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Prisoners: Transgender People

Asked by Nick TimothyConservativeMinistry of JusticeTabled Answered 8 June 2026UIN 4567

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many biological male transgender prisoners housed in the female estate have been convicted of a sexual offence.

Answered by Jake Richards

Currently fewer than five prisoners who were male at birth are held in the general women’s estate. The exact figure cannot be provided without breaching data protection legislation obligations. None of these prisoners has any history of sexual offending.

For transgender women with birth genitalia and/or any history of violent or sexual offending to be held in the general female prison estate, the decision must be approved by the Secretary of State. No such approvals have been given under the current Government.

There is a separate unit for transgender women, known as E Wing, which is co-located within HMP Downview that is not part of the general female estate. E Wing held six prisoners as of 1 June, of which fewer than five had convictions for sexual offences.

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