Society - Cruel And Unusual: Transgender Women in Prison

Cruel and Unusual: Transgender Women in Prison (USA).Documentary by Janet Baus & Dan Hunt. (2006)Imagine being a woman in a mens prison. For many individuals, this is a grim reality because the U.S. prison system decides where to place inmates based on their genitalia, not their gender identity. This award-winning documentary makes an unflinching examination of transgender women in mens prisons. Ashley, Linda, Anna, Yolanda and Ophelia describe their experiences undergoing inhumane and humiliating treatment including rape, violence, solitary confinement and denial of medial care. One interviewee explains. A lot of times I wake up, and I look around at my surroundings, and I see all these men. I think, What am I doing here? The women in Cruel and Unusual dont deny that they must serve their sentences, but their stories raise very important questions about their treatment.