A disturbing investigation has uncovered that a female prisoner in Massachusetts was thrown into solitary confinement after reporting she was allegedly raped by a transgender inmate housed in the same all-women facility.
Punished for Speaking Out
According to an extensive report by The Hill, MCI-Framingham, the state's only all-female prison, is punishing biological women who speak up about alleged abuse from transgender inmates. One incarcerated woman, who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation, told investigators she informed prison officials in November that she was raped by a male prisoner who identifies as transgender.
In response, authorities allegedly locked her in restrictive housing, permitting her to leave her cell just once per day for a brief shower. "It feels like I'm being punished for speaking up," the prisoner stated. "They are treating me as if I should have kept my mouth shut - as if it's my fault."
Violent Offenders Gaining Access
The report details that seriously violent criminals, including convicted sex predators, child rapists, and murderers, can gain access to the female prison simply by declaring they identify as women. This policy is enabled by Massachusetts's 2018 Criminal Justice Reform.
Other protections for transgender inmates in the state include being searched, housed, and addressed according to their self-identified gender.
The investigation names several high-profile transgender inmates now housed at MCI-Framingham:
- Kenneth Hunt (now Katheena): Convicted of sexually assaulting and murdering two women, including a cousin stabbed over four dozen times in 1982.
- Robert Koselik (now Michelle): Serving life for the 1990 murder of his then-wife, Cheryl McCaul, who was strangled with a rope and piano wire.
- Charlese Horton (formerly Charles): A level three sex offender convicted of repeatedly abducting and raping a 14-year-old at gunpoint. Horton was transferred to the women's prison in July.
- Wayne 'Veronica' Raymond: Imprisoned for life for raping multiple children.
Systemic Failures and Fear
The report further alleges that female inmates have no choice but to share communal spaces, including showers, with transgender inmates. Despite a designated shower period for transgender prisoners, they reportedly choose to use the communal area at the same time as others.
Additionally, female officers are required to conduct strip searches of transgender inmates who specifically request an officer of the same "gender identity."
To date, no transgender prisoner has been removed from Framingham following complaints or allegations. The Daily Mail contacted the Massachusetts Department of Corrections for comment on the report's findings.
