Following our hard-pressed victory for an improved policy at the District of Columbia Department of Corrections, the Cook County Jail (Chicago-area) has announced it is implementing a similar policy. Like DC, the jail will handle each housing decision individually by creating a committee that gives trans inmates the option of being housed where they feel safest, including in facilities congruent with their gender identity.
We echo the concerns of Chicagoans who are calling for greater input from local trans communities regarding the implementation of this policy, and the sensitivity training it mandates. However, this is a great step toward respecting the human rights of trans detainees.