Federal court allows trans inmate’s lawsuit against D.C. Department of Corrections to move forward
metroweekly.commoved to a women’s unit, but said she wanted to continue challenging the policy, claiming that forcing trans prisoners into solitary confinement is still discriminatory, and puts them at greater risk of mental health problems.But Judge Bates ruled that because Hinton is no longer in custody and DOC has since changed its original policy, she no longer needed immediate relief in the form of a preliminary injunction, and the court could not be sure there were enough people in the proposed class to certify it as a class action lawsuit.
However, the court also indicated that Hinton’s lawsuit remains active and that if more trans residents are identified as the case proceeds, it might revisit the issue of class certification.Related: Second trans.
