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Study finds nearly 45% of trans-women inmates convicted of sex crimes

Activist Heather Mason does not want to see a sex killer in a womans prison.
Activist Heather Mason does not want to see a sex killer in a womans prison. Photo by HEATHER MASON /FACEBOOK

A shocking new Correctional Service of Canada study has revealed that 44% of male-to-female transgender inmates are behind bars for sexual offences.

The study — entitled Gender Diverse Offenders with a History of Sexual Offending — reveals a troubling pattern of violence among the convicted.

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Spanning the years 2017-2020, 99 gender-diverse inmates took part in the wide-ranging study designed to provide the CSC with a profile of this segment of the prison population.

“We’ve known this all along,” former federal inmate and advocate Heather Mason told The Toronto Sun. “But I’m really surprised they did this study. It’s pretty damning.”

Among the findings:

— Of the 99 inmate sample group, 44% of the trans women convicts are sex offenders.

— 82% of gender-diverse offenders were trans-women with an average age of 42 years old and almost half were serving “indeterminate” sentences.

— Two-thirds (66%) had low reintegration potential. About 64% of these offenders had committed a “current sexual offence,” while 88% had previously been convicted for sexual offences. About 94% committed their crimes while living as their biological sex.

— The vast majority, 85%, were convicted of violent crimes that caused death “or serious harm” to their victims (58% of whom were children or women).

“It’s quite shocking. The study also shows that 41% of trans-women are in for homicide-related crimes while with male inmates it’s only 21%,” Mason said, adding that the study also revealed that in just four years, the number of trans inmates almost doubled.

The study also found that 70% of the trans offenders with sex crime jackets were themselves the victims of childhood abuse.

The study added: “Over 80% of gender-diverse offenders with sexual offence histories were trans-women. Sexual offending indicators showed that the majority of these offences were committed while living as their biological sex, and that the highest proportion of victims were children or female.”

In addition, the majority of the “sub-group caused death or serious harm to their victim(s).”

The study also found that of the 99 gender-diverse offenders, 47% of whom were Indigenous.

bhunter@postmedia.com

@HunterTOSun