A SPATE of deaths of transgender prisoners has resulted in a call for radical changes to how they are treated in jail.

A Teesside University academic has called for all transgender prisoners to be held in the same facility to protect them from becoming victims of verbal abuse, physical assault and rape.

Professor Azrini Wahidin, an associate dean in Teesside University’s School of Social Sciences, Humanities & Law, is calling for change following the deaths of four transgender prisoners in just 14 months.

Jenny Swift was found dead at Doncaster Prison, a male prison, in December 2016 and Nicola Cope died at the closed female prison Foston Hall in November 2016. Those deaths followed Joanne Latham, who was found hanged at HMP Woodhill, a male prison, and Vikki Thompson, who died at Armley, another male prison, in November 2015.

A Ministry of Justice review last year accepted the treatment of transgender people in courts, probation and prison services has not kept pace with the development of a more general understanding of the issues surrounding gender in society.

Professor Wahidin said: “In a prison system that has neglected the needs of transgender prisoners, it could be argued that what is needed is a radical departure from the current custodial arrangements.

“While currently transgender prisoners are held with the mainstream prison population in various prisons, a new approach would be to house transgender prisoners in the same custodial facility. Though this proposal has its own challenges, it would diminish the risk of assault and violence towards transgender prisoners."

Latest data reveals there are around 70 transgender prisoners in 33 out of the 123 public and private prisons in England and Wales.

A report from the Women and Equalities Committee shows there is a “clear risk of harm” where transgender prisoners are not located in a prison appropriate to their acquired or affirmed gender.

Professor Wahidin, along with Dr Linda Moore and Professor Phil Scraton, have recently published Women’s Imprisonment and the Case for Abolition: Critical Reflections on Corston Ten Years On.