Do you think the prison system should pay for sex changes

[Deleted]

for inmates?

[kirra]

I think that in the long term, it will be a good thing if they do, because if courts rule that it is a human rights issue that should be provided it will give people who are fighting for insurance to pay for it a convincing argument. After all, if it's a right for prisoners, surely it should be a right for law abiding productive citizens! (I didn't quite mean that last sentence seriously, but I think that's how it will be presented).

In the short term, I think that it sucks that people in prison can have it done when many people who aren't in prison can't afford it because it is not covered by their insurance.

[VillainV]

I'm not sure how I feel about them paying to initiate a sex change (I haven't given that a lot of thought), but I do think that inmates should be allowed to continue/progress with sex changes that have already been started.

[snickers]

No, I don't think the prison system should pay for it.
I do, however, think it should be much more affordable across the board.

[Chelle]

No. Why should people who broke the law get better treatment than those who struggle to make ends meet legally?

[sunshineluv]

No, you lose rights when you get yourself into prison.

[Deleted]

Are you referring to HRT or reassignment surgery?

[wrathofkuus]

I'm with nicbreeful. In a situation of unlimited funding, of course; that's a no-brainer. But since this isn't actually a life-threatening condition, I'm not sure that if money is tight, room needs to be made in the budget for this.

[Jalapeñomel]

The prison system in our country is so fucked up, and therefore I think of lot of changes need to happen in order to help correct it. The US spends more money on its prison systems then any other country in the world. To me there is no easy answer to this.

[Deleted]

Lolol!

[Deleted]

Yes of course. It's medical treatment. Our prison system already provides healthcare. To deny a specific kind of medical care based on bigotry is inhumane.

And don't even get me started on "prisoners deserve to be denied human rights".

[VillainV]

So I haven't been following the trial really closely -- but was she tried in a military court in a federal court? Will she go to military prison or federal prison?

I assume that military prisoners retain their military healthcare while in prison. Military healthcare doesn't cover the cost of gender reassignment hormone therapy or surgeries. But yeah, if she wants to continue to pay for her hormone treatments herself, then I see no problem with it.

[Deleted]

Aug 23, 2013 7:04:14 GMT -5 toledo said:

Aug 23, 2013 6:48:30 GMT -5 @stellasmom said:

Lolol!

What's funny?

I don't care how un-pc it is. Fuck no.

[Deleted]

No, but I would also deny them gyms and TVs.

[shopgirl07]

No, I do not.

[MWOS]

Aug 23, 2013 5:54:01 GMT -5 Chelle said:

No. Why should people who broke the law get better treatment than those who struggle to make ends meet legally?

Yeah! I mean it's not like there are people who don't have roofs over their heads, there aren't people who are hungry! Why should these people eat or be warm in the winter when there are those who struggle? 


Uh, cause there's a standard for humanity.  We've also decided access to healthcare is a standard for a human being, no matter how bad they are

[bab]

No

[soozy87]

no

[pantsparty]

I think if the process has already been started, yes, but otherwise no, mainly as a budgeting issue.

[ohiowan]

Aug 23, 2013 6:24:16 GMT -5 nicbreeful said:

I think I'm going to say that no, the prison system shouldn't pay for it. But if you or your family wish to pay for it, the prisons should allow the procedure to take place.

Does anyone have insurance that pays for HRT or sex affirmation surgery? Does Medicare/Medicaid cover it?

If it isn't covered for the average citizen under these, then no, the prisons shouldn't cover it. But I agree that prisons should allow it if the family of the prisoner or the prisoner can afford it.

[toepick]

Where do you draw the line? Are prisoners entitled to cancer drugs? How about anti-depressants? My brother is bipolar and without his drugs, he wouldn't die but his quality of life would be beyond horrible.


The fact that all Americans don't have access to certain medically necessary treatments is shameful in and of itself, and I don't think we should extrapolate that because a non-prisoner can't afford something, that no prisoners should be able to have it either.

You may think that gender reassignment is not medically necessary, and I struggle with this as well. But it is a medical disorder with a standard treatment, so who am I to say that his health struggles are less than someone else's.

[Deleted]

Aug 23, 2013 8:10:17 GMT -5 pantsparty said:

I think if the process has already been started, yes, but otherwise no, mainly as a budgeting issue.

By that logic, during budget crunches, administration could also take their hacking saws to the budgets for antibiotics, exams, surgeries, hell, even food and water. 

Gender dysphoria is a medical diagnosis with a variety of treatments that can include HRT and/or gender reassignment surgery. Either we provide healthcare to inmates or we don't. 

[Deleted]

I also agree with nic. I don't think the prison system should pay for it.

And I'm curious, would someone be allowed to fund a procedure like this for a prisoner? Or if the prison system is not paying for it, can a prisoner not receive a specific medical treatment?

[shopgirl07]

Aug 23, 2013 8:17:41 GMT -5 AutumnRose25 said:

I'm LOLing the "not if there isn't room in the budget" because "those terrible people" don't deserve it answers.

You know what the biggest line item in the jail and prison system budget is? Incarcerating people for non-violent drug crimes.

Wanna reduce the budget? Get outraged about that, not tvs or gyms or extending the basic decency of physical and mental health care.

Come on. Just because someone doesn't think inmates should get sex changes doesn't mean they don't think the system is flawed.

I do want to reduce the budget and think our prison system is terribly broken. I think there's lots of people in jail who shouldn't be and lots of people who should be there a lot longer than they are. I think the system needs a huge overhaul but, until then, we have to work with what we've got.

[pantsparty]

Aug 23, 2013 8:17:26 GMT -5 @missusbee said:

Aug 23, 2013 8:10:17 GMT -5 pantsparty said:

I think if the process has already been started, yes, but otherwise no, mainly as a budgeting issue.

By that logic, during budget crunches, administration could also take their hacking saws to the budgets for antibiotics, exams, surgeries, hell, even food and water. 

Gender dysphoria is a medical diagnosis with a variety of treatments that can include HRT and/or gender reassignment surgery. Either we provide healthcare to inmates or we don't. 

You said it yourself. There are a variety of treatments, some that don't include surgery.

[Deleted]

Aug 23, 2013 8:15:37 GMT -5 toepick said:

Where do you draw the line? Are prisoners entitled to cancer drugs? How about anti-depressants? My brother is bipolar and without his drugs, he wouldn't die but his quality of life would be beyond horrible.


The fact that all Americans don't have access to certain medically necessary treatments is shameful in and of itself, and I don't think we should extrapolate that because a non-prisoner can't afford something, that no prisoners should be able to have it either.

You may think that gender reassignment is not medically necessary, and I struggle with this as well. But it is a medical disorder with a standard treatment, so who am I to say that his health struggles are less than someone else's.

What if someone sees going to prison as advantageous?  

I am undecided.  I want to hear arguments either way.  It seems like a health issue to me and so it seems like yes.  But financially it's a big no.  Also, it seems cosmetic, so that leans me towards no because someone could have a critical identity issue with some other part of their body and want to alter it while serving a sentence, but would that be allowed?  I mean, is it like, "He got a penis; I want a new nose.  My nose has always bothered me and psychologically it's very negatively affecting my mental state and sense of identity."

Prisons are supposedly supposed to maintain and also rehabilitate those who will re-enter society as serving their sentences, but what exactly should that mean?

[shopgirl07]

Aug 23, 2013 8:27:16 GMT -5 AutumnRose25 said:

Aug 23, 2013 8:21:52 GMT -5 shopgirl07 said:

Come on. Just because someone doesn't think inmates should get sex changes doesn't mean they don't think the system is flawed.

I do want to reduce the budget and think our prison system is terribly broken. I think there's lots of people in jail who shouldn't be and lots of people who should be there a lot longer than they are. I think the system needs a huge overhaul but, until then, we have to work with what we've got.

Until "when"?

As far as I know there is no set date for this overhaul? So should we just "work with it" and deny people basic rights during the time they are incarcerated?

Fuck that.

In your original post you said people should get outraged because the biggest prison expenditure is people incarcerated for drug crimes. Implying that one can't have opinions or outrage on a both issues.

[toepick]

Aug 23, 2013 8:28:17 GMT -5 @imback said:

Aug 23, 2013 8:15:37 GMT -5 toepick said:

Where do you draw the line? Are prisoners entitled to cancer drugs? How about anti-depressants? My brother is bipolar and without his drugs, he wouldn't die but his quality of life would be beyond horrible.


The fact that all Americans don't have access to certain medically necessary treatments is shameful in and of itself, and I don't think we should extrapolate that because a non-prisoner can't afford something, that no prisoners should be able to have it either.

You may think that gender reassignment is not medically necessary, and I struggle with this as well. But it is a medical disorder with a standard treatment, so who am I to say that his health struggles are less than someone else's.

What is someone sees going to prison as advantageous?  

I am undecided.  I want to hear arguments either way.  It seems like a health issue to me and so it seems like yes.  But financially it's a big no.  Also, it seems cosmetic, so that leans me towards no because someone could have a critical identity issue with some other part of their body and want to alter it while serving a sentence, but would that be allowed?  I mean is it like, "He got a penis; I want a new nose.  My nose has always bothered me and psychologically it's very negatively affecting may mental state and sense of identity."

Prisons are supposedly supposed to maintain and also rehabilitate those who will re-enter society as serving their sentences, but what exactly should that mean?

Are you suggesting that someone might choose to go to prison so that their health care needs would be met?  If a person chose to go to prison to obtain access to gender reassignment drugs / surgery, then that would be evidence to me of just how devastating the illness is and how desperate people are to get help.  

[Deleted]

Aug 23, 2013 8:32:08 GMT -5 cjoy said:

Having a crooked nose is so totally like having a penis you don't want.

I'm just saying it could be a legal slippery slope. 

[Deleted]

Aug 23, 2013 8:32:00 GMT -5 toepick said:

Aug 23, 2013 8:28:17 GMT -5 @imback said:

What is someone sees going to prison as advantageous?  

I am undecided.  I want to hear arguments either way.  It seems like a health issue to me and so it seems like yes.  But financially it's a big no.  Also, it seems cosmetic, so that leans me towards no because someone could have a critical identity issue with some other part of their body and want to alter it while serving a sentence, but would that be allowed?  I mean is it like, "He got a penis; I want a new nose.  My nose has always bothered me and psychologically it's very negatively affecting may mental state and sense of identity."

Prisons are supposedly supposed to maintain and also rehabilitate those who will re-enter society as serving their sentences, but what exactly should that mean?

Are you suggesting that someone might choose to go to prison so that their health care needs would be met?  If a person chose to go to prison to obtain access to gender reassignment drugs / surgery, then that would be evidence to me of just how devastating the illness is and how desperate people are to get help.  

I am suggesting that.  People will do things that will cause them potential injury in the hope of becoming more like the gender they would like to be, why not commit a crime to get a surgery?

www.nytimes.com/2009/04/17/nyregion/17silicone.html?_r=0