Resources: criminal Justice
Criminal justice court prison system assistance for transgender
The Transgender Health and Wellness Center stands in solidarity with TGI people in the prison system. TGI people have one of the highest levels of violence and rape in prison. They are extremely vulnerable when incarcerated, experiencing harassment and danger throughout the system. Their lives are often in serious jeopardy.
We are a firm watchdog for Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) compliance. We believe that prison is an opportunity to rehabilitate oneself. All people, including those in prison, deserve to be free from violence, and to live authentically while incarcerated. We are a strong supporter of the position that Transgender women should be incarcerated with women in order to prevent the inordinate amount of prison rape and sexual abuse by male prisoners.
Ask for help & support for the victims
Each year, we respond to hundreds of letters from LGBTQ inmates—asking for medication information, help locating their families, reprieve from sexual assault and correctional abuse, and advice for finding shelters for release. Once released, we work closely with people to help them find gainful employment. This ensures that they will not have to engage in shadow and sex work as employment.
The Transgender Health and Wellness Center is a strong advocate within the community—working publicly and behind the scenes to help empower TGI people. We collaborate with the government and community leaders to create change, striving to bring about a more inclusive and understanding community. The Center has been a 501(c) (3) charitable organization #82-4659164 since 2018.
The Transgender Health and Wellness Center works closely with Southern California’s TGI youth. Trans youth suicide is inordinately high, and is the highest within the broader LGBTQ youth community. We work closely to connect TGI youth with other Transgender members of the community so that they can develop friendships, learn about healthcare options, and be mentored by adults who most understand what they might be going through.
The TH&WC advocates for the safe visibility of intersex people in the community. We believe that through advocacy and education, and by forging community relations, we can improve the understanding and equality of Southern California’s intersex people. We are devoted to ending shame and secrecy, and we strongly condemn the unnecessary genital surgeries performed on infants and young children in a misguided attempt to make them conform to society’s prejudices. We believe that it is genital mutilation to surgically alter an intersex child. Doing so robs the child of a piece of their identity, causing severe emotional and psychological harm during the formative years. We further believe that the parents should not force the child into a strictly-defined gender role, but rather allow children to develop to a point where they can make their own decisions and control their own destiny.