LGBTQ+ In Prisons

At every stage of the criminal justice system, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people are disproportionately overrepresented. Beginning with arrests, LGBTQ adults are almost double as likely to be arrested compared to straight individuals - this is particularly true for lesbian or bisexual women who are 4 times more likely to be arrested. Then, LGB individuals are 2 times more likely to be incarcerated, with ⅓ of women in prisons identifying as lesbian or bisexual. This truth holds for transgender individuals as well, as the police are extremely biased with 1 in 6 trans people having been incarcerated. Within prisons, the LGBTQ+ community is sentenced to longer periods of incarceration and is likely to face inhumane treatment including physical, sexual, verbal harassment and abuse. Studies indicate that queer individuals are 85% more likely to be placed in solitary confinement during their sentence and 10 times more likely to be sexually victimized. Additionally, states do not contain policies that ensure basic protection for transgender people behind bars. They are denied routine healthcare, access to proper hormones, and the correct housing based on their gender identity.

The high disparity among queer as opposed to straight individuals begins at a young age. LGBTQ+ children are double as likely to be incarcerated as 20% of the youth in the juvenile justice system are LGBTQ+ compared to 4-6% of the general population. This has to do with a multitude of factors, some stemming from America's history of homophobic and transphobic actions. Many LGBTQ youth flee abusive and unaccepting homes due to their gender or sexuality pushing them towards criminalized behavior. Additionally, within schools, queer youth are more likely to be arrested or disciplined when attempting to defend themselves from harassment. More than half of queer students were reported to be physically harassed. America has a long history of criminalizing LGBTQ+ people and targeting queer spaces. Laws were passed making it illegal for men to wear women's clothes or laws targeting gay couples and even recent legislation was passed that bans transgender people from using the bathroom that matches their gender expression. Due to discriminatory legislation and views, LGBTQ+ people experience high rates of homelessness, poverty, unemployment, and violence, leading to criminal activity and high rates of incarceration.