Prelims

Half Title Page

Transgender and Non-binary Prisoners’ Experiences in England and Wales

Endorsement Page

With sensitivity and intelligence, Olga Suhomlinova and Saoirse O'Shea skillfully present first-person accounts provided by transgender and non-binary people, historical and policy analyses, and insightful assessments of conditions of confinement for transgender and non-binary people incarcerated in estates in England and Wales. This book works on multiple levels: it honors diverse voices of the transgender and non-binary people who shared their biographies and experiences of imprisonment through lengthy correspondence with the authors, demystifies prison life as lived by transgender and non-binary people, and interrogates how gender infuses prison regimes and how prison policy and practice encode gender. It recognizes the humanity of transgender and non-binary people who are incarcerated by leading with their candid accounts and putting them in the context of correctional policy and practice. For these reasons, this book should be read by researchers, teachers, politicians and other policymakers, activists and advocates, and others interested in learning important lessons about the nexus between gender diversity and the carceral state in England and Wales – and beyond.

—Valerie Jenness, Distinguished Professor, University of California, Irvine, and President of the American Society of Criminology (2024)

My expectations have been exceeded, this is an outstanding book, rich, complex and engaging … [I]t is beautifully written, and a joy to read … Some of the letters and analysis are some of the best I have read relating to experiences of prison, trans or otherwise … [A] chapter relating to non-binary experiences is of great significance given the lack of literature in this area …

I read a lot of work in this area, and [the] book is outstanding in this field, I suspect that this is going to set the tone for many years to come … I hope this important book gets the reception it deserves, it is going on all of my reading lists for sure.

—Matt Maycock, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, Monash University

Project participants’ reactions to the book

A very accessible piece of work … [T]he participants’ words shine out, giving a very clear picture of reality not matching what’s supposed to happen. [As for the chapter on non-binary prisoners] I could not have wished for a better write-up of all the issues. The conclusions … are very well considered …The Recommendations … suggest what should be achievable in the short to medium term, rather than looking to some sort of utopian vision … Very wise.

—Wildgoose (a non-binary prisoner)

‘Wow’, what a read, as the old saying goes, ‘You didn’t miss and hit the wall’. I found it powerful and impactful … Thank you for quoting us word for word. I for one believe it has given, not just myself and the other participants a voice, but a voice to all trans prisoners in the male estate … Reading the stories from the other trans participants was bitter sweet as their experiences nearly mirrored mine and I felt solidarity at not being alone … but I also felt sorrow that they are having to undergo the same treatment. My hope would be for your/our book to be read in every prison and by the powers that be so that positive change can come about sooner rather than later.

—Jess

Thank you for highlighting the plight of transgenders in prison. I found the manuscript very informative and well put together. I believe it will change perspective of those people who have formed a judgement based on what they’ve read in the newspapers and open the eyes of those people oblivious to the goings on in prisons. I actually learnt a bit myself from reading it which is no mean feat considering the length of time I’ve been on the transgender pathway in prison … So once again THANK YOU.

—Jerika

I feel you have done justice to our experiences and the subject matter, you have tackled the issues really well, compassionately, with care and sensitivity. I hope you feel pride … it’s a great piece of work.

—Hotaru

Wow! What can I say about the manuscript you sent me other than Wow. Anyone who reads it will realise how detailed the research is that went into [it]. You haven’t relied on just the responses that we gave but have found similar fact evidence and support for the responses … I’ve already stated to both the Head of Psychology and my Prison Probation Officer that if they really want to truly understand transgender prisoners … they should invest in buying the book … I’ve read a lot of books on being transgender, and while most say more or less the same thing, your [book] goes a lot further in that it tackles the raw realities of everyday life for transgender prisoners. HMPPS should really take a hard look at what your research has revealed and take on board the real message of what’s needed to change things for the better ….

—Poppy

My initial impression is that you’ve managed something magical. I predict that you’ll (& we’ll) be quoted for decades because you have captured more than most – both more broadly & more accurately. Thank you and well done […]

You’ve managed to balance so much:

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  You’ve given prisoners a voice whilst protecting victims through a novel system for Anonymity that keeps our personalities

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  You’ve explained the realities that challenge staff & the establishment with underfunding, etc., without excusing it

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  You’ve avoided appearing to target certain prisons, people & remained neutral – this shouldn’t anger any group – a difficult balance

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  You’ve given a “prison primer” that easily lays out realities like PSIs & Ordering processes that even specialist prison books struggle to lay out - by coming from outside “the system” you’ve not overlooked things (like post delays) that most authors consider too obvious to mention

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  You’ve not captured a prison - you’ve documented the bizarre diaspora of the estate with all its inexplicable variances

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  … and you’ve done all the above, for all prisoners, before targeting into gender identity - this book will help more than just the Ts & LGBs - you’ve set a framework for future study

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  You already know you’ve done well with the gender stuff […]

Lastly – just thank you again. If I only helped with this, my time inside is not an entire waste.

—Fayth (a non-binary prisoner)

Title Page

Transgender and Non-binary Prisoners’ Experiences in England and Wales

BY

OLGA SUHOMLINOVA

University of Leicester School of Business, UK

AND

SAOIRSE CAITLIN O'Shea

The Open University Business School, UK

United Kingdom – North America – Japan – India – Malaysia – China

Copyright Page

Emerald Publishing Limited

Emerald Publishing, Floor 5, Northspring, 21-23 Wellington Street, Leeds LS1 4DL.

First edition 2025

Copyright © 2025 Olga Suhomlinova and Saoirse Caitlin O'Shea.

Published under exclusive licence by Emerald Publishing Limited.

Reprints and permissions service

Contact: www.copyright.com

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without either the prior written permission of the publisher or a licence permitting restricted copying issued in the UK by The Copyright Licensing Agency and in the USA by The Copyright Clearance Center. Any opinions expressed in the chapters are those of the authors. Whilst Emerald makes every effort to ensure the quality and accuracy of its content, Emerald makes no representation implied or otherwise, as to the chapters’ suitability and application and disclaims any warranties, express or implied, to their use.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN: 978-1-80071-045-0 (Print)

ISBN: 978-1-80071-044-3 (Online)

ISBN: 978-1-80071-046-7 (Epub)

Contents

List of Figures and Tables

List of Abbreviations

About the Authors

Olga Suhomlinova (ORCID 0000-0002-9587-2543) is an Associate Professor at the University of Leicester School of Business, UK, and a trans ally. She researches institutions. Contribution to the book: Conceptualisation (equal); Data curation; Formal analysis (lead); Funding acquisition; Investigation (lead); Methodology (lead); Project administration; Resources; Supervision; Visualisation; Writing – original draft (lead); and Writing – review and editing (lead).

Saoirse Caitlin O'Shea (ORCID 0000-0003-2835-556X) is a Senior Lecturer at The Open University Business School, UK, and a non-binary person. They research the lived experiences of transgender and gender non-conforming people. Contribution to the book: Conceptualisation (equal); Formal analysis (supporting); Investigation (supporting); Methodology (supporting); Writing – original draft (supporting); and Writing – review and editing (supporting).

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the following non-author contributors, who participated in the early stages of the research project, on which the book is based:

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  Tammy Ayres (ORCID 0000-0002-2590-9558): Funding acquisition (supporting); Investigation (supporting [some letter writing]); and Methodology (supporting [design of some questions]).

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  Georgina Barkham (ORCID not available): Investigation (supporting [some letter transcription and memo-writing]).

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  Michelle O’Reilly (ORCID 0000-0003-1978-6405): Investigation (supporting [some letter writing]) and methodology (supporting [design of some questions]).

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  Matthew Tonkin (ORCID 0000-0001-6913-7759): Investigation (supporting [some letter writing]) and methodology (supporting [design of some questions]).

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  Emily Wertans (ORCID 0000-0002-5662-6518): Investigation (supporting [some letter transcription]).