Scotland to house trans prisoners based on birth gender in U-turn on Sturgeon policy

Decision is switch from previous inclusive policy that prioritised social gender over biological gender

All newly convicted or remanded transgender prisoners will initially be put in jails based on their birth gender, in a U-turn of Nicola Sturgeon’s self-identification policy.

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) said on Thursday that it would not take into account a transgender prisoner’s gender identity while making an initial decision on where to place the inmate.

The reversal of policy was confirmed in an urgent review of the case of Isla Bryson, that involved a double rapist being placed in a women’s prison, sparking public outrage.