Minnesota transgender woman to change facilities after serving years in men's prison
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The Minnesota Department of Corrections is making changes in its policies regarding the treatment of transgender people who are incarcerated.
In the nearly half-a-million-dollar settlement, the DOC agreed to abide by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health's standards of care and ensure staff are trained on providing appropriate care for transgender people.
As part of the settlement, the DOC says it will transfer the first transgender person to a facility matching their gender identity next week.
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Christina Lusk has been serving her sentence in the Moose Lake men's facility since she was incarcerated in 2018.
The lawsuit alleges Lusk has been consistently misgendered by the DOC and was denied gender-affirming health care.
Lusk will be transferred to the women's facility in Shakopee and will resume gender-affirming care and counseling.
As part of the settlement, the DOC will assist Lusk in obtaining gender-affirming surgery if a transgender healthcare specialist deems it necessary.
"I believe we have made a big step toward allowing people to express who they truly are, and bring some sort of peace and happiness to their lives," Lusk said. "This journey has brought extreme challenges, and I have endured so much. My hope is that nobody has to go through the same set of circumstances."
The DOC says it will create a gender identity committee at each facility to review and address facility placement requests related to gender identity.
DOC policy allows transgender and gender-non-conforming people to request placement at a facility matching their gender identity so long as it doesn't pose a heightened risk of physical or sexual harm to anyone.
Minnesota joins 10 other states and the District of Columbia in approving transfers to facilities matching the person's gender identity.
There are currently 48 transgender people housed by the DOC out of over 8,000 inmates.
Lusk is scheduled to be released from incarceration in May 2024.
