The Sentinel

Issue date: 4/9/08 Section: News

The Massachusetts Department of Corrections is citing security issues as a reason to prevent Kosilek from having a sex-change operation, explaining that she will become a target for sexual assault at the all-male prison in which she resides. If this claim is stated in proceedings, Kosilek will pursue her case to the federal level, forcing the American public to deal with an issue which is almost unfathomable.

Although, currently, this case applies to Massachusetts taxpayers only, the decision made in court will set precedent for similar cases in the future. Transgender inmates across the nation are awaiting the outcome of this case; one can imagine how quickly others will pursue a free sex-change if Kosilek is granted hers.
It is hard to imagine a day when part of my paycheck provides elective surgery to sexually confused convicts. Instead of increasing the amount of spending that goes into correctional facilities, we need to be taking a look at where we can extract savings. Reform is needed in short order. Gender identity disorder is a serious mental illness that needs to be acknowledged and treated; however, once you have landed yourself in prison, you forfeit your right to elective treatments like electrolysis and sex-changes. Most hardworking taxpayers would expect that this would be an obvious non-issue, after all, as Senator Scott Brown puts it, "When you go to prison, you lose some rights. You also lose your rights to get a sex change operation."

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