In the space of a few weeks, two transgender women, Vicky Thompson and Joanne Latham, have apparently taken their own lives in UK prisons. Because Thompson and Latham had not gone through the process of obtaining a gender recognition certificate, they were considered male in legal terms. Latham had been sent to a close supervision centre for dangerous and vulnerable prisoners for which there are no facilities for women, but appropriate provision simply should have been made. In Thompson’s case she had explicitly said that she would kill herself if sent to a men’s prison.

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Prison in the UK is undoubtedly in need of reform. There have been 77 self-inflicted deaths in prison recorded so far this year. These include all deaths where it appears that a prisoner has acted specifically to take their own life, with about 80% of these deaths receiving a suicide or open verdict at inquest. Trans people are especially vulnerable in the overcrowded and under-resourced UK prison system, quite often simply due to being different physically. The least that can be done is to ensure that they are sent to the appropriate prison in the first place. Ministry of Justice guidelines state that “trans people should be located according to their lived genders as opposed to their legal ones”. In the cases of Thompson and Latham this was ignored.

Research carried out in the US and Australia indicates that trans people in prison are at a very high risk of abuse, assault and self-harm. Another troubling factor is the fear of not being able to continue with medical treatment. In fact it has been reported that some trans women in the UK have been forced to de-transition in order to avoid abuse.

In the 1980s, before I transitioned to male, I was imprisoned in two women’s prisons. I spent a month in total at Holloway and Drake Hall, an open women’s prison in Staffordshire, for breach of the peace while taking part in anti-nuclear protests at Greenham Common peace camp. Entering a prison for the first time is frightening for anyone. Luckily for me most of the women I met inside were friendly and supportive.

At some point in the future there will be a person who presents as neither male nor female and identifies as non-binary

In women’s prisons there is a very low threat of violence and sexual harassment from other prisoners. Tara Hudson, another trans woman who was sent to a men’s prison, said she was the victim of sexual harassment, but was freed after 40 days behind bars. As a trans woman, it is the ultimate humiliation to be sent to a men’s prison.

Although I wouldn’t relish the thought, should I ever go to prison again I accept that having transitioned to male it would, of course, be right that I would go to a men’s prison. But at some point in the future there will be a person who presents as neither male nor female and identifies as non-binary. This person will encounter great difficulty as the prison system, and most of the wider society, is not set up for non-binary people at present. They would automatically be sent to the prison which is in accordance with their gender assigned at birth. Perhaps there is the need for a unisex facility for some, including intersex people. Such a facility may also be appropriate for those who have just started transitioning. What is certain is that we can’t continue as the situation is now.

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The government has yet to release details on the number of trans people in the UK prison system, although following Thompson’s death it has promised to do so and carry out a review. More immediately we need to focus on ensuring trans people are sent to the appropriate prison for them and attempt to reduce self-harm and suicide behind bars. The government should recognise that trans people are at a much higher risk of abuse and self-harm and offer special care without causing isolation. The Gender Recognition Act of 2004 also needs to be reformed so that people can self-determine their gender. In order to obtain a gender recognition certificate and become “legally” male or female, you have to pay £140 and provide two reports from medical professionals, and with this information satisfy the gender recognition panel. This can take years and predictably many have not gone through the bureaucratic procedure.

The current lax and callous approach of our government towards the specific requirements of transgender prisoners is nothing short of disgraceful.

• In the UK, the Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14. Hotlines in other countries can be found here