Prison authorities in Washington state have privately recognized that some “trans” men may have ulterior motives for seeking housing with women inmates.
A group of mental health professionals focused on “gender-affirming” care has been holding monthly internal meetings aimed at addressing concerns over inmates wanting sex changes for potential personal gains instead of genuine gender dysphoria. These secondary benefits refer to the advantages a person might gain from their issues, including receiving special treatment, sympathy, avoiding responsibilities, and exerting control over others, as noted by the American Psychological Association.
Notes from a meeting in September 2024 highlighted discussions around secondary benefits, noting that some prisoners may seek gender-affirming services without experiencing gender dysphoria. The group pondered on methods to curb this behavior.
Meeting records were acquired by the Daily Caller News Foundation through public records requests to the Washington Department of Corrections (DOC).
This topic has gained traction within the DOC since a policy change occurred four years ago in Washington state, which facilitated the placement of “trans” men in women’s facilities.
Beth Parlato, a senior legal advisor at the Independent Women’s Law Center, expressed concerns to DCNF, mentioning that access to women-only spaces is a key reason for these requests, including possible sexual motives and targeting emotionally vulnerable women.
“There’s also a chance for taking advantage of trauma,” she remarked, considering that many incarcerated women have experienced sexual violence from men previously. Power dynamics play a significant role in this issue, she noted.
According to a general manual from the Washington DOC, last updated in August 2023, procedures are outlined for staff to follow if they doubt a newly identified transgender inmate’s sincerity in claiming their gender identity, suggesting the possibility of ulterior motives.
The manual states that if an incarcerated individual reveals their gender identity but is suspected to be insincere, they may be referred to an external gender-affirming mental health consultant for evaluation.
Inmates deemed not to possess a “bona fide transgender identity” could see their requests for placement with the opposite sex denied by the DOC. However, the draft of the Transgender Protection Program Manual also asserts that requests for gender-affirming housing cannot be denied based on biases such as sexual orientation, previous offenses, or concerns voiced by cisgender prisoners.
The Washington DOC has yet to respond regarding the status of this draft manual.
Parlato raised concerns that assessing whether someone has a genuine “transgender identity” can be inherently subjective, involving personal biases. She pointed out that the DOC may claim to evaluate factors like past identification, mental health history, and social adaptations, but this process remains fraught with potential bias.
DCNF reached out to the Washington DOC for further details on how they establish if someone lacks a legitimate transgender identity and to clarify what secondary gains may arise from denying sexual advances, but there was no response.
Other subjects discussed in the monthly meetings included the possible impact of the November 2024 elections and external organizations communicating with inmates regarding gender care.
The Trump administration has reiterated its stance against allowing men in women’s prisons, with a December 2nd memo from the Department of Justice forecasted for January 2025, emphasizing compliance with the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA). This Act permits men to be housed in women’s facilities under certain conditions.
The meeting was facilitated by Dr. Meg Mansos, a psychologist who oversees Mantos Psychological Services, a firm focusing on evaluating transgender patients in institutional settings. Their main function appears to be conducting readiness assessments for individuals seeking gender-affirming surgeries.
A contract between Mantos and the Washington DOC stipulates payments of up to $3,200 per day for consulting and $450 per hour for court appearances. Since the contract’s initiation in April 2020, the DOC has reportedly spent over $1.18 million on Mantos’ services.
The DOC’s expenditures on transgender medical interventions have fundamentally increased, showing a leap from $92,225 in 2022 to $310,785 in 2024, totaling more than $600,000 over the span of 2022 to 2024, as revealed by public records.
