Woman wrongly processed as man and sent to all-male prison

An investigation has been launched after a woman was wrongly processed as a man and sent to an all-male prison.

The blunder occurred last week after the female inmate was passed into the care of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) with incomplete information about their sex.

It is understood the woman was processed as a man due to her appearance.

Once the gaffe came to light at HMP Perth, the woman was kept in segregation overnight and transported to the female prison estate the following morning.

Police Scotland said it is reviewing its custody procedure to avoid a repeat of the incident.

The mistake occurred after the woman appeared at a Sheriff Court in Fife and was remanded in custody.

A force spokesperson said: "On Monday 21 October, an individual was passed into the custody of the Scottish Prison Service with incomplete information about their gender.

"We are reviewing our custody procedure to ensure this does not happen again."

Campaign group For Women Scotland branded it an "appalling situation" amid concerns over how Police Scotland is recording the sex of suspects.

In an interview with Sky News last month, Chief Constable Jo Farrell said the force would ban male rapists from having the chance to self-identify as women amid confusion over the force's gender policy.

However, a leaked document shared with Sky News showed that Police Scotland considered recording double rapist Isla Bryson, who identifies as a transgender woman, as a female on the sex offenders' register.

A For Women Scotland spokesperson said: "Sex matters and the police need to stop playing silly games and restore sanity to the system."

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The SPS published its updated Policy for the Management of Transgender People in Custody last year ahead of it coming into force in February.

Where SPS has insufficient information about an individual who is arriving into custody, they are supposed to be admitted in accordance with their sex at birth.

A SPS spokesperson said: "We don't comment on individuals.

"The rights, safety, and wellbeing of all individuals, including those newly admitted to our care, is a key priority.

"We have procedures in place to keep everyone safe when someone is newly admitted, including keeping them separate from the mainstream population where appropriate."

(c) Sky News 2024: Woman wrongly processed as man and sent to all-male prison