Transgender people are incarcerated at over three times the rate of the general population in the United States. The reality for trans people of color is even more harrowing: 25% of Latino/a trans people, 30% of American Indian trans people, and 47% of Black trans people are incarcerated at some point in their lives. Once transgender people enter the criminal justice system and are under municipal, state or federal custody, their rights as persons change dramatically.
On this week’s episode of Prison Pipeline on KBOO community radio we will be airing the first in a series of interviews about the issues and concerns of transgender and gender non-binary within the criminal justice system. We will explore how transgender folks end up on the streets, unemployed, homeless or chemically dependent and the consequences of how being marginalized and abused often leads to direct contact with representatives of the criminal justice system, a system which is ill-prepared to deal with the realities of gender non conforming bodies and lives.
Our first guest in this series is Criminal Defense Attorney Karen Mockrin. Karen will speak with host Emma Lugo about how she helps transgender people navigate the pre-trial motions of criminal defense and also gives advice on what lawyers might need be aware of when addressing jurors and judges when representing transgender clients.
- KBOO