for transfer Follett in the weekend, though Ms Shields said the request was made in June.
"That it took a hunger strike to get Corrections' attention to this urgent issue indicates just how little regard they have for prisoners' safety."
3 News
