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For those of us in prison who are transgender or identify as transgender we encounter people who make negative, arrogant, or uneducated comments about the subject of someone being transgender. Such as a transgender person being gay. Gender identity and sexuality are complete separate issues, and many people don't understand that. Some employees who make such comments are those who work in the mental health departments. What makes that situation so unfortunate is that the mental health employees are supposed to be advocates, and they shouldn't be saying biased, negative things about LGBTQ+ inmates/people based on their personal views.

That is what I had to deal with when I was seen by multiple mental health employees at this prison.

In August of 2018 someone who works here told others about me wanting to be female and wanting hormones, I haven't had any negative things said to me personally, but people have made jokes and said negative things behind my back. They won't say anything to my face because they know I'll write them up and have people call the prison and complain about it, which would likely result in them being relocated to work in another area of the prison.

Regardless of any negative, arrogant, uneducated comments made by someone, I won't allow that to dictate who I am and/or who I want to be. To do so would mean I was living my life for someone else, and not being true to myself. I won't do that. I know what that's like, and I'll never allow that to happen to me again.

On June 19, 2017 the Ohio prison system changed its policy regarding giving treatment to inmates who identify as transgender. Prior to that policy change the only inmates who could receive hormones were inmates who were already receiving them prior to entering the prison system. Under the new policy inmates can request to be seen by medical employees to get a physical examination and be scheduled to have blood taken to be tested, and be interviewed/evaluated by mental health employees regarding gender dysphoria.

On paper that appears good, but in reality it isn't, because inmates with gender dysphoria aren't being given that diagnosis because of biased, anti-transgender views that mental health employees and other prison officials have. I know that to be true because I experienced that myself with mental health employees at this prison where I'm currently incarcerated. That is very unfortunate, as it is a blatant disservice to those inmates who identify as transgender and want to get hormones. As a result, they are not receiving proper treatment for their gender dysphoria, which can have long term negative consequences for someone.

Gender Dysphoria is a very serious issue that requires proper treatment. Mental health employees who are disrespectful, have anti-transgender views/opinions, or refuse to give a diagnosis of gender dysphoria because they have been covertly ordered to not do so for some reason, or because they want to prevent state money from paying for that treatment, or whatever other reason, should not be allowed to have the jobs they have. Their actions are indicative of their being unethical in their capacity as "mental health professionals," and they should lose their license to practice in that field of work.

The unprofessional attitude and actions of mental health employees is part of the reason my attorney's office hired Dr. George Brown, a psychiatrist and one of the top three experts in the U.S.A. on the subject of gender dysphoria. I'm confident in saying that Dr. Brown would also be considered a world-renowned expert on the subject of gender dysphoria. His knowledge of gender dysphoria, without a doubt, far exceeds that of any mental health employee in the Ohio prison system.

Dr. Brown came to see me on August 16, 2019 and interviewed me. On August 29, 2019 he finalized the report he sent to my attorney, in which he states that he diagnosed me with having gender dysphoria. His credentials and knowledge of gender dysphoria are phenomenal, and far exceeds that of the mental health employees at this prison where I'm currently incarcerated.

A mental health professional should conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times, and be an advocate for those they are seeing/counseling. That, however, is not how things are with the mental health employees in the Ohio prison system. That is the sad reality for inmates in the Ohio prison system who have to talk to them for one reason or another. Some mental health employees talk to inmates, and some other prison employees, in a condescending manner, which is definitely unprofessional. They will frequently do it in a subdued manner, no doubt thinking the individuals they are talking to won't notice.

Just because someone is in prison does not mean, in any way, that they should not receive proper, correct care, regarding gender dysphoria or some other mental health or medical issue, etc. Sadly, many inmates are not given the proper, correct care they should be receiving, because of an employee's bias/prejudice, or due to them just being unprofessional and/or lazy.

The bias/prejudice and unprofessionalism extends to all levels of prison employees, not just those in the mental health departments. A lot of misconduct by inmates is seen or discovered, resulting in disciplinary action being taken against the inmate(s). But, that doesn't always happen. There are new crimes committed by some inmates in prisons, but that criminal misconduct sometimes goes unpunished because employees don't care about it happening, or an employee does not realize that the conduct was an actual crime because they are not familiar with the criminal/legal statutes regarding those things. And, sometimes, a prison employee will issue an inmate a conduct report for misconduct that is criminal, but that conduct is never referred to the state trooper assigned to that specific prison so they can review/investigate the matter, thus, allowing the inmate(s) who did the criminal conduct to go unpunished legally. I'm not talking about one specific type of criminal conduct, but various kinds.

In every jail and prison system there are employees who are negligent, incompetent, dishonest, etc., which is a serious problem, and the victims of such things are the inmates in those facilities. And, sometimes, other employees or people in society are affected in a negative way as a result. Sadly, that is the reality of the conduct of some employees who work in jails and prisons, which contributes to other people being harmed in the future.

The level of frustration that inmates deal with is already enough, without having the added frustration of dealing with employees who are incompetent, unprofessional, dishonest, prejudiced, or who go out of their way to deliberately antagonize inmates, etc. Employees who conduct themselves in such ways in a jail or prison create unnecessary problems and an unsafe environment, and create problems that come about as a result of their actions, or inactions.

Those of us incarcerated in jails and prisons are more than the numbers we are given or the crimes we have been charged with or convicted of. We are sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers, daughters, and sons, and more. We are still alive, and we matter.

And, we are human beings, and we deserve to be treated with dignity and respect and be given proper, correct mental health and medical care/treatment.

It is very frustrating to be trapped in a jail or prison system where many of the employees think that just because a person is an inmate that they are uneducated or unintelligent. Employees who have that opinion are arrogant, and ignorant, as they clearly do not have a good understanding of the inmates at the facilities where they work.

The above frustration I mentioned serves to compound the already existing frustration inmates’ deal with just from being incarcerated in general. Employees who do not understand that or who are unprofessional or too lazy to do their jobs correctly and help inmates to the best of their ability should not be allowed to have such jobs, as they cause and create unnecessary problems, which no jail or prison needs to deal with in addition to the other things that employees have to do on a daily basis.

If a person knows someone in jail or prison my advice for them is to be a good advocate, because every person who is incarcerated needs supportive people out in the free world who are on their side and willing to help.

You can make a positive difference in the lives of many people.

Let an inmate be one of them.

Earlonne Woods launched the podcast “Ear Hustle” to tell listeners about life behind bars while serving time at California’s San Quentin Prison. 

Now his sentence has been commuted and he works as a producer for the podcast that helped secure his freedom.