A transgender woman behind bars at an all-male prison in Massachusetts is suing for the right to be transferred to a women's facility.
The federal lawsuit filed Wednesday in Boston says the inmate who suffers from gender dysphoria has been traumatized by being forced to "eat, sleep, shower and live with men."
The lawsuit said the 52-year-old, whose name has not been disclosed, has been forced to shower in front of male prisoners who make inappropriate comments and undergo strip searches by male correctional officers.
Her lawyers said she's regularly verbally harassed and threatened by male inmates and lives in fear of being attacked.
The inmate is currently incarcerated at MCI-Norfolk and is seeking a transfer to MCI-Framingham, the state women's prison. The suit is believed to be the first of its kind filed in Massachusetts.
A spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Department of Correction declined to comment.
The inmate is serving a three- to four-year sentence for a non-violent drug offense and is set to be released in November 2019.
